The team behind the 800HP Retro Silverado, the 700HP Supercharged Colorado, and the 800HP Solstice are setting their sights on a new challenge – the Lamborghini Huracan.
Owners and fans alike – things are going to get a lot more exciting on the road and track.
Stay tuned for more updates along the way.
The story below appeared on GM Authority on August 29, 2019, comparing the Mallett Performance Supercharger system to the proposed Lingenfelter tuning package.
Chevrolet Colorado Supercharger Battle: Mallett Performance vs Lingenfelter
BY JAKE STUMPH— AUG 29, 2019
Earlier this month, Lingenfelter announced a new supercharger kit for the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2. The highlight feature of that package is a major power bump for the 3.6L V6 LGZ engine, going from the stock 308 horsepower to 416 horsepower. That 35 percent bump in power is thanks to an Edelbrock supercharger.
Since then, GM Authority has taken to compare the supercharging kits, and spoke with Mallet Performance Cars – which was first to offer a supercharger solution for the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon way back in 2015. The North Carolina-based tuning firm has provided some interesting information that calls the Lingenfelter offering into question.
Mallett vs. Lingenfelter Supercharging Kits For Chevrolet Colorado & GMC Canyon
First, let’s compare the two kits. Both use Eaton-based superchargers, with Lingenfelter using a TVS R1740 while Mallett Performance using a TVS R1900. The numbers refer to the amount of air, in cubic centimeters, that the blowers push per rotation. Generally speaking, a smaller supercharger will have to be spun harder, using more boost to make as much power as a larger supercharger being spun at a slower rate and running on less boost.
The Mallett kit produces 361 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque at the wheels, and “that’s on a conservative, heat-soaked pull,” the firm tells us. Meanwhile, Edelbrock – which supplies the supercharger for the Lingenfelter kit, claims its kit is good for 345 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque at the wheels. The slightly lower power figure for the Edelbrock unit is understandable due to the smaller blower. However, Lingenfelter advertises 416 horsepower for its kit, presumably at the crank. As a result, it would seem that Lingenfelter is maxing out what that kit is reliably capable of.
And that is problematic, for a few reasons, the most noteworthy of which is that running more boost through a smaller supercharger tends to generate more heat, which can compromise durability and consistency. In fact, Chevrolet itself applied this very principle when sizing the supercharger for the 2019 Corvette ZR1 compared to the Corvette Z06.
“The key to engine longevity is intake temp and careful tuning”, Mallett tells us. The cool air being run through the TVS1900 used by Mallett keeps intake temps down. The company then adds Fluidyne intercoolers and a custom reservoir that holds roughly two gallons of coolant to stabilize those temperatures. That enables the Mallett system to “run wide open all day without any thermal issues.” Meanwhile, the Edelbrock 1740 in the Lingenfelter system will pull more heat into the air, while featuring a smaller reservoir. Hence, the kit will likely have trouble performing consistently when placed under heavy loads, such as being driven at high altitudes, towing, or towing at high altitude.
Of course, different dynos with different calibrations are going to produce different numbers, but the rest of the Lingenfelter kit seems to be on just as shaky of ground due to the drive belt. The Lingenfelter kit extends the standard five-rib drive belt to also drive the blower. That belt is perfect for driving the alternator and AC compressor, but its use in also powering the supercharger isn’t necessarily ideal, since an overburdened belt can quickly become the weakest link of an integrated system. If it fails, it can cause the entire truck to not run. By comparison, Mallett uses a bespoke eight-rib belt, with “the best idlers and tensioner in GM’s inventory and the best belt Gates makes.”
As an independent publication, GM Authority has no stake in the game, but when there are multiple aftermarket options available, buyers and bound to cross-shop. This is what Mallett Performance has told us thus far, but seeing that the Lingenfelter kit has yet to be released, the truth will out once it hits the streets. The only wild cards here are the price, with the Mallett kit coming in at $7,200. Pricing for the Lingenfelter kit has not yet been announced.
In the meantime, subscribe to GM Authority for more Chevrolet Colorado news, Chevrolet news and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
The folks at Chevrolet Performance’s The Block came by the shop to do a photo shoot and story about our 2015 Chevrolet Colorado back in 2016. They enjoyed our take on the Colorado so much, they ran it again this year.
Read the full story below.
WORDS: DUSTIN WILSON
PHOTOS: MATT BEST
For our final story of 2018, we’re looking back to a local Chevrolet Colorado here in Charlotte, North Carolina. This is not just any Colorado, but an intense racer set up with nothing in mind but quick lap times. It’s a four-seater pickup the owner tells us will pass C7 Stingrays at your local road course. We’re of course talking about Chuck Mallett, of Mallett Performance Cars, and his supercharged V6 Colorado with over 700 horsepower.
Mallett swapped in a 3.6L V6 from a 2016 Cadillac ATS-V due to that engine already being built for boost since forced induction was his desired path to horsepower success. The engine features a forged crank, titanium connecting rods and forged pistons. Bolted to the top is a Mallett Colorado Intercooled Supercharger Manifold assembly complete with a Magnuson 1.9L supercharger, custom 64mm C&R intercooler, custom CNC-machined upper and lower 8-rib pulleys, front engine idler pulley, tensioner mounting plate, drill-less mounted aluminum intercooler tank and water pump and C&R heat exchanger. Mallett used a C7 LT1 throttle body to open up the intake side and crafted a custom air intake box. Spent gasses are expelled through a custom high-flow dual exhaust, and let us tell you, it’s a true high flow as we breathed in the sweet nectar that is 109 race fuel while moving the truck in the parking lot during the shoot.
Power is nothing without getting it to the ground. Behind the V6 is a modified stock transmission that turns a narrowed Moser nine-inch rear-end with WaveTrac and aluminum center section. The rear differential then spins beautiful Forgeline custom MS3C concave wheels – 19×9.5 front and 20×13 rear – wrapped in rear 315/35/20 BFGoodrich G-Force Rivals. And spin they do — even with all that traction. Feathering the throttle just maneuvering the vehicle in a parking lot induced rear shrieks of euphoria from the sticky rubber.
To keep contact with the road and increase lateral stability, a lot of custom work was performed by Mallett and the team to the chassis and suspension. First, ride height needed to be adjusted to lower the center of gravity while maintaining correct geometry. Custom drop spindles were fabricated with custom lower control arms up front. Custom Penske coilover shocks were also installed. Out back, the rear frame section was raised and narrowed and a custom three-link ladder system with center frame crossbar and driveline hoops were fabricated and welded in. A custom rear sway bar and adjustable panhard bar were installed to fine tune the truck’s balance on track. Mallett knew his horsepower goals, his truck’s goal weight, and worked backwards from there determining the optimal wheel/tire sizing. Knowing the size of said rear tires, Mallett took to tubbing the truck bed some four-and-a-half inches wider each side, which as you can see in the photos, isn’t even noticeable due to pristine welding and paint.
