CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 443 |
Originally posted by Mad_Medeiros:
well yes I understand the 3.9 probably out numbers a typical honda engine, tourqe wise..
But I was referring to a 3L lets say from the NSX.. acually I think its 3.2? I could be wrong, 290 HP, mazda's 3.5 is making 250 HP... and quite the amount of tourqe..
So you are comparing a 3.2L V6 engine in a $90000 very limited edition sports car to the engine in a 20k run of the mill compact car? Which Mazda engine is 3.5L in size and making 250HP? The V6 engines in the Mazda 6 are Ford Duratec variants with Mazda built heads, 3.0L making 220HP. I'm not up on all of the Mazda models but didn't see anything on their website about a 3.5L V6 engine. Still, I'd agree with you that OHC engines largely have a HP advantage per liter of displacement, mostly because they have more cams to play with (meaning greater flexibility of the production of the power band via multiple cam profiles)
Originally posted by Mad_Medeiros:
and then we have the 3.9, yes a big engine, to me I think its just a bored out 3800, or a 3800 with longer stroke? who knows. but 250 HP? why not just drop a series 3 3800 s/c making 280 HP... quite more practicle, and to me, I would assume it would be cheaper.
Depends on who the G6 is being marketed to. HP isn't everything, there are CARB considerations (mileage requirements), market considerations, pricing limitations, cost limitations, and the list goes on. The truth is that most people don't really care that much about hi-po engines as compared to most of the people on an auto enthusiast forum like this one. This is why the Mustang has been a success for Ford. GT models don't sell near as well as base models. Divisions like SVT exist solely to appeal to the market for auto enthusiasts like us, but the majority of people (of which an increasingly larger percentage are female purchasers who care more about efficiency of design, aesthetics, etc., than performance numbers) could care if it has 250 verses 200HP. 200HP is more than enough power for most people.
As for GM's direction, their current engine strategy is to continue to develop the existing lines of pushrod, single cam engines, which they will continue to use in most of the vehicles that are more value price point oriented than performance oriented. The other strategy is to develop "hi-tech" engines, DOHC and such, to deploy in performance oriented vehicles or higher price point "luxury" type vehicles like the Caddies. This strategy, quite honestly, appears to be working for GM quite well as the last few years of sales and profitability numbers show. Car companies are in the business of selling cars, not performance. For folks like us, the two (cars and performance) are one in the same, but for the majority of people, the two aren't really related.
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