This is a Chevrolet LS6 V8 that has been disassembled, with some parts cutaway to allow many of the internal moving parts to be seen, including the pistons, connecting rods, crankshaft, pushrods, rocker arms, and valves.
The engine is now a kinetic sculpture that has an internal speed-adjustable DC electric motor which allows the movement of the major parts to be seen in real time – offering an excellent introduction into how engines work for those who are new to the concept.
This kinetic sculpture started life as a standard Chevrolet LS6, a V8 engine with a displacement of 5.7 liters that was capable of up to 405 bhp in stock tune, with 400 lb ft of torque. The LS6 was used in the Corvette C5 Z06 production car as well as the Cadillac CTS-V.
About The Artist: Greg Stirling
Greg Stirling is an engineer, designer, and an artist, and interestingly he’s the great grandson of Robert Stirling, the inventor of the Stirling Engine.
Greg was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs to a father who was a master machinist and a mother who came from a long line of German engineers – it seemed he was destined to work as an engineer himself, and perhaps unsurprisingly that’s exactly what he did.
As a child he made frequent visits to the Museum Science and Industry in Chicago, and spent his free time building electro-mechanical machines in his father’s and grandfather’s shop. Once he finished school he studied Mechanical Engineering at Valparaiso University and the University of Arizona, and after graduating he moved to the Bay Area in California.
Soon after moving he was working in the fields of robotics and space flight hardware for NASA and UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Lab. After this he began developing factory automation systems, and designed robotics and automation systems for major Silicon Valley companies.
In 1997, Greg Stirling founded his own company, Stirling Engineering, and focused on building successful factory automation systems across the country.
In more recent years, Greg has shifted his focus largely to engineering-based kinetic sculptures. He’s created a remarkable series of moving engine sculptures using real automotive engines that have cutaway sections to show off their moving internal parts – parts that now move thanks to an integrated electric motor.
The LS6 V8 Engine Kinetic Display Shown Here
This kinetic sculpture started life as a standard Chevrolet LS6, a V8 engine with a displacement of 5.7 liters that was capable of up to 405 bhp in stock tune, with 400 lb ft of torque. The LS6 was used in the Corvette C5 Z06 production car as well as the Cadillac CTS-V.
The artist Greg Stirling disassembled the engine and it was professionally cleaned, then he reassembled much of the rotating assembly after having cut out sections of the block and heads. This now allows you to see into the engine as all the major parts do when the engine is running, with movement provided by a built-in electric motor.
The artist Greg Stirling disassembled the engine and it was professionally cleaned, then he reassembled much of the rotating assembly after having cut out sections of the block and heads. This now allows you to see into the engine as all the major parts do when the engine is running, with movement provided by a built-in electric motor.
This unusual LS1 V8 sculpture is now being offered for sale out of San Jose, California with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. If you’d like to read more about it or place a bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Bring a Trailer + Greg Stirling
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
