Quote:
Originally Posted by Tachometer
NO V8.....NO Corvette! Anything smaller than a 5.7 forget it!!!
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I agree that the Corvette needs a V8 but a 5.3 (327 cu) could do for a base model. With the next generation engine design, it could make about the same power as a current LS3 yet potentially crack 30 mpg highway.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cmicasa the Great XvX
Why???
A Turbo-V6 is not a bad thing since the original Vette in 1953 was a 6banger... but most have forgotten that, and the V8 has been more or less a staple of the Vette's existence afterward. I'm guessing a 3.6L Turbo with at least 430HP as a base, but an optional 475HP 5.5L (set to debut at 12 Hours at Sebring next month) V8 in a GS type model. The Z06 as a "Stripper"/Track Ready vehicle, along the lines of the Porsche GT3 and Viper ACR... with a 550HP V8, and the ZR1 pushing 700HP.
I'm loving the idea. The more choices the better. On top of that... a lighter Vette, say at 2900-3000lbs, with a 430HP/430lbs could whip an LS3 powered Vette handily.
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No point in a tubro6 for the Corvette. Same power as a NA V8, yet it would probably weigh about the same and cost more. The biggest reason for using a turbo6 in a car is packaging and development cost. A T6 can fit easier in an engine bay that is designed for I4's and V6's than a V8 can, particularly the OHC V8's that nearly every other automaker uses. Second, enhancing a V6 is usually less expensive than developing a new low volume V8.
The Corvette doesn't have such restrictions. Its engine bay is supposed to accomodate a V8, so packaging isn't a problem. And GM's V8's are sold in such high volume that their development cost get spread paper thin, unlike say ... Nissan. As a result, their V8's cost little more than most NA V6's on the market and less than a turbo charged V6.