That's your response? This is a discussion not a fight so what's the matter? Cat got your tongue about my response?

 

If I'm going to have a discussion it's going to be with someone worth having a discussion with. Now put that in your pipe and smoke it...

 

I agree. While it sounds sexy to say you have a 7 liter engine under the hood, if a 5.5 can make the same power and get better gas mileage, I'm all for it. As long as it is a V8, I'm happy.

 

I couldn't agree more. You got nothin', goatts.

 

The only way changing the displacement will appreciably change the weight is for there to be a complete redesign. To my knowledge the Gen 5 will have the same bore spacing. Since it seems they are destroking a 7 liter motor they could save some weight and packaging dimensions by reducing the deck height. A very small change. To really change the width they would have to change the V angle.

The Gen 5 is likely to be very similar in dimensions and weight (unless there is a materials change) to the current motor. They will get efficiency due to changes to head design, direct injection, friction reduction, materials changes (ceramic coatings (?)), compression ratios, variable valve timing, duration, and lift, and intake design. Increasing RPMs will not bring them more fuel efficiency.

Design decisions have trade-offs. The Corvette team will make the changes where they will get the maximum mileage and horpower at a given cost. If they can get one HP for less than x they will do it. If they can reduce weight for less than $x per pound they will do it. If they can increase milage for $X per 0.1MPG without sacrificing the required HP or cost they will do it.

They are not going to reduce the mileage of the base Corvette. They will not likely hurt the key preformance metrics of the base Corvette. If they reduce HP they will do it because they have been able to reduce weight to maintain the power to weight ratio.

They are not going to put a turbine in it or a Mr. Fusion. They would both take them away from many of their design criteria. It will not have VTOL capability(unfortunately).

 

Well, let's remember what the Corvette is. The Corvette is a model that provides the sports car enthusiast a world class driving experience in a car they drive every day. The Corvette is also a model that is the leader in the research and development of GM's cutting edge technology. Most importantly, it is high performance vehicle that one doesn't have to have movie star, athlete, or corporate giant money to own and drive.

 

Well said. The C6 is a masterpiece IMO. But GM is now a post bankrupt company owned by the gubment. Bureaucrats may be pulling the strings, not car guys. Any Harley Earl's or Duntov's at GM now? I don't know. The reason I started this post is that I'm not thrilled about the info trickling out about the C7. I don't want to hear about a smaller more efficent V8 with the same hp and great mileage. The greenies may welcome the news but not me.

By the way, I don't care about cubic inches but I do care about power. I mentioned the 458 motor above. Something like that would be great.

 

The vette has steadily improved over it's history. All I'm hearing now is that it will have the same performance but with better mpg to satisfy Obama. I don't see Porsche, Ford or anybody else doing this. I wonder why?

 

Goatts. You are either purposely leaving out info to support your hatred of obama, or you really dont know much and are just running your mouth assuming things. The c7 will be better. It may have 5 more hp then the c6, but as I said GM said their target goal is around 3100lbs. Plus due to variable cam timing the hp and torque curves will be even better then the ls3. Therefor the C7 will outperform the c6. Simple as that you cant argue that. Another question. Do you consider the C5 project a failure becaue it didnt outperform the C4 ZR1? How about the c6 because the ls2 vette got left in the dust by the C5Z on a track?

Ford? Recall the 5.0 was dropped for a better breathing and more fuel efficient if i recall 4.6? The gt500? They changed its trans ratios, not for better performance, but for better mpg while not hurting performance since the alluminum block entered the picture this year as well. And isnt the 5.0 more fuel efficient then the 3 valve 4.6? Im almost postive it is and your obviously not complaining about that. Porsche? Have you looked at any Porsche add lately or heard what they are planning? They are planning to pump out as many hybrids as they can to improve both HP and MPG. Ferrari? They are probably going to twin turbo v8 instead of v12 for their next supercar, because almost the exact same level of performance is there, but better mpg rating. Any other company you want an example of? The c7 will be a better performer then the c6. Before you start ranting again, do some serious in depth research. Tons of info is out there now. No one is pleasing Obama, they ARE PLEASING CAFE!!! Which has been around forever now. Only difference beteween this and last HP wars is that this time companies are planning ahead for ways around it when gas restrictions become even more severe. Heck most companies are making cars in advance of it.

And the 458 thing again. You still didnt acknowledge my post. The Zr1! It can outperform the 458 in a straight line, in MPG, and im assuming around a track even if it is less balanced. You want the c7, with probably just chrome wheels will cost 55k, to outperform a car costing 225k? Chevy has no reason to do that nor could they. They make a car that then will and then they charge more for it. But still its a fraction of the cost. Any thing else you need answered?

 

Let's hope the C7 is better. Not looking good at this point. They're talking mid engine C8 which could be great. I don't think they intend on doing a lot with C7 but waiting til C8.

Obama increased the CAFE standards to pacify his enviro wacko voting block. The standards didn't increase themselves. One of the first things he did.

