Quote:
Originally Posted by Boss330
And as a European, I'm sorry but the Corvette engine with it's cam in block, pushrod, design doesn't really have a mystique to me  When Ford came with it's DOHC V8's, that was a step in the right direction. And engines like in the Boss 302 Laguna Seca, or other DOHC iterations available from Ford Racing Performance Parts, those have much more of a modern NA V8 engine "mystique" to it (to me). The Koenigsegg had a Ford DOHC engine in the beginning, now they call it their own design. But just look at the design of the Koenigsegg engine and you can clearly see it's relation with the Ford Romeo V8 
The Corvette Z06 with it's 7l engine making 505hp is still only at 72 hp/l. A 3l NA engine would only make 216hp at that level of tune (the BMW N53 3l made 272hp in the generic 3- and 5-series and could be had in software detuned versions at 258hp and 204hp). The S65 would have had a power output of 288hp at the Z06 engine's state of tune... Hardly any mystique or pushing of boundaries to get a 7l engine to make 72 hp/l.
The Boss 302 engine is slightly better with 444hp from 5l, equalling 89 hp/l (the Z06 would be at 622hp with the same output per litre). |
Although I certainly appreciate (understatement) both the character of and engineering excellence required to bring about high redline, flat torque, high specific output engines, specific output arguments fall almost completely flat in the real world. What are the specific advantages for the customer outside of character?
Maybe the advantage is fuel efficiency? Oops the giant 7l engine trounces the S65 (perhaps through shifting trickery and/or cylinder deactivation - not something inherent to the pushrod design nor displacement). I suppose there is the argument about taxes when based on displacement but for us in NA that too is irrelevant. Other advantages of the pushrod engine are a lower center of gravity and less weight (not sure about the actual 7l Z06 vs. 4l S65, but at a given displacement there will certainly be a weight advantage). Pushrod engines also offer a lower cost (again at fixed displacement for sure, otherwise maybe not for sure).
The Z06 and M3 clearly represent a different philosophy and approach. Each has advantages and disadvantages but specific output remains largely something of academic interest (or certainly for racing when displacement limits exist).