Mack’s new MP7 11-liter engine

Mack’s new MP7 engine is available in the initial offerings of both the new Pinnacle and Granite models, the first in a new family of engines that will take the
company through 2006 and, with modifications, onto the tough emissions rules of
2007 and then 2010.

“The MP engine family is the future of Mack powertrain technology,” said Steve
Homcha, Mack executive vice president of Class 8 programs. The MP7 will be
joined by the 13-liter MP8 in 2007.

The MP7 is an 11-liter engine available in the three traditional Mack performance
configurations – Econodyne, Maxidyne and MaxiCruise – in six ratings between
325 and 405 hp, with torque ranging from 1260 to 1560 lb ft. In 2006, the MP7 will
be offered in the company’s new Pinnacle and Granite models in an EPA ’04
configuration.

The Maxidyne is aimed at high-performance vocational customers; the MaxiCruise is for vocational and highway customers; and the Econodyne appeals to particularly fuel-sensitive highway customers.

The MP7’s basic design and hardware is shared with parent company Volvo, a
common platform that should come as no surprise given the huge cost of engine
development these days. Volvo recently introduced its own 11- and 13-liter engines for 2007 (see below).

The Mack and Volvo engines are not the same, however. The block, the crankshaft, and other major components are indeed shared, but it stops there.

Mack officials say their MP7 and MP8 will both be offered in the Mack-distinct
performance families. Each of them will sound like a Mack, feel like a Mack, and pull like a Mack, the company says. It remains to be seen if Mack will offer a version of Volvo’s big D16 in 2007.

Key components of the MP7 include: high-performance (cooled) exhaust gas
recirculation; a variable-geometry turbocharger with sliding nozzle ring;
electronically controlled unit injectors; single overhead cam with four valves per cylinder; wet-sleeve cylinders with single-piece steel pistons; and the rear gear train offers a simple rear PTO option.

Significantly, Mack says the MP7 will deliver “a significant improvement in fuel economy compared to current engines,” adding that construction customers will
appreciate the new engine’s low-end torque response. Oil-drain intervals are
currently estimated at 30,000 miles for standard highway applications, and 300
hours (or 15,000 miles) for most construction applications.

The MP7, incorporating Mack’s proprietary PowerLeash engine-braking technology, will mate with all of the company’s current transmission offerings, including the Mack Maxitorque and Allison automatics.

The 2007 MP8 is a 13-liter engine with ratings from 415 to 485 hp and torque
ranging from 1540 to 1700 lb ft.

Mack will continue offering its ’04-certified ASET engines in current Vision
highway and Granite vocational models in 2006.