Mack 12-litre for Renaults

[kscarbel2]

Commercial Motor / July 6, 1995

Renault is to replace its 12-litre ACE engine with a similarly sized straight-six developed by its US subsidiary Mack. The Mack E7, which features V-MAC II electronic management, was launched at the recent ITS Truck Show in Las Vegas.

Engines will be crossing the Atlantic in both directions: Mack trucks will get the Renault 10-litre engine and a seven-litre engine is being jointly developed by the two companies.

The first V-MAC IIequipped engine to reach Europe will be the 16.4litre vee-eight used in the Renault Magnum. Current output with conventional injection is 523hp (390kW) and it is not yet known how V-MAC ll will affect this.

The four-valves-per-cylinder E7 will replace the ACE engine in the Major and Magnum rigid and artic ranges.

When equipped with VMAC II it offers between 250hp (187kW) and 454hp (339kW) with torque ratings from 1,160Ibft (1,573Nm) to 1,560Ibft (2,115Nm).

V-MAC II offers a similar range of features to Cummins' Celect or Detroit Diesel's DDEC systems. These include electronically metered fuelling; a choice of all-speed or accelerator-controlled engine governing; idle speed adjust; electronically controlled fuel injection; engine protection shutdown; cruise control; roadspeed limiting; lower gear road speed limiting; and a "limp-home" capability.

Service features include vehicle data logging, fault diagnostics and a serial data link for connection to service tools and PCs.

The E7 engine could be powering Renaults in time for Euro-2 next year—VMAC II-equipped Magnum 520s will almost certainly appear for Euro-2.

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