Point/Counterpoint: DOHC v OHV

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by KILLSHOTS

And just as an aside, the smaller displacement Coyote is a MUCH larger and somewhat heavier engine than the LS3...

And the coyote engines weight is up high. I've picked up a bare coyote block and it doesn't weigh anything.

[rkreigh]

true that Dave M "pushed the boundaries" and wen't world class when corvette was about to go extinct.

I like his style! Hoping the "new ZR-1" will be a DOHC mid engine TT car.

if so I'll be saving my butter and egg money and buying a used one (after it's under 100k buy in)

as for the ford. I'm not a fan but I respect what they've done with the new VooDoo flat crank engine emerging with well over 500 poinies and a legit 8k plus red line.

that to me is more exciting than slapping a blower on (heavy up top too isn't it!)

I love all corvettes, but GM does have the engineering talent to build another world beater. I don't think the new Z06 is it. hopefully the new ZR-1 will be!

GM again needs a "flag ship" give me that rear engine maint nightmare with a stout electic motor up front and let's give that "La Ferrari" (jeez what an uninspiring name) a run for it's money at a fraction of the cost.

not easy to do but that's exactly what the old ZR-1 did and it's time to do it again!

now where is that bean counter stick, oh, it left with Dave M !!!!

[XfireZ51]

Originally Posted by spork2367

And the coyote engines weight is up high. I've picked up a bare coyote block and it doesn't weigh anything.

I think the "packaging" advantages of the OHV motor and the LS, in particular, have been conceded. Nobody's arguing that. The premise of this thread is really how and what kind of power is available from each architecture. In my opinion, the Corvette will always be described w a "qualifier" as in "its the best Vette yet" until GM steps up and replaces what is seen as a "truck motor" w something more sophisticated. I think you can extol all the virtues of the LS motor and show how it performs BUT it wasn't until the LT-5 showed up that the rest of the world sat up and took notice. At that point, the chassis became the focus of requiring an upgrade.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

BUT it wasn't until the LT-5 showed up that the rest of the world sat up and took notice. At that point, the chassis became the focus of requiring an upgrade.

The rest of the world doesn't even know what the LT-5 was or how it was different. That's part of the reason the long term outlook sucked.

Most Corvette owners don't even know what it was. It was a blip on the radar.

If they had stuck with it there is no doubt that the Corvette would be a faster car today because of it. It would also be 50% more expensive.

[Paul Workman]

Originally Posted by spork2367

The rest of the world doesn't even know what the LT-5 was or how it was different. That's part of the reason the long term outlook sucked.

Most Corvette owners don't even know what it was. It was a blip on the radar.

If they had stuck with it there is no doubt that the Corvette would be a faster car today because of it. It would also be 50% more expensive.

Oh, I think the engineering world took notice - looking at the transfer of LT5 DNA to the LS series... Even if GM Power Train wanted to bury the LT5 (as "not invented here"). Also, marketing certainly capitalized on the ZR-1s styling - maybe NOT for the same reasons one might guess... But, reaffirmed just a couple weeks ago, there is a vibrant group of young drivers that are very aware of the LT5, what it is and it's history. A group of teenage or early 20s guys of the 'Fast and "Furrious" ' ilk took keen notice of my Z at a Morris IL car show. They took pictures from several angles and came over to ask me about it.

And, as they were leaving, one said he wanted to get a ZR-1 soon as he could afford it. It was refreshing!

[KILLSHOTS]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

I think the "packaging" advantages of the OHV motor and the LS, in particular, have been conceded. Nobody's arguing that. The premise of this thread is really how and what kind of power is available from each architecture. In my opinion, the Corvette will always be described w a "qualifier" as in "its the best Vette yet" until GM steps up and replaces what is seen as a "truck motor" w something more sophisticated. I think you can extol all the virtues of the LS motor and show how it performs BUT it wasn't until the LT-5 showed up that the rest of the world sat up and took notice. At that point, the chassis became the focus of requiring an upgrade.

The Stingray and Z06 are already viewed as world class automobiles. As spork also pointed out, nobody else even knows what an LT5 was; the only people who think the brilliant C7 has a "truck engine" are the ones on THIS website.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by Paul Workman

Oh, I think the engineering world took notice - looking at the transfer of LT5 DNA to the LS series... Even if GM Power Train wanted to bury the LT5 (as "not invented here"). Also, marketing certainly capitalized on the ZR-1s styling - maybe NOT for the same reasons one might guess... But, reaffirmed just a couple weeks ago, there is a vibrant group of young drivers that are very aware of the LT5, what it is and it's history. A group of teenage or early 20s guys of the 'Fast and "Furrious" ' ilk took keen notice of my Z at a Morris IL car show. They took pictures from several angles and came over to ask me about it.

And, as they were leaving, one said he wanted to get a ZR-1 soon as he could afford it. It was refreshing!

The engineering world 25 years ago...

A young driver who knows what the LT5 is today is rare.

[RICKYRJ1]

Car people on the other side of the pond knew and admired the LT5. This comes from friends/family (Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hungary) who live there. They thought GM/Corvette finally was stepping up. I'm still always amazed at Corvette guys who don't know anything about the C4 ZR-1/ LT5. It's not like the ZR-1 was a regular C4 with a decal pkg. & paint.

[XfireZ51]

Most of the people who appear to have an appreciation of the LT-5 re in fact younger people, even younger than the Millenials. And don't forget how the
ZR-1 was introduced. It was in Europe and w the European press. Maybe we could ask our European brethren their view. The V angle and bore spacing also indicated a proliferation of the LT-5 motor into other models. The fact that Powertrain doesn't even have an example of the LT-5 in the HQ speaks volumes about silo thinking that exists through this day.
You can't tell me McClellan isn't a bit bitter about the LT-5 altho he'd never say anything like that. And costs would have been dramatically reduced with volume. If the LS wasn't a truck motor, you wouldn't have $50K C7s today either.

[spork2367]

Originally Posted by XfireZ51

Most of the people who appear to have an appreciation of the LT-5 re in fact younger people, even younger than the Millenials.

I'm 32 and have a zr1, an extra LT5 and about 7k worth of spare parts, so I'm one of those people.

I think this is due in part to the fact that many of the original buyers weren't car guys per se, they were buying them for investments. When that investment didn't pan out, they sold them to the second owners who were car guys.