ok, why can't we have a bit of both. build the s'c motor and build a non s'c motor with the same guts in it. put the s'c in the Vette and give the 5th gen the n'a motor so it's up to the buyer to pick which way he goes be it blower, turbo, juice, etc. just build the motor strong enough to take whatever.

 

Because I don't think that is a realistic scenario. If GM builds a NA motor, they aren't going to use a more expensive FI bottom end on it. The problem also comes into play that a good NA motor tends to have a static compression ratio of 10:1 or higher, where a good boost motor's static compression ratio is in the neighborhood of 8.5:1, or in that ballpark. Changing full points of compression is going to likely necessitate the changing of pistons, which is going to throw the whole cheap modding formula out the window. In the end, a factory FI is still just going to make more power than its near similar displacement NA counterpart.

 

good point, but i still think GM is more than capable of using technologies learned from FI on conventional engines. i should have worded differently, GM should incorporate some of the beefier parts from the FI engine in the n/a version of the same displacement.

 

??? 5.75 liters is "lower displacement"? 434 lb-ft of torque is more grunt than the slightly bigger 6.0 liter LS2 at 400 lb-ft. Sure they CAN and DO rev high, that's how they're able to make 540hp on such a "low displacement" of 5.75 liters!

The problem is they power obscenely overweight cars, ~4000 lb., YIKES!

Their smaller 4.3 liter V8 still makes 340 lb-ft, decent grunt, but more importantly it makes 490hp, from 4.3 liters, in a car closer to the Corvette's weight. WHEEEEE!

 

Regarding forced-induction or not, I'm a big fan of natural aspiration. I find it particularly amusing that GM has managed to get 505hp out of 7.0 liters, NA, while Ford only managed 9% more with DOHC *AND* a fricking blower! I wonder which engine is lighter, smaller, has a lower c.g., and is less expensive to produce?

Ford shoulda gone the Saleen route with a 7.0 liter smallblock of their own. The motor they went with is just too overwrought, and I'm sure is a big part of why the GT weighs in at a portly 3400 lb.

 

proving once again GM can build one hell of an engine without resorting to power adders.

 

I'm going to point out a couple of things in your comparison for the sake of fairness.

1) The Ford engine is ONLY 77% the displacement of LS7. Would the LS7 make 500hp at 5.4L? NO.
2) I'd wager that the 500hp advertised of the Ford is HIGHLY underrated. Even more so than the LS7's.
3) BOTH motors are world class.

Sorry buddy but you missed my point completely.

 

Yea, but the LS7 is smaller, and lighter overall than the Ford DOHC 5.4L engine.

 

yeabbut the LS7 is 1.6L larger in displacement...

 

Would the GT make 550 hp with no supercharger? NO. A 5.4 liter engine with 8.5psi of boost should be approximately equivalent to an 8.5 liter NA engine.
I should HOPE so!
I guess so, but to me, one is a bit "much of muchness", while the other is much more elegant in its simplicity.

One thing that baffles me is the GT's redline (6500) is actually *lower* than the LS7's. So the DOHC apparently do NOTHING for that motor but add weight, add cost, add bulk, and increase c.g. height. There are DOHC V8s that I think are brilliant (Ferrari), but Ford's has been a waste of volume and weight from day 1.

 

OK, lot's of speculation to follow.....

For all those who want a SC 6.2 for the top Camaro, be careful what you wish for.

I hope no one is under the impression that Camaro would get a 600 hp version of this engine. But IF such a motor would be made available in Camaro....what would it be rated at? 475? 485? 500? Let's say...oh what the heck....500hp. Would the block on this motor be iron or aluminum? I suspect iron. Weight....iron block vs al? How much would the blower, intercooler, plumbing, etc. add in weight? Let's call it all 150 lbs over the front wheels. How much more would this package cost than a NA version? $4,000?

Is all that weight, cost and complexity really worth it? Call me a wimp, but if I have 450-500 hp, I'm pretty sure moddability to get another 100 or so, is not at the top of MY wish list.

What I'd rather see for the top Camaro............. is this 6.2 getting the "LS6 treatment". Bigger cam, better heads, better valvetrain, intake/exhaust .....you know ...good, honest, old fashioned hotrodding. Does anyone doubt that such a Camaro 6.2 wouldn't get into the 450-475 hp range? I'd take that lighter, simpler, less expensive package....no problem.

 

Ditto

 

Couldn't have said it better. I like the power but having a small block with big block weight over the front wheels is not my cup of tea. Course, like you, I don't know how much power I'm gonna need. 400+ is a LOT of hp. It may seem commonplace now but think about it, haven't we all lost control of our Z28's or had something get out of hand when they have "only" 300-350hp?

 

The most troubling part of this post is your point about weight. Would they really go to cast iron for around 500hp? Boosted LS engines aren't really tearing the blocks up, even at much higher power levels than 500hp, its just the internals that need to be beefed. I don't see why they wouldn't go with aluminum. I would rather see the boosted motor, as long as it didn't come with the penalty of an iron block. That weight distribution of such a setup worries me.

 

Thats cause they couldn't effectively package any more cubes, because those DOHC heads take way to much space up..

So instead, they effectively added displacement with the supercharger.

vs the LS7, to go the route of adding displacement to help pump more air in and out of the heads.

Its a tradeoff, but my nodd goes to the LS7,because in the end, its 505 hp in a relatively tight and light package.. Nice.


You know what I really want in the C6's? Physical doorhandles on the inside. Just bring them back. Thats all I ask..