Tom73

JerryU

Yep I enjoy both and will continue to "enjoy" the 502 cid in my street rod after GM stops producing them!

I'm only pointing out to those that "want GM to keep the C7 and all variants- it's not going to happen! Don't think they really want a C7 with the 2.7 Liter L-4 engine they are putting in the 2019 Silverado and forcing on truck owners! Just Sayn' the world is changing!

Tom73

JerriVette

JerryU

100%! Not with the need but it is being driven by pressure from both Federal and State (CA etc) Government.

Yep folks in the US want Trucks and SUVs. That is why GM, who is selling over 550,000 full size Silverado trucks a year, is introducing that 2.7 liter turbocharged L-4 in 2019 for that truck! In fairness it produces 320 hp. They will no doubt offer other engines initially but long term smaller cid will be the only choice and/or they will price the larger cid engines so low demand will force them out!

Now if I had a choice of a high torque, larger cid engine and had to pay a penalty- that is what I would do! But many will not or could not afford the extra initial cost or the gas prices (Oh yea, we will have a government initiated highway program, which we do need, paid for by a big Federal gas tax increase like the Europeans! But don't worry the extra tax will go away when the highway program is paid for! Yep just like the NJ Garden State Parkway Tolls would go away when it was paid for! US politicians would "never" use that money for social "giveaway programs" like they do in Europe! )

But for the C8 I'll get the higher rpm, smaller cid engine I expect it will have if not initially soon after. I'd be happy driving the Ford GT with it's 3.5 Liter V6 getting 647 hp. If it wasn't a Ford might consider! However I'd add a low restriction air intake system or just an oiled cotton filter soon after to get at least 3 extra hp! For some reason Ford Marketing just didn't tell Engineering to run another test and "find" the missing 3 horses!

tbrenny33

PCMIII

I rented a car and drove around Norway last summer on vacation. We went to many places on freeways, country roads and city streets. The roads are excellent and even though the country is mountainous, there is no issue driving because they have built tunnels through the mountains everywhere.

We NEVER encountered a traffic jam. Of course there are toll roads and diesel is $8/gallon. So that's the trade off: sit in traffic for hours and be late for everything, or pay the price of poker and get where you want to go without the hassle.

Where I live we have a toll road that goes 10 miles into the city. Tolls are re-set every 5 minutes to ensure that traffic moves at least 50 mph. Some mornings, the toll is nearly $50, but people are willing to pay. Politicians have learned, however, that most voters don't want to pay for any roads. So those of us who do want new roads get nothing but traffic jams.

Zaro Tundov

It's really sad how Americans have decided that good roads aren't worth the expense.

Consider how many bent rims and extra wheel balancing and allignments result from bad roads. If the money for those repairs went instead to road construction then we would have pristine roads.

Furthermore, a sporty car on a bad road is punishing and more likely to sustain expensive damage, so fewer sports cars can survive in the market and people naturally move to SUVs which were originally designed to be able to drive off road.

PCMIII

Back in the 1950s Americans decided to build the Interstate Highway System. That would never happen today. We are just happy to watch our great nation fall to ruin.

JerryU

Recall a number of years ago visiting with bridge builders and State Highway folks on a "best practices" tour of a number of countries organized by the Federal Highway Administration. I recall in Japan they were several new very long bridges connecting islands being built where with tolls were $75! The alternative was a much longer route so it was mostly used by commercial trucking and folks needing it for business.

I'm optimistic that we may get support from current Politian's for two reasons:
Both parties what highway projects to have higher paying jobs and full employment going into the 2020 elections. Perhaps there will be enough support for private funding of roads via tolls etc. Also think as oil prices stay low we will get an additional Federal Gas Tax IF both parties support it so it's not a political football.

Like the C8, we'll see!

PCMIII

Federal funding of more infrastructure is just a mirage. Nobody wants to pay for anything.

