KVE Motors

[dontmatr]

Having broken off its relationship with Ford Motor Company, KVE proceeded with a clean sheet design for its next 2+2 sports/GT coupe. Riding on a 106 inch wheelbase, the new car utilized a double-wishbone front suspension, like the preceding Tiamat 4600GT, but for the rear, a new multi-link independent design would be utilized. The car's styling, now free from the constraints of the aged platform KVE had used since the 1987 Mielikki 5000GT, promised to be less awkward and more sleek than its predecessors.

The only thing the new car needed was an engine.

Although Chrysler Corporation had developed a new 5.7L Hemi V-8 for 2003, KVE felt that going for a more established engine would be more prudent, and approached General Motors in mid-2002, to discuss the possibility of using its LS1 and Northstar V8 engines. The last time GM and KVE had collaborated was in 1970, and the relationship did not end on the best of terms. Still, KVE hoped that the automotive giant would be receptive to their requests, and much to their surprise, was found more than willing to provide both powerplants to them.

Now with an engine, KVE's powertrain specialists felt the LS1 would be suitable for use in the new car, and after installing a new, more aggressive camshaft and replacing the stock exhaust manifolds with tubular stainless steel headers, along a bit of ECU tuning, the engine would produce 380 horsepower and 380 pound feet of torque. The new engine would be backed with either a Tremec T-56 6-speed manual or a GM 4L60-E 4-speed automatic.

The new car would have bodywork quite unlike the models that preceded it, although the front end somewhat hearkened back to KVE's first model, the Artemis. KVE had also decided to eschew the lightweight sheet molded compound body panels in favor of stamped steel panels, which would result in a more crash-worthy structure, and unfortunately, a much heavier car than its predecessors, on the order on 3950 pounds. The car would wear 19x9 inch forged aluminum alloy wheels, with 245/35/19 and 255/30/19 Pirelli PZero tires front and back, respectively. Braking would be performed by ABS-assisted 14" rotors on all corners, with Brembo 4-piston calipers.

KVE's new car, dubbed the Ishtar 5700GT, was handed over to automotive journalists shortly before it went on sale in March of 2003. Despite its considerable heft, the new car could sprint from 0-60 in just 4.6 seconds, with a 13.14 second quarter mile time with the 6-speed manual. The automatic was more disappointing, taking 5.4 seconds to get to 60, and 13.98 seconds to travese 1320 feet. Both cars would reach a 171 mile per hour top speed. The new car was also quite capable on the track, beating the '02 Tiamat's lap times on KVE's test track by nearly one second, despite being considerably larger and nearly 500 pounds heavier. The critics were quite impressed with the new car, although they somewhat scoffed at the $51700 list price, which was considerably more than that of the Tiamat. They also criticized the car as being overweight.

KVE would take steps to overcome the latter issue in the future, but in the meantime, Ishtar 5700GT would prove to be another success for KVE: 2612 5700GTs would be sold for 2003, along with 2993 for 2004, and 2154 for 2005.

[dontmatr]

Although the KVE's Ishtar 5700GT had been a successful vehicle from a performance and sales standpoint, it was felt that it could be better, especially in terms of weight, and now that GM had released a 7.0L version of its LS-series V8, power.

To that end, for 2006, the Ishtar would use aluminum body panels, which had not been used on a KVE car since 1972. The styling would also be moderately revised.

The biggest change would be to the engine; The 5.7L LS1 would make way for the 7.0L LS7 V8, which had just been released a year before for Chevrolet's C6 Corvette Z06. Before installing the new motor in the Ishtar, KVE's powertrain specialists, like the LS1 before it, replaced the exhaust manifolds with stainless headers, retuned the ECU and installed a slightly more aggressive camshaft. The end result - 560 horsepower and 475lb/ft of torque. The manual transmission remained the 6-speed Tremec T-56, but a new automatic was available to replace the old GM 4L60-E: the ZF 6HP26 6-speed transmission. The suspension was retuned and reinforced to handle the extra power, and 14.8 inch rotors replaced the 14 inch 4-piston Brembos up front. Wheels were enlarged to 19x9.5 inch front and 19x10 inch rear forged aluminum pieces, shod with 265/35/19 front and 285/30/19 rear Pirelli PZero rubber. These revisions brought the price of the car, now dubbed the Ishtar 7000GT, upwards to $77,400.

The new car immediately proved its superiority over the 2003-2005 models upon hitting the track. With the 6-speed manual, it took a mere 3.9 seconds to reach 60 mph, and reached the 1/4 mile in 12.04 seconds. The new 6-speed automatic was nearly as impressive: 0-60 was done in 4.1 seconds, with a 12.42 second 1/4 mile time. Top speed for either transmission was 189 miles per hour. Braking from 60 mph was outstanding: only 101 feet, with almost no fade after repeated stops. The more powerful brakes, lighter weight, larger tires and revised suspension resulting in a reduction of over 4 seconds with regards to lap times on KVE's test track over its 2003-05 sibling. The only real complaints directed at the car was a somewhat stiffer ride and the steep increase in price, which many were willing to overlook due to the huge increase in performance.

