The other day was sweet.

Got a ride in GM's Stage 3 CSS/SC test vehicle a few days ago and learned some cool things. Apparently it's going to be an off-road only box (easy to install and uninstall, and not emissions legal). To make this more of a sure thing, it disables your A/C. I mean, you dont use A/C at autocrosses do you?

It has what i think is a 2.6" pulley, but i'd have to recheck that. It's also equipped with a 50 shot of nitrous as well. The box is programmed for nitrous, and wont activate it until youre WOT and past 3500rpm when the button is held down.

Some cool features i got shown were the High-octane mode switch and RPM-redline setting. Can go all the way to 8k if you want, but on stock internals anything over 7k is dangerous. On that note, the internals should be beefed up if you plan to go above a 50 shot of nitrous as well (pistons in particular, but im sure most of you know that).

Floored in 2nd with the nitrous on, that thing hauled (loudly!) all the way to 7k easy. 3rd+4th gear on the highway could easily get you in trouble. It just moves.

Fun stuff, cant wait for these to come out. From what i heard they may be released late June/early July? We'll just have to wait and see. But it IS coming!

 

I got an email from GM talking about this very box. It's great that it will be easily put in\removed for the track.

 

Yes... "for the track" followed by evil laugh... Muhahahaha...

 

Sorry, but I would rather have mechanical/electronic parts giving me more power rather than nitrous. The power would be there all the time because you dont run out like with nitrous. I HATE NOS!

 

my thoughts exactly

 

True, i dont really like nitrous either. But the fact the box is set up to handle it well, is just a nice touch.

 

wonder what that would put the hp at?

 

Sweet, any idea on price? and to beef up the internals, do you HAVE to install anything other then pistons. I know some people are doing cams, and head. But is that necessary. can't you stay with the stock compression ratio and not go to 10:1

 

What is there to hate about nitrous, if you are in a race and need just that little bit more, then push the button....

Nitrous rules!!!

(if used properly)

 

if you go with this box which raises rpm limit to 8,000 you need valve springs at least in your head. And it's not just compression ratio, the pistons aren't made for over 300whp. And no I don't know why GM did that.

 

I wanna make power somewhere else besides on the bottle.

 

Are they going to offer an adapeter plate? or a nitrous kit to go along with it. Did you get to see the setup and how the N2O was introduced to the system?

 

Right, and now that i think of it, won't I need cams also, to go along with the 8000rpm redline

 

Agreed. Without, its dangerous above 7k.

No idea on price. We'll just have to wait til they say something.

Almost forgot. Pretty sure the kit comes with another aftercooler, but with 2 passes through design instead of 1 (i say that correctly?).

 

so we would have to pay to upgrade these types of things if we want real power. But at least GM is coming out with these instead.

 

Track day and mabe a (fridaynite special (said in a low vioce) but def a long muhahahahahaha is needed again.

 

I guess I just have more of a road racing/oval racing mentality. I am not a straight line kind of driver. If you can't build an engine with power without nitrous, then stick to drag racing.

 

OK...

 

do you think or have you heard anything about a stage 2 - 3 kit? cause they have stage 1, stage 1 - 2, stage 2 and stage 3, so has anyone heard of stage 2 - 3?

 

Cant help you with that. I saw how it was setup, but nitrous is greek to me. I can tell you there was an on-off switch on the dash, and a button mounted in the steering wheel (sorta above the airbag, and giving an airbag warning cuz the bag was turned off, and the switch power was tapped into it i think...)

 

Maybe I should retract a little. I will say that nitrous is good for racing anything if you have a limited budget and just want a little extra power without upgrading internals too much. But if you have the money, upgrade the hell out of the car and don't use NOS.

 

I just don't understand this whole package that requires modification of the internals. Why wouldn't they just go with a 2.6 pulley, bigger injectors, header, exhaust and a reflash? Wouldn't that make more sense??

 

Stage 3 is a standalone. You swap it in/out for a weekend race etc. Remember, it's not emission legal or "road" legal, so it will not replace the other stage kits fully.

edit- thanks for reminding me. S3 does have bigger injectors as well.

 

I agree with you. They should have taken a page out of the SRT-4 Mopar stage kit book.

 

what about under the hood. did you see a N2O hose going into the intake?