my car has 150 hp

 

It's not that I don't expect to see it in Corvette first, as I do. It's just that, AFAIK, no one has gotten a good, working, reliable setup yet that uses solenoids for operating the valves.

An electrically operated valvetrain running full pulsewidth at 6000rpm could demand over 200amps, never mind the electrical requirements of everything else on the car. Think you can do that with a 12v system? No.

Todd

 

What is there to complain about it's a vette? What do you want from luxery/sports/(muscle?)car. I wouldnt buy a C6 anyway. I want a 2003 millenium yellow Z06. The thought of the Corvette without the flip up lights disgusts me anyway.

 

Thank god someone posted this before me.
I'm still skeptical of the '06 Z06 even getting 500. I'm thinking more around 475 for the sake of more sales by gradually increasing the HP rating each year.

Also, you guys better be very happy w/ this 500 HP # now because its going to be a LONG time before we see a new generation small block for our sports cars. By then, most of us will probably be driving some kind of hybrid that alreaddy has enough power to match a gen V small block if one were to ever come out. Making it a tough business decision to actually improve the small block rather than improve the electric battery matted to the engine.

 

I'm happy GM is constantly improvng the Vette.. I've heard they will not do anything to drasticly increase the vette's price... In other words, there will be no new ZR1.. although the current Z06 meets or beats it in almost every way, except for top speed I hear.

I'm also happy that they managed to keep the weight down still.. I hope in the future GM will be able to start shaving even more weight off.. and maybe making a real aero downforce package?

Can you image a review saying, "thru turn one on our test course, you have two options.. go thru it at 70 mph with pure mechanical grip, thanks to its low curb weight and excellent suspenion and tire package.... or go thru it ***** to wall at 110 mph with the added downforce created at speed." and "The aero package that also create tremendous downforce to help thru high speed turns also creates a relatively large amount of drag, but this argument is almost negated by the dyno tested 550 rwhp on this C7! Bypassing the speed limiter, this car is also capabile of joining the 200 mph club"

 

Well, thats why its still under research..

Also, there is a push to switch over to a 42 volt system.

 

I have to agree with whats being said 500HP is flat out AMAZING! Especially from a N/A small block Chevy that will pass emissions, run on pump gas while meeting EPA fuel requirements, with a warranty. Not to mention the handling of the car is even right now so far above 99.9% of the drivers who have them.
Think of the power that Vette's have had in the last decade, 405HP ZR1, 300HP LT1, 330HP LT4, 345-350HP LS1, 405HP LS6, add a 500HP LS? to that list and it sticks out like a rotten apple.
I personally don't think the standard C6 will be at 400HP but its possible. I think that GM knows the C5 was planty powerful enough for most customers at a "mere 350HP!" Can you see all these ladies that I see driving C5's with 400HP under their right foot! SCARY!!!
At 400HP for a stock Vette thats enough performance for low 12's @113-115mph. Think about that for the lil wife!
The Z06 with 500HP could tear up the 1320 in under 12 sec with speeds over 120mph!
Anyone who's been to a drag strip can appreciate that kind of performance and what it takes to get there. Heck most Exotic's and SUpercars have trouble getting those kinds of results.
GM doens't need to have 500HP to beat the Viper, Cobra or Ford GT. Although it helps. Even 450HP with a curb weight south of 3000lb's would be enough to gun down the big bad Dodge. But 500 will really do the job!
One think is for sure if the Vette does get this kind of power the bar wil have been raised and it will be the undesputed "King of the Hill!"
-long live the king!

 

What I think is really spurring on the HP war are the high HP sedans.. Everything from STI's, to CTSv's, RS6's to M3 and M5's.. and the new MB's coming out.. You have these 4 door sedans that are capabile of keeping with, or at the heels of sport cars these days..

I know straight line perf isn't the whole picture, but its gotta be annoying to be driving a base C5 and not be able to out accelerate and pass in time, say a CTSv or M5, to the next corner.

 

The 600 series and AMG 55 series from MB are running over vette performance.

There's a fella with an S600, the big 4400 lb sedan running high 11's at 120. All he's got is exhaust.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...threadid=46128

The SL600 is a mid 11 roadster stock

The E55 just dynoed bone stock at 425RWHP and runs 12.3@118. That's current Z06 performance.
http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...threadid=59099

Then there's the CL65 ans S65, AMG's versions of the twin turbo V12 600 stuff. We're talking Enzo performance here.

These are just monsters plain and simple

 

Those cars all have awesome performance numbers no Doubt. But what do they cost??? There is one thing the Vette has always been "The American Supercar" without the supercar price.

 

Well the E55 is about $75K.

The 600 series stuff is around $100K+

And the 65 series cars are around $150K

But last I heard, we were comparing the Z06 to a $150K Ford GT.

And who wants to get outrun by a 4 door sedan at any price?

..with an automatic

..with 3 passengers in the car

.. while the drivers got his arm hanging out the window drinking a Coke.

 

Guess you haven't heard about the 42 volt electrical system that will most likely be debuting along with the C6? They are leaning heavily in that direction already due to the magnetically variable shock system that is present on the 50th Anniversary C5 (it will be available or maybe even standard on all C6s, not to mention quite a bit more robust in its range than the 50th). They're also debuting similar systems on the 2004 Hybrid GMC Sierra and such.

 

Last I heard, 42 VDC was put on the back burner due to problems with arcing, faster corrosion of electrical components, and light bulb life. There's also the added cost, since the car would be a hybrid 14 VDC and 42 VDC system.

I don't know why the automakers don't go to 28 VDC. The components are well proven in big rigs and construction equipment, and you can still cut the amperages in half.

 

This is pretty close to the actual situation.

The drive to 42v was due to ever-increasing electrical load in the vehicles, but something odd happened along the way...

Alternators kept getting more efficient.

While there is room to increase alternator capacity without a significant increase in driving loss, there is no real reason to throw in a 42v system.

Two things have the current load requirements to drive a 42v system:

1: "Semi-automatic", electrically operated clutch systems. Basically a honking motor handling the engagement and disengagement of the clutch and solenoids driving the shift forks, thereby turning a manual into an automatic transmission.

2: Electrically actuated valves. We've been over those.

Until one of those two things becomes common enough to drive the economy of scale necessary to make the 42v systems financially feasible, there is no reason to switch.

 

You're probably right that it's going to take a "killer app" to really drive the issue, but each year the automakers add more and more demands onto the car's electrical system. DVD entertainment systems, nav systems, electric power steering, electric a/c compressors, electric brake calipers, electric water pumps, etc. are all going to be come commonplace in the near future, and at some point 14 VDC ain't gonna cut it.

Fortunately, most of the development cost and headaches will be borne by the luxury automakers since they're the ones who are going to hit the 14 VDC wall first.