Ferrari Mailing List: Re: BMW Mods/Forced Induction/Modern V8s...Re: Ferrari Digest, Vol 5, Issue 51

[LS (lashdeep]

Each manufacturer has goals that they are looking to achieve in a
powerplant. It depends on the project and on the budget. For a sports car,
the parameters would most likely be:

1. Specific output
2. Mass/packaging (outer dimensions, weight)
3. Power characteristics
4. Economy

Each parameter is tunable at the expense of others. Displacement means
very little, but outer dimensions and weight of the engine are more
important. I think a common misconception is that if a 7 liter engine is
used to only produce 500bhp, it's not efficient. Efficiency is the ability
to maximize the yield of a precious resource. Fuel is the resource
consumed in an engine and should it be the only measure of efficiency?

Furthermore, OHV engines are smaller. The heads are smaller, the top ends
are more narrow and have less moving parts. So, in that sense they are
more efficient.

There are a lot of deep rooted opinions on different makes and
manufacturers that were born in the 1970s and 1980s. "Ferraris are
unreliable, domestic cars are junk, v8s are gas guzzlers, BMW/Mercs are
reliable, Japanese cars are cheap plastic."

The idea that domestic v8s are inefficient gas guzzling dinosaurs is one
opinion that is quickly becoming obsolete.

Regarding my auto preferences...

I hate:

All Ford garbage except for Mustangs and F series trucks
All GM junk except for the LS based V8 cars (they're okay)
All Chryslers period
All BMWs 
All Mercs
All Audis
Anything Japanese 
All of the new Ferraris since the 512TR 
All LamboAudis after the Diablo SE30
All Porsches post 964

Exceptions:

Aston Martin DB9, Vanquish
Ford GT
Ferrari Enzo
Ferrari FXX
RR Phantom
Koenigsegg CC series
Infiniti G35 (I give it a grade of B-)
Anything with stability control
Anything with NAVI
Ariel Atom (ugly but respected)
Lotus Elise (seriously ugly, but I can appreciate the philosophy)

I guess I have an extremist view on cars. I want technology in the form of
carbon, aluminum, TIT-anium, etc. But, I don't want electronics
interfering with the dynamics of the car. Nor do I care about electronics
easing the service/maint. or emissions compliance. I'll take Electromotive
EFI, carbon fiber driveshafts and 6 piston calipers, but don't want
stability control or NAVI.

Until then, I'm building my own dream car!

LS


--- Fellippe Galletta <fellippe.galletta [at] gmail.com> wrote:

> On 12/29/06, LS <lashdeep [at] yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > All highway mpg figures are quoted.
> >
> > OHC=modern technology yet modern OHV have less mass, more power and
> better
> > efficiency?
> >
> > Has GM revolutionized the industry?
> >
> > Should Ferrari, BMW and Merc be ashamed?
> >
> > LS
> 
> 
> 
> I'm with ya....but, is it fair to compare medium displacement OHC motors
> with large displacement OHV motors in terms of power?
> 
> And when the euros build to muscle car displacements, the results are
> interesting:
> 
> 6.0 liter Vette/GTO/CTS-V: 400hp/400 lb-ft
> 6.0 liter Diablo: 550hp/435 lb-ft
> 
> 4.9 liter 512 TR: 428hp/360lb-ft
> 
> I think the general american design philosophy is to build a powerful
> motor
> that can rev well, but to overbuild it on displacement so to not stress
> the
> motor. Even the violent C6 Z06 motor with exotic parts is a little over
> 70
> hp/liter. There really is no such thing, IMHO as a true exotic normally
> aspirated domestic motor if judged in this regard...except maybe a
> Saleen S7
> motor.
> 
> One motor combo that I've personally experienced that is definite
> satisfaction:
> 
> 5.4 liter supercharged DOHC V8 Ford GT: 550hp/500lb-ft
> 
> So to answer your question, I agree in terms of typical mass produced
> cars,
> but on the very high exotic end, I'd prefer a DOHC motor.
> 
> Deep, are we losing you to the domestics? :)
> 
> FG
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