Are you saying that GM isnt using the bailout money wisely? Care to explain that? If Im reading correctly, youre saying that because of experience with 2 crappy trucks your family owned in the 90's, then GM is dropping the ball right now?
When you look solely at the engine, as you are doing, you completely miss the task at hand by these manufacturers. It comes down what works in the application. You say power is more important then brain, or technology. There is another major factor...COST! Cost to build, cost to operate, cost to maintain, cost to modify... Almost always the LS(x) is the king in these regards! And its not like the LS(x) engines are low on tech. Depending on the variation, they can use titanium rods, pistons, variable valve timing, cylinder deactivation, and next year they should have direct injection! There are also major advantages to pushrod engines. They are much less complex, which means parts and service is cheaper. They are also cheaper to manufacture, which means its cheaper to get into for the average consumer. Thats partly why you could get into a G8 GXP for so little money. For comparison purposes, the closest Honda Accord gave you fwd and an underpowered V6. A pushrod is also easier to fit in an engine bay, since pushrods are almost always more compact then a DOHC. Take the S62 from the E39 M5 vs the LS6 from the 1st gen. CTS-V. Both were produced around the same time and made very similar numbers. The S62 had higher technology, used more advanced parts and had some innovative designs. The LS6 was quite a bit lighter, which meant less weight over the front wheels. It was also significantly cheaper to repair and maintain. It was also cheaper to modify...MUCH cheaper to modify. Both engines were very reliable, and both sounded great. GM is just doing things differently then others. They choose to make lots of power affordable to more of the public. Other companies make you pay alot more for a higher tech engine. I dont see how either methods are wrong... GM may do things poorly in many areas, but to criticize their engines, especially the LSX engines, just shows bias, not knowledge or experience. By the way...do you know what engine the Koeniggsegg CCR and SSC Ultimate originally were designed with before using more dedicated engines? You should be able to guess.
A V6 making similar hp but much more tq would have been fun in the S2000 most definitely! It almost definitely would have sold more, as well, depending most on if it didnt increase in price too much. But I also agree that, simply, more weight over the front wheels would have somewhat spoiled one of the S2000's greatest attributes. Plus, it would have changed the personality of the car. I loved the car as it was.
no thats what you saying power over brain. i said bigger the better and power over brain is american car company way but thats changing now that they got kicked in behind with that strategy now you see mercedes not to say going away but more using smaller engines with some boost instead of bigger N/A engine. now that gas is $3 a galon comparing to under a buck in early 2000, now they start to think smaller engines are better. they still for some reason cant make engine with similar specs as japanese engines. hondas engines keeps making more power out of same displacement, ford keeps using enines made 10 years ago or so. sure im biased but couse i think american car manufactureres were little slow on smaller engines so they still catching up.
Engine swaps are brilliant, hey? I love reading about them and seeing the run in person. Hayabusa engines in smart cars... LSX engines in any small 2 seater....Factory Five putting a BMW V12 in one of their Cobras.... I love'm all!
Bigger in what way? Displacement? Sheer physical size? Bigger hp #'s? Im not saying power is better then brains, I was just quoting you. What I said was that both ways have their merits, and I can respect both. You might not agree, but GM's V8 engines had little to do with their downfall. As evidenced by the SBC being one of the highest sold engines of all time. Wages, mismanagement, poor reliability ratings the cheaper the car was to buy, a lack of forward vision by upper brass, and an arguably cheap overall feel to their products and dealerships is what influenced their downfall imo. EDIT* Specs on paper are a small part of the equation. Honda engines are generally low on tq, especially the 4 cyl. The upside is a rev happy engine that makes you want to run it hard all the time. The downside is a power delivery that forces you to always get into the revs to be happy in traffic. While the engines with more tq are a little more subdued in traffic because you can stay in lower rpms... Again, its just a different style of accomplishing a task. And its not like Honda is making the best 4cyl. If you want a top of the heap 4cyl, you go to Audi.
Wow. you are very narrow minded.... your one of those end all be all Japanese leg humpers... and to say there is not any technology in the GM/Ford/Chrysler your are now just showing how little you know an understand about the automotive technology, engineering and manufacturing. Take the new Cobalt SS for instance what other car brands are using common rail direct injection on a Gas engine? Gm started this a couple years ago and I have yet to see any Japanese manufacturers do this.. also Like Chrysler's MDS and GM's displacement on demand... Yet to see any Japanese do this yet also. So get your ducks in a line also not to mention Henry Ford Invented automotive production.. and also the corvette to have one of the first fuel injected motors with MFI back in the early 60's while a lot if not 99% of other cars were using carb's Matt
So what?? Change for the sake of change isn't always good... if something works and works well why change it?
honda has variable displacement v6 engine (uses 3,4 or 6 cyl when needed) (honda had it since 2003 at least) CRDI used in BMW's D-engines, Honda's i-CTDi engines, hyndai, volvo, nissan, mitshubishi, and others. Hinry ford invented assembly line and applied it to automovite production ur turn
why bother improving something right. i guess if it was invented 40 years ago it must work great today this topic can go on and on and we are far from what this thread is about
Is the conclusion to this thread. Jap cars > Domestic car in most categories (reliability, safety, cost, workmanship etc etc etc)?
according to consumer report i would say yes, Ford however is getting up there with honda and toyota as far as reliability in last couple years. i have friend who worked at ford dealership and he said that company has focused on reliability a lot lately. still wouldnt buy ford unless its focus RS from europe. but just couse they dont have cars that intrest me. next car would be either another accord or evo or sti
Yea, I wouldn't buy a domestic, just my personal pref. I think the only domestic i'd buy would be a saleen super car, only for the looks though.
i wouldnt mind 69 gt500 or zr1 or new camaro but just for looks i do like G8 though but where is originality, its pretty easy to copy from australian branch of gm
