Is the LS9 Engine the end of Performance as we know it?

[catbert]

I think BMW is ahead of the curve. Obama is going to raise CAFE to 36mpg by 2016.

That was done last year.

 

[NORTY]

My fearless forecast?

By 2012 or '13 Corvette power will be a 7000 rpm, 5.3L, supercharged, direct injection, AFM, "Gen 5" V8 at about 450 hp. it will meet emissions standards of that period and will meet CAFE, ie: no guzzler tax.

My forcast:
By 2015, we'll have a 2650lb Corvette, powered by a 4.7liter that develops 320hp. Forced induction will be there-if the market wants it based on previous years sales. (Target 100hp per liter.)
Direct injection, AFM, 6000 RPM.
I'll not guess about DOHC or Hybrid tech. (Maybe KERS?)

 

[Marlar]

IMHO, if the powers that be at GM AND the government will let the car guys be car guys, then perhaps some reasonable outcome is possible. I like the relative simplicity of the "push rod" small blocks, but when I look at the rest of my '06 Z06 engine, I have to conclude I am deluding myself. There is little under the hood that is recognizable when compared to my '65 327 ci engine.

So, I hope for the best and expect something less........ hnoes

 

[catbert]

IMHO, if the powers that be at GM AND the government will let the car guys be car guys, then perhaps some reasonable outcome is possible. I like the relative simplicity of the "push rod" small blocks, but when I look at the rest of my '06 Z06 engine, I have to conclude I am deluding myself. There is little under the hood that is recognizable when compared to my '65 327 ci engine.

So, I hope for the best and expect something less........ hnoes

They may not look simple, but the maintainance and repair costs of the Vette is a downright bargain when compared to the exotic technologies. We all have heard horror stories about the cost of the dreaded 12,000 mile tuneups for the foreign beasts. Power that comes on at 8,000 RPM doesn't come cheap. All those moving parts moving at terminal velocity sound sweet, but there is a downside. $$$$$$

 

[Hib Halverson]

They may not look simple, but the maintainance and repair costs of the Vette is a downright bargain when compared to the exotic technologies.

"Catbert" gets the Thursday morning "Beacon of Reality" Award.

 

[catbert]

"Catbert" gets the Thursday morning "Beacon of Reality" Award.

Hib, I've been called MANY, MANY things, but a beacon???? - I don't know what to say.:confused

 

[Mike G]

The Germans seem to think there's no point in making engines simple as long as you can make them "horrifically complex" then hide your poor reliability behind a "free" maintenance plan. BMWs are the cars of choice for far-left-liberal enviros, not mainstream Americans.

My fearless forecast?

By 2012 or '13 Corvette power will be a 7000 rpm, 5.3L, supercharged, direct injection, AFM, "Gen 5" V8 at about 450 hp. it will meet emissions standards of that period and will meet CAFE, ie: no guzzler tax.

>>> Ya might want to chill with that "far-left-liberal enviros". You look at all the engineering that BMW has originated and you'll see how gearheads get into them. They pull a lot of power out of small engines, not to mention the chassis and suspension engineering responsible for making the 3-series THE reference for that class of car. I do wish they'd ease up on the complexity though.
My 20 yr-old 325 is an old-timer but that engine is absolutely the small block Chevy of German engines - solid, reliable, powerful and a pleasure to maintain. Very addicting.

 

[93Rubie]

Late to the discussion on this one, but I will throw in my 2 cents worth.

The LS9 will go the way side like the ZL1 did. The ZL1 and L88 died because of EMISSIONS and insurance regulation. The LS9 will die because of fuel economy regulations. I consider the ZL1 and the L88 to be the HIGHWATER mark of HORSEPOWER of what I like to call pre-modern Corvette, C3 and back. The C6 ZR1 LS9 will be the HIGHWATER Mark in terms of Horsepower for the Post-Modern Corvette C4 and up. Will there be faster Corvettes in the future, lets hope so, and I think there will be but, it wont be with huge supercharged engines.

My fearless predictions in meeting future emissions, fuel economy, and performance goals in are much lighter weight (obviously simple, but needs to be done), small LS based pushrod powerplants of 5.0L or less, with Active Cylinder Management, Direct Injection, Varible Cam Timing, purhaps turbo or supercharging, Homogeneous charge compression ignition , Purhaps a Diesel Engine, or Hybridization, the possiblities are endless...Heres to hoping a V8 is ALWAYS under the hood of a Corvette, its the way it should be.

I do want to make a comment on why they have stuck with OLD SCHOOL Pushrod technology...simpler, cheaper, got it well designed and perfected, the most important reason, compactness, with a pushrod engine it is lower and not as wide as an OHC engine, which allows for a lower hood, less drag, better fuel economy,larger displacement, more torque, etc...

I can't wait for magnetically actuated valves to be in production. Basically, you elminate all the valve train execpt for the valves and replace them with in simple terms "solinoids." Almost infinite ablity to adjust lift, duration, timing, overlap, at will...flat powerbands with tons of low end torque and highend horsepower are possible, expect 100hp per liter or more...

One thing is for sure, it is going to be exciting. For the record, I love it all new Corvettes, old Corvettes it doesnt matter, they all rock!!!

 

[bucket]

these are the end days, and, mans knowledge will increase...if The Lord tarries we will see power from places that we didnt even know there were places...

small block chevy with 685 horse power on pump gas with power and air conditioning and gets 25 mpg.....and runs 200 mph...10 years ago that sounded pretty crazy...

 

[Hib Halverson]

(snip)small block chevy with 685 horse power on pump gas with power and air conditioning and gets 25 mpg.....and runs 200 mph...10 years ago that sounded pretty crazy...

How 'bout a "2020 Corvette" using a serial hybrid powertrain that puts 400-hp to the wheels, weighs 2500 lbs, uses a gas turbine runing on diesel to charge the batteries and gets 70 mpg?

 

[njlouc]

Sounds great but we have to get past 2012 first!!

 

[Tuna]

How 'bout a "2020 Corvette" using a serial hybrid powertrain that puts 400-hp to the wheels, weighs 2500 lbs, uses a gas turbine runing on diesel to charge the batteries and gets 70 mpg?

I was thinking of a dual electric with AWD would be better. A 150 HP motor up front and a 250 HP in the rear. That way you can get the power to the ground better.

I like the gas turbine on diesel - then you could flex fuel it with used french fry oil from Burger King too.

 

[Mike G]

New Fuel

Burger King, the new OPEC - aaaaagh!

Combustion efficiency of whatever type of fuel used, converting more thermal energy to mechanical power, is the way to go. Then we can keep our beloved small block Chevy and tell Pelosi to shove it!

 

[bucket]

I was thinking of a dual electric with AWD would be better. A 150 HP motor up front and a 250 HP in the rear. That way you can get the power to the ground better.

I like the gas turbine on diesel - then you could flex fuel it with used french fry oil from Burger King too.

.

electric for sure but with 4 motors, one on each wheel..for outer space handling..
gas turbines are way too inefficient...