JerryU

Yep, will be interesting to see how that all shakes out! Ferrari is part of Fiat. Lamborghini part of VW group as is Porsche. The current EPA guidelines are complex so it's not just an overall "Company" mpg average. Penalties for not meeting mpg goals go by model. However there are offsets.

So to get their corporate average mpg up, no one can just purchase the Indian company who will only build cheap electric cars (as if you can really buy a company in another country very easily- oh forgot anyone can in the USA!)

It will be fun to watch! Think all those Hollywood types will drive a Tesla? CA will be tougher than the Federal Government.

FAUEE

We have good roads by me. I think bad roads are area specific more than anything.

JoesC5

Well, you should. North Carolina has a $0.57.6 gasoline tax(fed & state combined) with only 225,168 road miles to maintain.

Here in Missouri, I also have good roads(I have never bent a wheel) and my gas taxes are only $0.35.7(fed & state combined) with 275,589 road miles to maintain

Texas, which has excellent roads has a $0.38.4 gas tax(fed & state combined) with a whopping 675,680 road miles to maintain.

Now look at California, that has a $0.69. gas tax, but only 394,608 road miles to maintain, or New York, with it's $0.69.6 gas tax(fed & state combined) with a measly 242,396 road miles to maintain.

I don't believe that road conditions are proportional to the amount of taxes charged by each state. High state gas taxes don't always mean excellent roads and low gas taxes don't always mean poor roads.

PCMIII

Right. It depends on the amount of truck traffic and overweight enforcement. Roads around me where trucks are prohibited are excellent. Another big factor is the freeze/thaw cycle and the amount of salt used which eats up the rebar.

But the real problem is lack of capacity with massive traffic jams every day. Doesn't happen in Norway which is the most prosperous country in the world. https://www.prosperity.com/globe/norway

JoesC5

Actually, a 5 star General("I like Ike") wanted the Interstate Highway system as he was very impressed by Germany's Autobahn system that Hitler built, and he got the money by claiming it was needed for national defense.

PCMIII

Ike was great when you needed to "get er done."

JoesC5

Three or four years ago, I had lunch with my daughter in Truckee, California, on a Friday, and then headed down I-80 to San Francisco. Traffic was heavy but I was still able to cruise along in my Z06 at 70-75 MPH. Road was in excellent condition.Then I came upon a huge traffic jam at the entrance of the Bay Bridge. The traffic jam wasn't because of a bad road conditions, but because they only had about 2/3rd's of the toll booths open. Took me some 45 minutes to work my way to an open toll booth(and I thought my clutch and my left leg were going to expire before I got to the booth). Once past the toll booth, back up to speed as I headed to the Hampton Inn near the airport.

Then, early Sunday morning, I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge to get on Hwy1 to drive the scenic route to Washington. Road was in so-so condition but not because of heavy semi traffic or salt put down on the road, but because California wasn't spending any of that $0.69 a gallon gas tax on it.

Here in Greene county, Missouri, I live outside the Springfield city limits, in a subdivision. We don't have that much snow, but a snow plow will clean the streets in my subdivision before the day is over(normally will do it twice that day), and twice a year the county runs a street sweeper on the streets in my subdivision. That excellent service is paid for by my measly $0.35.7 gas tax. Any problems(pot hole, etc) with the actual street, is promptly repaired.

Rapid Fred

Not when it completely outperforms the competition. Example -- a Z51-equiped Vette is about the same price as a stripper 718, I believe. It offers way more performance to the consumer, really does not suffer much in terms of quality and content, and so does not lose. If somehow GM can build a $170K sports car that measurably outperforms the similarly priced Porsche, and is recognizably better in percieved quality than lesser Vettes, it also will not lose.

I still would not put it past GM to have a multi-model Vette strategy unfolding before us over the next 18-24 months. If they have made the business case AND can execute (big "ifs" I know) it would be really cool, don't you think?

JerryU

Yep, Norway has put much of that North Sea money they made and "saved it for the people." They do have enough for folks retiring! Not like us!