[QUOTE=DGthe3;8696291]That doesn't change the fact that it means nothing for a car.
You could be making 342 hp/L ... but if its from a 750cc engine you're only making 257 hp. Meanwhile, even a lowly 39 hp/L engine can get you 400+ hp if you make it big enough. Which one will result in a faster car? The one with more power, right?
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Granted. I'm saying you can't talk about just one metric and get the complete picture. I can turn the arguments with different numbers. Say I have a 3.8L engine that makes 150 HP/L (570 HP) and a 5.2L engine that make 100 HP/L (520 HP). On face value most would say the 3.8L is better because it makes more power.
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If you're thinking 'well, it depends on how much the engine weighs' I would agree. But doesn't that then defeat the logic of hp/L being an important engine metric? Making the one of actual importance hp/lb?
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True, but if we are talking about acceleration adding weight and HP are not an equal proposition. Generally 1 HP equals about 10 sprung pounds. So, in the example above 5.2L would have to weigh 500 less pounds to offset the HP advantage. That of course ignores aerodynamics. It also doesn't say anything about weight distribution of the whole vehicle.
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I can't think that Ford developed the Voodoo because of displacement taxes (which are downright idiotic). Odds are 80+% of the GT350's are going to be sold in North America. And there aren't going to be all that many sold here to begin with. So it would be an enormous investment to make a small number of cars (which I'm sure are going to be pretty pricey in foreign markets anyways) a little more affordable to a few customers. The bean counters at Ford are more responsible than that.
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Nope, Ford probably didn't give it much thought. However, most of the cars it was being compared to on the list do worry about it. Porsche and Ferrari has been pretty successful designing engine platforms that support a narrow range of displacements (keeping weight down), and just making them more power dense. It's not the only thing that matters to performance, but it is a useful metric none the less.