This guy is clueless about the Corvette

[Patrick H.]

Sorry about the off topic, but I thought it was relevant to our group:

http://www.automotivedesignline.com/guest_blogs/218101435

[Willard M.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

He may have his own ideas but I just wrote GM a check for a new Corvette convertible. I did not buy a new Chevy of any other size, type, or fuel effeciency. Sounds like he is saying that GM would somehow be better off if I had kept my money in my check book and passed on the Corvette. Maybe it's some new economics that I'm too old to understand.

[Stuart F.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Obviously written by a Blue Oval diehard. Ford people just can't swallow the idea that GM can still make a "cooking machine" like the LS series that will outperform their behometh OHC engines hands down. Just look under the hood of a Mustang once and you'll see what I mean - a huge inner fender to inner fender chunk of metal that speaks volumes of power potential, but they fall way short. They are dogs!

And why not, the Chevy engineers have perfected the push rod engine for performance and still have a package that offers lighter weight, low hood profiles for aerodynamics, and a size that will fit in about any chassis, i.e. Corvette w/ top mounted roots blower, Caddy CTS-V w/ a similar package, Pontiac G-8's w/ rear wheel drive, and Impala SS's w/ front wheel drive, to say nothing about a entire line of light trucks. That little bugger is built in any displacement from 5.3 to 7.0 liter. What has Ford been able to do with their OHC engines that compares, specially in an economic cost effective way. They make their decisions on their Fuel Injection based on how it will sound, not on how it will perform.

Stu Fox

[Clem Z.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

the new OHC engine in the new impalas do not get the MPG the "old" 3.8 push rod engines do. i have been told this by several people who traded their "old" 3.8 push rod engine impala for a "new" OHC engined impala. my 2008 430 HP corvette get the same MPG as mrs clems impala both around town and on the road. if there are no V-8 trucks where the corvette engine comes from now there will be no V-8 corvettes

[George C.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Sorry about the off topic, but I thought it was relevant to our group:

http://www.automotivedesignline.com/...logs/218101435

Morry Marshall forgot to mention that Ilmore teamed with Chevrolet and developed the Ilmor/Chevy that won Indy in 1988,1989,1990, 1991 and 1992. Chevrolet (having money problems back in 90's cut back and dropped out of Indy). Then Penske hooked with Mercedes and got Ilmor to design the "Unfair advantage" engine. Smart guy Penske is.
Opinions are like as***les....everybodys got one. Morry showed his.

[Stewart A.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Well the Lotus headed ZR1 of the early 90's had lots of valves and lots of cams and no pushrods !! Don't make any more power or fuel savings over the current push valve Corvette V8.
The base model 6.3 liter LS3 has 69.2 hp per liter The BMW V8 M3 has 105 hp per liter. Now that looks like a huge technical advancement but when you look at it closely the BMW rings it's neck out at a whopping 8400 RPM and only makes 295 Torques compared with the monster torque of the 6.3 liter with over 400 torques the BMW is slowly looking like a car that really just revs harder but doesn't go any better. It uses the same fuel and costs a trillion bucks more. No substitute for cubes ? And if you use tall gearing the torque will keep the car moving at low RPM at cruise and deliver just as good fuel economy. Stewy

[Chuck W.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

So his logic is: kill the Corvette because the engine uses conventional pushrods? Sounds rational to me. No point in just promoting or arguing a different powertrain!

[Bryan M.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Based on the replies to the article, he is getting schooled on what makes a great car.

[Stuart F.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

A little stray from Corvette power plants; the EMD locomotive diesel engines for over 50 years used overhead cams to actuate the exhaust valves (4 in a square pattern) and a mechanical unit fuel injector on each cylinder of their 2-cycle engines (567, 645 and 710's). The latest 4-cycle engine uses 2 intake and 2 exhaust valves in a "diamond" pattern (for a swirl effect) and a mechanical unit injector on each cylinder - all actuated by push rods from a single camshaft in the "V". The placement of the valves would not be possible with overhead camshafts - and this is new technology. Oh yes, by the way, diesels have been using pressure oil "piston cooling" since the Germans began it around WW I, and EMD copied it before WW II.

Stu Fox

[Jim W.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

There's a saying in the writing business, "Write about what you know and you'll always be successful." but in Mr. Marshall's case he is simple either worng on some issues or as I suspect, completely wrong. First off the corvette has weighted around 3000lb since 1962 or 63 so that is just not an issue. Making the car out of steel in a unibody design is just stupid and goes against everything the corvette engineers have tried to produce for the last forty years.

But what is most troubling, is how some of these 'writers' will gladly write an article without doing any background work. Most magazines are very harsh on the corvette with consumers Report being the most damaging, but i subscribe to a automotive magazine called simply 'Automobile' magazine. And for the last six or seven years when they do their annual 'Best buy for the Money' issue has repeatly picked not BMW, not Mecerdees Benz, not Porsche, not Ferrari but have picket Corvette, and the zo6 as the best bang for your buck when it comes to performance cars. Every year they try and drive the lastest corvette and come away more surprised than last year. Morry Marshall should tag along one time to see how performance cars are rated and what is and isn't worth writing about. Or go back to writing for Vanity Fair magazine !

[William M.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

The best comment was that the article must have been written by "one of those Prius drivers".

[Duke W.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

A limited displacement class racing engine requires OHC technology (assuming it's legal, which is not the case with NASCAR) to achieve high revs since power is a function of torque and RPM, but this is not the case for road engines.

The best road engines have big power from off-idle to to peak revs, but a F1 engine won't get out of its own way below 6000.

In a road car one wants the highest broad range power that can be packaged into the available volume and the lighter the better, and the starting point is maximum displacement within the volume and mass constraints established by the basic vehicle design.

No DOHC V-8 will produce the Corvette's broad torque/power range within the available package volume and mass allowance, which is why the pushrod solution is best. Plus lower internal engine friction (fewer bearings and valves) yield better fuel economy at normal road load power.

Notwithstanding the above, current Corvette engines rev to levels equal to many DOHC engines, and even a vintage 327/300 with proper preparation can make useable power to near 7000 while maintaining OE appearance and orignal idle/low speed operating characteristics.

But you'll always find morons who don't "get it".

Duke

[Edward C.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

I find it interesting that sense the Corvette started production all the main stream magazines have complained about the Corvette being oversized and overweight. For the last few years the Corvette is lighter by far than any other major producer except Lotus and not a word of complaint about the competition. Every comparison I see shows the Corvette to be hundreds of pounds lighter than the mainstream sports car. They still complain about the "cheap" interior. Bias? I think so. Ed

[Brian K.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Why not kill the Corvette? It would be in keeping with all the other crap happening today: Killing off family values anlong with personal responsibility, responsible government/spending, etc.

If you could make an airplane that outperformed all other airplanes, including cost but it was made of lead, should it be abandoned?

Another "elitist" article.

[James C.]

Re: This guy is clueless about the Corvette

Big Difference!! BMW is not bankrupt and living on handouts from the taxpayers. Every new Corvette is now being subsidized by me, a proud owner of a 2008 BMW M3. You won't like the new Obamamobiles. Jim