Edelbrock Looks to the Future

LSXMAG has an informative chat with Edelbrock’s Marketing Manager. Images courtesy of Edelbrock.

We recently sat down for a discussion with Eric Blakely, Edelbrock’s Director of Advertising to see what the company’s plans are for the future of the hot rodding hobby/industry in general and what specifically it has planned for LS engine upgrades. The conversation was enjoyable and enlightening. Blakely told the author that this year’s catalog is an interesting one for several reasons, the first of which is that it’s the first in his memory to be ready before SEMA and Edelbrock will be bringing 7,500 of them to the SEMA show in a few weeks. He also said that Edelbrock has several times that number printed and ready to send to customers upon request.

Most New Items Are Still Under Development

Blakely told us that most of Edelbrock’s new products are still under development, so they didn’t make it into this year’s catalog. This is another one of the reasons this catalog is so interesting-it’s quite light on new products when compared to previous years when the catalogs came out as late as March or April.

Development of LS-specific Components Will Accelerate

Many hot rodders want the look and feel of a carb on their LS engines. Edelbrock says they'll continue to deliver for them. Image courtesy Edelbrock.

Many hot rodders want the look and feel of a carb on their LS engines. Edelbrock says it will continue to deliver for them.

Blakely says that Edelbrock realizes that the LS-series of engines is the Small Block Chevy (SBC) of the 21^st century (“We get it!”), at least for the foreseeable future. As such, it will accelerate the development of components for these engines. He says that the company is receiving multiple requests from racers and hobbyists around the country for new parts to enhance their LS engines. Edelbrock’s success with products for the LS 1 and LS2 engines should continue unabated, with a few new products still under development and not even ready to be talked about yet.

Dual car LS intakes are a hot rodder's favorite. Image courtesy Edelbrock.

Dual carb LS intakes are a hot rodder’s favorite.

Edelbrock also has a plastic mock-up for testing of a new cross-ram intake manifold for forced induction-fed LS3 engines. Most of the internal portions of this intake have been finalized, and it’s been tested to provide an increase of around 27 horsepower and 28 lb-ft of torque, but again, it’s still just a plastic prototype. None of the exterior design of the manifold is ready for the public, although Blakely did hint that it’s going to play quite extensively off Edelbrock’s heritage. Another cool thing is that although it will in no way be emissions-legal, it will fit under a stock Camaro hood. Blakely says it’s also going to be a direct fit for GM’s 99 mm throttle bodies and have 13 inch runners.

Although the LS engine is an OEM EFI platform, Edelbrock is getting many requests from both racers and hot rodders for carbureted intakes, both single and duals. Edelbrock is going to continue development of these parts for the LS1 and LS2 engines, and ramp up development for the LS6 and LS7 engines as well. We should be seeing a number of parts coming out over the next year for these LS platforms.

Another area of interest that was brought up is the matching of heads to intakes. When the heads are properly matched to the intake manifold more power can be generated, both in street and racing applications. Over the course of the next year, we should see a number of matched intake/head sets made available. We were also told about some new E4 superchargers, both Stage II and Stage III for these engines. Blakely also mentioned that it’s highly likely that we’ll be seeing another new intake designed specifically for forced induction carbureted and injected engines.

Bringing Back the Super Victor-Style & Listening to the Customers

Blakely mentioned that some LS-specific intakes like this Super Victor throwback are in the offing for next year. Image courtesy Edelbrock.

Blakely mentioned that some LS-specific intakes, like this Super Victor throwback, are in the offering for next year.

Blakely hinted that Edelbrock is working on some new LSR Pro-Port heads in the Rawlins style that will bring back the Super Victor styling of old. There’s also the possibility (probability?) of some collaboration with the Frank and Boggs race teams, two high-end teams whose advice and requests Edelbrock has heeded in the past for product development ideas. This collaboration may also come in the form of LSR-Pro Port Rawlins style heads and/or intake manifold designs.

The company has been very good at listening to its racing customers as well as feeling out the direction the industry is heading. Edelbrock will be continuing this tradition by watching the high-end engine builders and listening to them when they make specific requests for parts.