When the Ishtar 7000GT entered production in Janaury 2006, KVE expected a slight-to-moderate sales drop due to significantly increased price over the 2005 model. Instead, 4105 cars were built and sold (which would actually be the most KVE would sell in a single year), along with 3772 for 2007. KVE then announced, to the dismay of many enthusiasts, that it would end production of the Ishtar in mid 2007 to focus on a replacement, as well as a new 4-door sedan that would compliment it.

[dontmatr]

Well, with all of the updates to Automation since the Steam release, I've decided to make some substantial revisions to KVE Motors, from its 1963 founding to the present. But for now, I'll just leave a little taste of the future...

2016 KVE Inanna V8 4000GT

Although the small mid-engine Inanna sold quite well since its introduction in late 2011, many prospective buyers were turned off from the start by the car's 2.0 liter (later 2.3L) Ford Ecoboost turbocharged four cylinder engine, despite the Inanna's otherwise impressive performance. Similarly, many of KVE's staff felt that after over 50 years of utilizing, and improving upon powerplants from other manufacturers, that they had gained enough experience to the point that the felt they were ready to develop their own engine from a clean sheet of paper (so to speak).

Although KVE had developed a 4-valve 3.6L SOHC V8 for its first road cars back in 1963, it was temperamental, expensive and time-consuming to develop and build and in the end, nearly sunk the company before it had even got of the ground. This time around, however, many in KVE felt things would be different. KVE by 2015 had production and/or R&D facilities in Japan, South Korea, Germany, France, the UK, as well as in the US. By that time the company had amassed a far larger pool of engineering and production talent since the 1960s, as well as access to technologies only dreamed of 50 years ago.

A group of KVE engineers from across the globe had (on their own time) been actively designing a brand-new 4.0L four-valve DOHC V8 (as well as a 7-speed dual clutch gearbox to accompany it) since 2008. Running prototypes of both had been built by 2013.

With the blessing of KVE's upper management, the new powerplant was installed amidships inside the newly refreshed and restyled 2015 Inanna. The new engine fit between the rear wheels of the car, albeit with a tight fit.

With an 82.4mm bore and 92.7mm stroke, this normally aspirated, crossplane 3955cc V-8 had an under-square layout, yet was capable of a maximum engine speed of 8500 rpm. Both the block and DOHC cylinder heads were constructed of aluminum-silicon alloy. The internals of the engine featured a crankshaft milled from billet steel, as well as titanium con-rods and lightweight forged pistons. The new engine also boasted fully variable valve timing.

Fuel delivery was handled via direct injection, with one throttle body for each cylinder. The exhaust system consisted of stainless steel long-tube headers connected to three-way high-flow catalytic converters, exiting out of two 2.25 inch exhaust pipes, terminating into four exhausts tips at the rear of the car.

Installed in the Inanna (now officially dubbed the Inanna V8), this engine was rated at 500 horsepower at its maximum engine speed of 8500rpm, and a maximum torque peak of 360 pound-feet at 6200rpm. Nearly 80% of peak torque was available as low as 2000rpm. The engine would be paired with KVE's equally new 7-speed dual-clutch transaxle, also developed by in-house.

The Inanna V8 featured a bonded-aluminum unit body, with the body panels themselves constructed from carbon fiber. Like its four-cylinder predecessor, the V8 featured a mid-engine layout, with the V8 itself mounted transversely. Suspension was double wishbones all around.

To reflect the tastes of different customers, three different trim levels would be available; the standard 4000GT, the luxury-oriented 4000GT-L(Lusso) with an interior fully lined in suede and aniline leather as well as a comfort-tuned suspension, and a 4000GT-S(Sport) for track-oriented buyers, with a lighter, minimalist carbon-fiber interior, race-inspired suspension calibration, carbon-ceramic brakes and optional R-compound tires.

The result was stunning; Compared to the four-cylinder Inanna, weight had only increased by roughly 100 pounds. The car's acceleration had improved significantly; when tested for acceleration at several drag strips in the US, a pilot production 4000GT could hit zero to 60 in as low as 3 seconds flat, a half of a second quicker than the 4-cylinder Inanna; the quarter-mile disappeared in 10.74 seconds at 134mph, while the 2000GT required a full second more to reach the same figure. Top speed: 200 miles per hour.

Handling was also improved. Fitted as standard were new, lightweight 18 inch forged aluminum wheels, shod with 295/30/ZR18 front and 325/30/ZR18 rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires. Stopping was provided by slotted and vented steel discs on all four corners, with 14 inch rotors up front, along with a set of 6-pot Brembo calipers. Rear braking was done by 13.6" discs, with 4-piston Brembos. The Inanna V8 could make repeated stops under 95 feet with no fade.

When testing the car's handling characteristics at Dunsfold Aerodrome in England, a pilot production 4000GT managed a lap time of 1:20.4.

The Inanna V8 was scheduled to be on sale in late summer/early fall 2015, with a list price of $155000 for a standard 4000GT model. Luxury 4000GT-L and Sport 4000GT-S models were expected 'several months later'.