Tested: speed vs. MPG, 2008 Corvette Z06 (505 hp)

[speedjerk]

Don't get me wrong. I know it's not a Civic CRX HF but for those of us who are performance enthusiasts, this is as good as it gets for a supercar. I mean research what a Lambo or Ferrari gets and you will fall off your chair in amazement at what GM has done with their "antiquated" OHV V8 engines. I currently drive a 3.2L V6 NSX with a mere 290 horsepower and I can't get these numbers. I was researching what mileage numbers people were getting with their Z06's because I am looking to one day move out of the slower NSX. I now believe what I've heard from other owners on other blogs. I mean, I used to own a 2.0L S2000 with much less horsepower and the best I could get with that driving with cruse control at a steady 65 was not quite 30mpg and my combind average was only around 20. I thought that was good! I could probably do that with this Z06 when not tracking it.

I've learned also that the OHV V8 is a much newer technology than the DOHC engine. DOHC came out in the 20's and the OHV V8 was debuted in the mid 50's. Research Duesenberg.

Among the novel design features ( for a pre-1940 production engine ) seen on various Duesenberg engines are SOHC, DOHC, 3 and 4 valve heads, Superchargers and aluminum castings.

I'm just a car enthusiast. Thanks for the info!

[Old Tele man]

...everything OLD is NEW again...eventually.

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Old Tele man

...anybody remember the Oldsmoble "Turnpike" cruisers?

Yup - well, don't remember it. But I read about them:

Old school FE 1967 Cutlass

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by speedjerk

I'm just a car enthusiast. Thanks for the info!

No problem.

Every once in a while I come across "what's the most efficient performance car" articles & discussions. Got to think the Vette is near the top in terms of MPG potential.

Some Lotus cars must be close, but not quite as nuts as the Corvette in terms of speed.

[Old Mechanic]

I averaged close to 22 MPG in my 59 Vette with a 71 LT1 350 and a wide ratio 4 speed, 3.08 gear, and I sure wasn't thinking about hypermiling in 1973.

Paid $2000 for the Vette, every month you had to put it on a lift and make sure all the bolts were still tight. Manual steering and 4 wheel non power drum brakes.

It had a 4.11 when I bought it, ripped that to pieces in 2 weeks and got the 3.08 for 25 bucks.

Wore out the steering gear so bad it would only turn right. Drove it to the shop to replace the gears, going through an intersection and backing up to make a left turn!!!!!!!!!!!!!

regards
Mech

[Old Tele man]

...or, turn a tight corner and have the engine in your brand new 4-speed car die on you.


...because the factory put the wrong hypoid gear lube in the GUREGRIP axle, which promptly "glued" the slip disk materials together.

[Formula413]

Another benefit of the pushrod engine is it's relatively high power/weight ratio. People usually think of engines in terms of power/liter, but fail to consider how much the engine weighs. With it's one camshaft, one timing chain and sixteen valves there is less weight (and less weight that has to move) not to mention that it results in a much more compact package, which is great from a performance standpoint as it keeps the center of gravity as low as possible.

[Old Tele man]

...the "K.I.S.S.'-doctrine of engineering also favors the reduced reciprocating mass too

[NeilBlanchard]

So, how many horsepower do you think it would take to get the Aptera up to 200mph?

~150hp

And how many horsepower does it take to get the Aptera to go 100mph?

~23hp

[jcp123]

Originally Posted by speedjerk

I've learned also that the OHV V8 is a much newer technology than the DOHC engine. DOHC came out in the 20's and the OHV V8 was debuted in the mid 50's. Research Duesenberg.

That's not entirely accurate...Chevrolet, for instance, had an OHV V8 in 1917, and Cadillac's vaunted V16 motor of the 30's, for instance, was an OHV design. As a design, flatheads, F-heads, OHV's, SOHC's, and DOHC's are roughly the same age, all dating from the automobile's stone age. OHV motors didn't become popular in the US until Oldsmobile debuted their (then)high-compression, high-revving oversquare 303ci Rocket Eight in 1949 (along with Cadillac's 331ci) - leading to the 50's when, as you say, most manufacturers debuted their own OHV designs. DOHC's were popular as early as the 1930's for racing, but didn't catch on until the late 1980's or 1990's in most production cars due to cost and complexity.