They are in the trucks.

That is of course unless you drive the smaller engine harder to obtain the same level of performance that you enjoyed w/ the bigger engine.

 

I think a smaller block v8 is something that would warrent investigation. Something in the 3.0-5.0L range. Basically with the amount of power that the LSx family puts out, a scaled down DI version could be used to keep the hp at 'resonable' (under 300hp) level. At the same time the mpg and emissions could be improved or kept the same with less restriction, or a combination of both.

Using an example that relates to us, instead of having a 240-280hp v6 'base' fifth gen, use a 3.0-3.5L smaller block at the same hp. The kid can have a v8 with its sound and low end and the parents can have a 'low' power car to give to their kid.

 

That's exactly my point.

Just because an engine is smaller in capacity does not mean it will use less fuel.

Unless the marketing folk have won over engineering, there is no valid reason why you should go a small displacement V8. A six would be a better choice for anything under 4L capacity.

Maybe GM will win over the smaller displacement crowd if they reintroduced the 5.0L V8... but it had better be better than what the competition is offering!

 

FWIW my 4.8L Tahoe does not get significantly better mileage than my 5.3L Tahoe did.

 

Why run a small V8 when a V6 of the same cubes would have less rotating weight and be more efficient?

 

Power...more torque at a lower rpm = less effort and more efficiency.
Unless you add a power adder, turbo or supercharger, then it sways back to the V6.
I've said it before, power adders are going to be the "Muscle" of future muscle cars, unless you can afford an Uber Electric exotic.
Remember "deminishing returns"...

 

While I think a small V8 would be a nice engine (my 94 530i has a 3.0 liter v8) I think I am with other people on the "better spent somewhere else" concept.

But, I will say, a small V8 in diesel form would be sweet.

 

Not necessarily. Throughout the 3rd gen, the 5.0 TBI was, I believe, the best selling engine in the F-body, even though it was significantly outgunned by Fords 5.0. GM did however offer 5.0 and 5.7 TPI engines, which were better suited to Fords V8 if buyers were interested in outperforming the other guys. If someone wanted an engine that would get out of its own way, would sound good, and didn't care if they lost races to cars w/ more power, then the 5.0 TBI motor was for them.

 

If we need to give up large-displacement V8s (and I'm not yet convinced that this would yield substantial improvements in fuel economy), then I'd rather have a family of direct-injection forced-induction I4s and V6s than some baby V8s.

 

I'm in favor of the small V8.

Sound, smoothness and V8's are just part of the fiber of domestic auto industry.

I don't need a 400+ HP in anything I don't tow with .... but I do want the sound and torque of a V8.

 

It's generally safe to say that if comparing two engines of equal displacement, the one with the fewer number of cylinders will produce its peak torque at a lower speed. I suspect that many people here would not find a small-displacement V8 to be all that satisfying in terms of powerband - it'd tend to make more horsepower than a V6 or I6 of equal displacement, but at a higher speed.

The way to make horsepower and minimize fuel consumption by burning gasoline seems to be the direct-injection forced-induction engine. Given the choice between a pleasing exhaust note and making lots of power with a dead-flat torque curve, I'll take the latter.

 

I would like for GM to think about perhaps going to smaller displacement engines when the Direct Injection becomes standard on Gen V's.
The Gen V's will most likely adapt the L92 head design, and that only works with bores larger then 4 inches.
That means that the 6.0 and the 6.2 liter blocks are ok, but the 5.3 and 4.8 are no longer. If you cut downon production of the 5.3/4.8 block, just produce the crank, you could have a 5.4 and 5.6 liter V8, making more power and same if not better efficency then the 4.8/5.3 engines, while stream lining production of engine parts.

 

U can buy a L92 style head now for the smaller bore now via GMMP . So they at least do have a head like u speak of available .

 

O rly?? Thats cool.

 

Depends, if you've gotta keep your foot buried in it all the time or the power comes in a higher revs, it wont do much for mileage, but make good power at a reasonable RPM and let the engine lug along like its big brother and it will do pretty good.

However, if you go back to 300-350hp you dont have to build a heavy duty car to cope with the power (Ford had to add 70 pounds of metal to the S197 to handle 600hp, not including the additional bracing from the vert found on the GT500 to cope with the heavier components - G-brace, strut tower brace, ect).