Exactly like that. I had read it had been done in the F250s some how. Funny thing was I was wondering how it could be done in 1997 when I was watching racers use the ice bags. While discussing it with a buddy he said, thats easy, just route the AC to the intake. To which I responded, the power taken to run the AC pump probably wouldnt be made up in power gained from cold air... Aparently I was wrong.

At the time, I was also working for a government contractor. I brought it up with one of our engineers and asked about playing with Dry Ice to see if the idea was worth it. He mentioned I could set up some dry ice in burlap sacks around the intake somehow. The idea being to see if the ideal situation was worth the effort, and try different ideas to get there and sustain it.

I have alot of halfass good ideas, I can never do anything with

 

OMG - I've seen pure awesome in one of the links! I gotta have one now, A hayabusa powered mini!

 

You saw those Minis too huh?? The first one I knew about was in an English Mini only mag about 2 yrs ago. Apparently the idea's caught on

And yes I'd want one too.

 

My last word on this topic, I think GM's engine designers should be the ones to determine if we require a smaller displacement V8 as their the ones doing the real world testing.

Aside from that, we're just carrying on like a bunch of marketeers speculating the need for downsized engines. Engineering and marketing departments at times can conflict with one another. This topic would be good reason for them to do that.

 

I've known about mini's for along time, a buddy of mine got interested in them back in the 80's and bought one in the 90's, we took a road trip to DC in that car. Talk about a fun trip and suprisingly comfortable, considering I'm 6'2" and it was all 1962??? (can't remeber when they stopped importing them due to reqs, but it was a later car) interior.

That A-series motor in the car despite its simplicity was an expensive rascal to build (I guess due to its import status) and limited in performance. Building a killer A motor cost some insane money. They had or have, 4 port head conversions for the OHV version and 4 valve twin cam conversions as well, not to mention a host of other parts, but again the parts are pricey there and monsterously expensive here (for no good reason other than thier english - my brother used to be in the parts biz and the mark up is incredible). Some guys have gone to using honda/acura motors and RWD conversions on the really crazy stuff, I read about a guy that took a cylinderhead off of a BMW motorcycle and converted his A series to a OHC 4 valver that way as well. Then there was a guy who stuffed a V6 in one, but that Hayabusa powered mini would be the way I would want to go.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPQIizRp9ck&NR=1

I like this one..

And this one..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5S1NAMnYKM&NR=1

 

I've been dying to build a Series II or III supercharged Fiero, I've seen a few on the net, it's a heck of sleeper!..

 

I see what you're saying, but IMO it's an indisputable marketing fact that some customers (eg many Camaro customers) strongly prefer to have 8 cylinders, even if it isn't the most optimum setup. Can you imagine the outcry here if the lead Camaro engine was something like a turboed V6?

 

I don't know about being the lead car, or reactions but, if they offered one in the spirit of the GrandNational, having a 6spd stick and a world class chassis...I don't believe they could build enough of them.
They've already proven they can build a heck of a turbo V6....

 

No I'm not saying that at all. I want big-pot V8s... I don't want downsizing. I believe GM are opting the big V8 route because it's actually the most efficient way to make power and lower fuel economy. A small V8 would be counterproductive to what's currently available, IMO.

 

OK, I was commenting on the assumption in the OP that the current LS engines wouldn't be viable for whatever reason.

Regardless what happens, I'm sure that 8 cyl engines will remain available because of marketing/perception reasons.

 

And I suspect it will be big V8s, due to the fact that you really don't lose much fuel economy between a 4.8 and a 6.2, for example.

In fact, with DoD, a larger engine may enable more frequent operation on 4 cylinders.

I still remember comments made by someone at Holden when the VEs were introduced -- when asked whether a 2.8 liter version of the 3.6 would be made available, he said that it would have little effect on fuel economy.

The number of people who would trade 75hp for .4 mpg (numbers I'm admittedly pulling out of my hat) is small enough that I think you'll only see that choice in very high volume lines, if at all. Especially when you could trade 100hp for 2.5mpg by going to a V6.

 

Cool, there are a few original Minis around from time to time. I was actually refering to the rwd/hyabusa conversion, I've known about Minis for a very long time, as I spent 8 of my first 16 years in England.

Yea, the A series is a lot of money to build even over there, I can't imagine wanting to build one over here, unless you wanted a completly authentic car. They have their limits, esp with overheating causing block warpage when start really pushing them. Good thing is, with so little weight to move around, you don't need much. IIRC 100hp is very impressive in those.

BTW, I'm 6'4" and sat comfortably behind someone else of about the same height. Amazing how much head/leg room there is inside. I could however, easily reach the opposite side of the car with one hand while my shoulder was touching the window on mine.

 

Yeah that hayabusa converision is eating away at me, I'm so tempted to unload my 5.0 stuff to get the Z-car conversion kit, hell you dont even need an original shell, the same company makes fiberglass shells as well. They've got some cool stuff on thier site, like an AWD Ultima powered by twin 500hp hayabusa, 1000 frick'n hp in a car I'd guess that weighs sub 3000 pounds.

Yeah an A-series is pretty expensive, IIRC you could build a SBC V8 for the money you'd sink into a 4 port (can't remeber if they had 2 intake or 3 intake ports and two exhaust on the old A motors) build, then getting into the 8 port and 16 valve stuff as well really sky-rocketed the cost.

Beside my buddies, I see a green and a black one riding around my AO all the time.

 

Forced induction is where the future is... and very possibly NOT with petroleum fuels.

Example:
2.2 liter 1988 Daytona Shelby Z: lowered stock compression to allow 26 psi on pump gas to produce over 300 hp, and at the same time get 20+ mpg in the city.

This was antique tech, with poor flowing 2 valve per cylinder heads, and a really dumb computer. Much better efficiency by allowing for higher static compression, using modern engine controls, on a smaller engine, and you get what you can see NOW at the track: a lightweight car with high boost on pump gas or even better on ethanol, that gets decent fuel economy and yet under boost can still make massive power.

And guys... all speculation about petroleum fuel solutions to the question are gonna be irrelevant within 20 years or so, when there IS no more oil to extract, at ANY price.

Start thinking about ethanol, methane, hydrogen, and other renewable sources now.