C6 already performs with the 225k cars. What do you mean they have no reason to do that?

C5Z doesn't out perform LS2. They're about the same.

 

Your communication skills need a little work. First you imply that smaller displacement with the same power output is somehow a bad thing. How can you consider a more efficient [ANYTHING] to be bad as long as it still delivers the "goods"? Then you claim that you actually "don't care about cubic inches but [you] do care about power."

And by the way, yes, the C5Z actually does out-perform the LS2 C6 on any track. Why wouldn't it? It's over 100-lbs lighter, more rigid, and has near identical power and torque. The C5Z is a great example of what a smaller displacement V8 (LS6 5.7L) can accomplish, especially when the car has a curb weight advantage.

This is all I'm going to say since I refuse to get dragged any deeper into this nonsensical thread. Now, if you still want to moan about Obama and the greenies before factual information about the C7 is even released, go right ahead. Adjust your tin foil hat first.

 

Well I don't know about the government running GM, I thought they supposedly paid tht money back. However, the point I really was making about the Corvette, is that it is the R/D tool for alot of GM's new performance technology. If you recall back in the early '70's between the oil embargo and the wonderful introduction of the EPA, American auto manufacturer's acted like they were blind sided. They rushed to put out "fuel efficient" cars, that frankly, sucked. They lost decades of sales through the bad reputation of these cars. I am personally glad to see GM realizing that the future is going to require change to satisfy the general market. As it stands, I think GM would stand up well to any foreign engineered product at this time. But they do need to look forward to stay ahead and not repeat the disasters of the past.

Say what you will about EPA, gas mileage, and CAFE standards. But the fact is they are here to stay. Like it or not. I am not going to get into a debate over politics here because a) it doesn't belong and b) neither side has any answers. I do realize, however, that our current energy supplies in terms of fossil fuels is limited and the expense is ever increasing. In order for the average American to continue to heat their home and provide light for their kids to do homework by, we are going to have to find alternatives to fossil fuel at some point. In so doing we will also make it possible for speed freaks like us to have our fun as well.

By working on the technology today to get more power from less energy sets GM up for a better future. Remember the Chevy Citation? A four banger that produced like 95 hp and got just over 20 MPG. Or better yet, the small block Vette of the past that may have gotten up to 350hp but only got 14 mpg on a good day. Look at where we are today, if your LS3 got 14 MPG on the highway you'd take it in to see what's wrong with it. In a few short years that 5.5 will be breaking the 500 mark and still getting 25mpg.

I don't like alot of these regulations either. I am certainly not one to embrace the green movement blindly. I am not a fan of Al Gore on Facebook. But I also don't like paying $4 to $5 for a gallon of gas, and we are going to get there eventually. GM knows that, and they know if they don't take action now, cars like the Corvette will have to go.

 

Forget it. All I can say is check your facts and I'll leave it at that. Cause nothing of what you just said was accurate...

 

You promise?

 

You make good points. But GM did not pay anything back. It was a lie. Check into it. To survive, GM will have to build cars that people want to buy, not what Obama tells them to build. They will not survive building crap like the Volt.

 

Like what? C5Z and LS2 have about the same 0-60, 1/4 mile and Nurburgring lap times. Close enough that drivers could make the difference. Check it out.

 

Wow Socialists even on Corvette Forum

I think it should be 7.0L with all the new technology, noway 5.5 can compete with 7.0.
Put DFI, VVT and other technology in 7.0 and 8.0 for Z06!

 

Have they invented the FLux capacitor yet? Im sure that would be pretty badass.

 

Exactly, they need to make cars that people want to buy, can afford to buy, and can afford to drive. More importantly, they need to do it sooner and better than the Japanese and the Germans. I think history tells them that. They don't need an elected government official to point it out to them. They had there wake up call when gas hit $4.25 and everybody thought it would hit $5. Sales hit the floor as America traded it's Impala for a Prius.

True, the Volt is probably not really ready for production, nor is the American public probably really ready for the Volt. But the electric car technology is light years (pardon the pun) ahead of the early prototypes years ago. Their day will come to pass.

But the near future of the performance vehicle is not going to be bigger but better. Leaner and meaner is what the future Corvette buyer is going to want and need. The future Corvette enthusiast is the kid in college that is figuring out how to get more boost on his turbo in the Honda civic. These future customers are not going to freak out over a supercharged or turbo charged (I know, don't say it...) V6 (Oh my Gawd, he said it) in their Corvette. But not to worry, their ability to pony up $60K for a car won't happen for awhile and we'll be long past the ability to fall in and crawl out of these things by then. But that is the direction it's going to go my friends. Sure, the 7.0 or the 8.0 would be cool, but it's just delaying the inevidable. The concern is not only building a car that the average, hard working American can obtain, but can also afford to drive...whenever they want.

 

Yes, because we could go back to 1955 to buy gas