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Buick Regal Turbo Gets Industry-First Turbo Direct-Injected Engine with Flex-Fuel Capability
2011-02-21
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PONTIAC, Mich – The 2011 Buick Regal Turbo is the first direct-injected turbocharged production car capable of running on any blend of gasoline or E85 ethanol, joining more than 5 million flex-fuel models General Motors has produced over the last 15 years.

The turbocharged Ecotec 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine that powers the Regal will help GM reach its goal of offering more than 50 percent of its production in flex-fuel models by the end of 2012.

Attendees at the National Ethanol Conference in Phoenix will have the opportunity to drive the Regal and the flex-fuel GMC Terrain during conference breaks today.

Compared to earlier versions of the 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo, GM powertrain engineers have significantly upgraded the new engine to accommodate both E85 and to incorporate refinements.
Since ethanol requires a richer air-fuel mixture than gasoline, flex-fuel engines need higher flow-rate injectors. However, a flex-fuel engine can potentially have any combination of gasoline or up to 85 percent ethanol in the tank, so a sensor in the fuel system measures the blend in real-time. This allows the engine management system to automatically adjust the mixture to provide improved performance and reduced emissions and fuel consumption. Stainless steel fuel lines provide extra corrosion resistance to ensure that the Regal Turbo meets GM’s stringent durability requirements.

In the past, improving power output and reducing fuel consumption and emissions were often conflicting goals. By delivering fuel directly to the combustion chamber, the high-pressure injectors can now provide a more precise mixture for optimum combustion.

Turbochargers use the energy in the hot exhaust gas flow to drive a compressor that forces more air into the combustion chamber for on-demand power delivery. The twin-scroll turbocharger on the Ecotec engine provides two inlet paths to the turbine to maximize the kinetic and thermal energy delivered to the turbine.

“Lag and reduced vehicle launch response is one of the age-old concerns with previous turbo engines” said Ecotec chief engineer Mike Anderson.

“Drivers would step on the gas to accelerate and then have to wait for boost and power to be generated,” he said. “The twin-scroll turbocharger helps the engine generate power and torque when the driver needs it for passing maneuvers or merging onto a highway even at low engine speeds.”

The 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo produces 258 pound-feet of torque from 2,000 to 5,500 rpm making it feel like a much-larger V6 engine while still delivering four-cylinder efficiency.”

Other changes to the turbo engine for 2011 go well beyond the addition of flex-fuel capability. The 2.0-liter Ecotec turbo has a new precision sand cast aluminum cylinder block that provides better durability while transmitting less noise and vibration than lost foam casting used previously.

The end result is a quieter and more refined power plant that helps the Regal achieve best-in-class levels of noise, vibration and harshness while delivering the performance expected of the best import sport sedans and the ability to operate on current and next-generation renewable biofuels.

 

buick, here i come!!

 

It'd be nice to see some numbers on injector flow rates. Gimpster ran his stock LNF on E85 with no problems. It's the tuned ones that cause problems. IIRC the Regal engine isn't making as much hp/tq as the LNF's did either.

 

I want to run E85. its much cheaper.

 

ummm I don't know about that... are you sure? because people are mixing not running straight e85.....

 

wonder if u can steal those injectors and put them on our cars

 

Actually, that is correct. Gimp had a bone stock LNF sedan that he tried it on when I was experimenting with the blends last summer. Only issue he had was hard starting under 45*f last fall.

He's since sold it and moved on to the C5 world IIRC.

I can get to about 70-75% bolted and tuned, adding a lot of advance at crank helps the starting some. A double shot prime does the trick also.

We need more tables to tune them if they are larger. Fooling the MAF sensor only goes so far me thinks.

 

Yep, Gimp did and I'm contemplating it as the price of gas continues to climb

 

But you will use more of it to make the same power so the prices will balance out.

The stock LNF injectors are capable of running e85, just not able to support 400whp like we all want

 

OK so can the stock lnf injectors handle e-85? I've got the air box mod and an open catless downpipe

 

hmm... so is there anything worthwhile to swap out from the Buick to ours? aside from the 6speed

 

It should, but you need to offset the fuel trims +30% to start out, then tune from there. If you run out of fueling, raising fuel pressure ala Trifecta would be the next step. Add lots of timing also.

 

hp tuner can raise the fuel pressures rite?

 

Nope, need a tunable Trifecta /HPTuners base file for that. No fueling tables in HPT.

 

ok so what kind of mix of e-85 u think i could run with an air box mod and open catless dp?

 

1:1

 

so put in 3/4 gal of 93octane and 3/4 gal of e-85. Im not tuned yet but gonna be in a few months i just wanna try runnin some e, see how it goes.

 

I wouldnt put E in the tank if your not tuning for it.

 

1:1 requires bout a 15% shift in MAF calibration to force more fueling (since we don't have any stoich tables). If you fill up 1:1 without a tune you will pop a CEL pronto and it'll run like crap.