What is wrong about a 5.5L?
03-03-2010, 02:55 PM
#21
MitchAsup. I don't see how GM is going to be able to reduce the Corvette from 3200lbs to 2600 to 2700lbs with out either making the car to expensive with with high tech materials or make-it allot smaller inside. Either way I would not be infavor of either. I like the fact that I can pack to full size suitcases in the back and travel in confort with two people. I have been in a boxter a lotus and maybe a few other small cars that I did not like how cramp they where inside and I am big but not huge (6.0ft 220lbs)
03-03-2010, 07:56 PM
#24
Le Mans Master
A: less weight with less displacement,
or
B: same weight with less displacement?
03-03-2010, 08:41 PM
#25
Le Mans Master
Corvette doesn't need to meet CAFE.
The A in CAFE is Average, meaning the FLEET of an OEM must meet the CAFE, so for GM the Volt and other 35 MPG+ (2008 Standard) cars can offset the Trucks and Corvette.
Plus the CAFE number is based on the 1975 Calculation of MPG (not the later one used until 2007 or the new 2008 one both of which are more stringent).
Seriously, look it up, 37.5 MPG is still joke for CAFE.
The A in CAFE is Average, meaning the FLEET of an OEM must meet the CAFE, so for GM the Volt and other 35 MPG+ (2008 Standard) cars can offset the Trucks and Corvette.
Plus the CAFE number is based on the 1975 Calculation of MPG (not the later one used until 2007 or the new 2008 one both of which are more stringent).
Seriously, look it up, 37.5 MPG is still joke for CAFE.
03-03-2010, 09:02 PM
#26
Le Mans Master
Less displacement, doesn't mean better fuel efficiency. The present Vette's do quite well here, as the big low end torque allow's effortless cruising at low rpm's with steep highway gearing. My daily driver Pontiac has a 3.6L engine and 6 speed auto. We have lot's of hilly lake roads around here with 35 mph limit's. The Pontiac's wanting to stay in 6th all the time, with the 3.6 really working against the tall gearing. The Vette' just laugh's at this terrain, and actually get's far better milage, here. guess you need to figure in the whole package.
03-03-2010, 09:43 PM
#27
Team Owner
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CI 1-4-5-8-9-10 Vet
St. Jude Donor '03,'04,'05,'07,08,'09,'10,’17
I just love how people can pencil whip technology and pull numbers out of their ***. WRT weight, GM trimmed all the low hanging fruit when they developed the C5. They have to struggle and agonize over every ounce that they trim now. They deal in grams. Yet people here can reduce curb wt by several hundred pounds with a few strokes at the keyboard.
I can't see any upside to making an engine smaller, other than blathering on about being "hi tech" and "green".
I can't see any upside to making an engine smaller, other than blathering on about being "hi tech" and "green".
03-03-2010, 09:57 PM
#28
Safety Car
03-03-2010, 10:46 PM
#30
Pro
03-03-2010, 11:31 PM
#32
Safety Car
If the car gets lighter, then a displacement reduction probably would perform close to what we have now. Might have to rev higher to get things going.
03-03-2010, 11:53 PM
#34
Burning Brakes
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Correct me if in wrong ,but the LS motor has on of the best gas milage ratings of any V8 now, why all of the speculation of a smaller motor. Before I bought my vette, I looked at other cars, no other car( in that price range) was even close on MPG, So I got the LS3 motor. It has been one of the best all around motors for ME. With some more mods I will be in the 10's and still getting 25-28 MPG! Enough said.
03-04-2010, 08:03 AM
#36
Le Mans Master
Corvette doesn't need to meet CAFE.
The A in CAFE is Average, meaning the FLEET of an OEM must meet the CAFE, so for GM the Volt and other 35 MPG+ (2008 Standard) cars can offset the Trucks and Corvette.
Plus the CAFE number is based on the 1975 Calculation of MPG (not the later one used until 2007 or the new 2008 one both of which are more stringent).
Seriously, look it up, 37.5 MPG is still joke for CAFE.
The A in CAFE is Average, meaning the FLEET of an OEM must meet the CAFE, so for GM the Volt and other 35 MPG+ (2008 Standard) cars can offset the Trucks and Corvette.
Plus the CAFE number is based on the 1975 Calculation of MPG (not the later one used until 2007 or the new 2008 one both of which are more stringent).
Seriously, look it up, 37.5 MPG is still joke for CAFE.
When Bush allowed trucks to be included in the overall average rather than having their own average, that made it real tough to get there. When Obama accelerated the new CAFE standard with an executive order, he doomed any car not getting 40mpg which means most cars on the road today. The car average last year for GM was 31. By 2015 it has to be 39. The Corvette is below average already. To increase mileage by over 25% in just 4 years is not possible without a totally different car. And just continuing to sell a car that gets less than 30mpg on the highway is not an option for long any more than continuing to sell Hummers was an option.
True it is an average but the political reality is no company can sell even one "gas guzzler" without paying a penalty.
03-04-2010, 08:10 AM
#37
Team Owner
Yes, they will want to improve the Corvettes rating, but it's not that bad already given the numbers they build, and they can easily pick up a few more with Direct Injection, a little weight loss, smaller tires (look at the current road test of the ZR1 vs Porsche Turbo and the two cars tire sizes).
I have no problem with 5.5 liters, but look at most sports cars with smaller displacement and double overhead cams. They have much worse mid range torque and really don't even get better mileage than the Corvettes engines.
03-04-2010, 08:12 AM
#38
Team Owner
And the Hummer didn't have to either. How'd that work out? Any "gas guzzler" with be ridiculed and is heading for the chopping block.
When Bush allowed trucks to be included in the overall average rather than having their own average, that made it real tough to get there. When Obama accelerated the new CAFE standard with an executive order, he doomed any car not getting 40mpg which means most cars on the road today. The car average last year for GM was 31. By 2015 it has to be 39. The Corvette is below average already. To increase mileage by over 25% in just 4 years is not possible without a totally different car. And just continuing to sell a car that gets less than 30mpg on the highway is not an option for long any more than continuing to sell Hummers was an option.
True it is an average but the political reality is no company can sell even one "gas guzzler" without paying a penalty.
When Bush allowed trucks to be included in the overall average rather than having their own average, that made it real tough to get there. When Obama accelerated the new CAFE standard with an executive order, he doomed any car not getting 40mpg which means most cars on the road today. The car average last year for GM was 31. By 2015 it has to be 39. The Corvette is below average already. To increase mileage by over 25% in just 4 years is not possible without a totally different car. And just continuing to sell a car that gets less than 30mpg on the highway is not an option for long any more than continuing to sell Hummers was an option.
True it is an average but the political reality is no company can sell even one "gas guzzler" without paying a penalty.
I think you are over reacting.
03-04-2010, 09:24 PM
#39
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1. a 4WD Suburban or Tahoe will do the same thing
2. ...and cost much less
3. Hummers are fugly
Once the fad wore off, and considering items 1-3 above, People figured out that they might as well buy a Suburban or a Hoe.
That one's easy. Get rid of Obama. Keep our cars.
03-05-2010, 07:45 AM
#40
Le Mans Master
You don't see the environmentalists bashing the Corvette? So who will they bash? They are have to bash somebody to bring in donations. Who is it going to be if not high powered sports cars when trucks are getting more than 30mpg in just a few years? They already think of the Corvette as a gas wasting toy for the rich. You really think we can slip under the radar when all the big SUVs are gone? Who's going to be below us on the food chain if we aren't up in the 50mpg range with the hybrids?
Again, look at the history of the Corvette from 1969 to 1975.
