New CAFE standards for cars will follow the recently adopted formula for light trucks. The standards will be based on a vehicles "footprint". That is, it's wheelbase and width will be multiplied together and somehow factored. The larger the number, the lower the CAFE requirement.

Sounds dumb.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...605090344/1148

 

Hmmmmm.... sounds like somebody got thier political lobbying money's worth.

Always a good one to convince somebody they really need that fully loaded extended wheelbase all wheel drive double walled extra crew cabbed 9500 series daily driver, in the event they might get into an accident and by virtue of increased weight impart more energy to the other vehicle thereby helping to minimize the danger to themselves and thier progeny.

 

You'll recall my comment about pushing wheels to the corners in the thread you started a week or so ago. It's a small advantage to RWD cars that don't put the engine ahead of the front axle.

 

that would only work if they were both not the same size vehicle lol.. if everyone had one of those big things.. the accident still would not have any different effect then if both cars were light.

 

At least it carries on in the CAFE tradition

If you go on the theory that you want CAFE (and I certainly don't), they should be working to close loopholes (like the PT Cruiser being a 'truck') instead of creating brand new ones to exploit.

 

As someone who has lived through the advent of pollution controls, initial CAFÉ standards, five MPH bumpers, Ralph Nader and spiraling (down) horsepower/ torque numbers I’m not too worried about new CAFE standards; not when I see where new cars are today.

Who would have thought 10 or 15 years ago that 300- 400 HP vehicles would be almost "run-of-the-mill" today?

I took a 1,200 mile trip this past weekend in my 350Z; rarely saw any speed under 80MPH and still averaged over 24MPG - as I’ve said many times here, if you love cars, this is a great time to be alive!

I don’t believe tougher standards will “force” people into larger vehicles…it will, however, cost us more because to meet tougher standards will take development of new and better technology…that raises costs that ultimately will be passed along to the consumer. It also uses financial resources; making them unavailable for other things (like bringing a new Camaro to market or making the next Corvette as good as it might otherwise have been).

 

Do you think this has anything to do with the Camaro concept's exceptionally wide footprint? I know they used a STS donor, but I'm brainstorming here. The wider footprint, along with a long wheelbase (it is based off of a sedan) could get it into a higher CAFE class. Any thoughts?

 

I don't think so. The concept was completed before all this new CAFE stuff.

 

It was completed before it was public. Don't the OEM's get wind a while ahead of time?

 

Yes, but the new truck CAFE uses the same metrics, and it came out last year. That said, I think the reason for the long wheelbase and short overhangs is that it's in style. The fact that it will allow the Camaro into a lower CAFE class is a happy coincidence.

If you've seen the latest large FWD sedans designed for sale in Europe, you've seen shockingly large front overhangs. The new large (i.e. Malibu to Impala sized) sedans and coupes from Peugeot and Citroen have huge front noses that scrape on minor inclines. This is to meet pedestrian and crash safety standards.

Audi is redesigning their transmission to enable the engine to be moved farther back.

 

Could be. But I've spoken to a number of the people who worked on it, and in fact discussed it's dimensions. CAFE never seemed to be a factor in it's dimensions.