GM's new 4.2L DOHC twin turbo V-8 !!

[hoffman900]

Mid engine cars are ugly.
Too many cams.
Too new.
Fuel pressure is too high, might explode.
Where are the t-tops?
Get off my lawn

[Brian P]

Nobody buys a Vette (of any sort) because it's "necessary"!

Chevrolet reached the limit of what could be done with a front engine platform. Ferrari, McLaren, etc use mid engine for a reason ... and it's the same reason GM is doing this. Will it look "different", sure. They'll have to push the driver's compartment forward.

[peejay]

Oil is cheap,

It isn't wasted, either. Where I am gainfully employed, used oil is used to heat the facility, instead of natural gas.

Where "waste" oil is "recycled", it us generally used to either make asphalt for roads or provide fuel for ships, instead of those end-uses taking it straight out of the ground.

The oil dumped out of your engine when you do an oil change is never, EVER wasted, it is used for another purpose!! It is far better to change oil maybe too often so that less energy and materials are wasted in making a new car.

[Ron E]

Nobody buys a Vette (of any sort) because it's "necessary"!

Chevrolet reached the limit of what could be done with a front engine platform. Ferrari, McLaren, etc use mid engine for a reason ... and it's the same reason GM is doing this. Will it look "different", sure. They'll have to push the driver's compartment forward.

I ask again. What is the functional reason? Can turbo a front engine car. So that's not it.

[Newold1]

The wants, wishes, and desires of the Corvette or sports performance car consumer determines what that market will purchase. That's what will sell to that market and pretty much totally determines what the factories will design and produce. The Corvette enthusiasts and buyers are wanting a mid-engine car on majority and that's where GM is going with the Corvette. It may not be justified in all minds but at these newer higher prices, but that's what will sell! "Cool" is a perception, not a reality. JMO

[mk e]

I ask again. What is the functional reason? Can turbo a front engine car. So that's not it.

The main advantage of midengine is mostly braking. A car that is 50/50 weight sitting on the scales is 70/30 on the brake and overloads the front tires. A midengine car that starts arc30/70 is 50/50 when braking giving more braking for more laps. You can also brake a little deeper into the turns which also helps.

[hoffman900]

I ask again. What is the functional reason? Can turbo a front engine car. So that's not it.

The main advantage of midengine is mostly braking. A car that is 50/50 weight sitting on the scales is 70/30 on the brake and overloads the front tires. A midengine car that starts arc30/70 is 50/50 when braking giving more braking for more laps. You can also brake a little deeper into the turns which also helps.

+1

Most of the world doesn’t live a 1/4 mile at a time. Mid engine sports cars are a proven concept... for about 60 years now.

[Truckedup]

I have to ask, does anyone here think they can take this years highest performance front engine Vette and utlilize all it's performance on a public road other than in a straight line? I have to ask, can anyone here take the highest performance Camaro, Mustang or Challenger and use all the performance on the street other than in a straight line...?
Super performance cars are bragging rights for the manufacturer and the owners...

[hoffman900]

I have to ask, does anyone here think they can take this years highest performance front engine Vette and utlilize all it's performance on a public road other than in a straight line? I have to ask, can anyone here take the highest performance Camaro, Mustang or Challenger and use all the performance on the street other than in a straight line...?
Super performance cars are bragging rights for the manufacturer and the owners...

That goes for any vehicle though. Go watch the video fo at Troy Bayliss on the old supercharged BMW from the ‘30s at Goodwood. He would run circles around most average modern sport bike owners on that thing. It’s not a modern vs old thing, so much as talent.

Track days are very popular for a reason though and really keep all those road racing tracks open.

Most vehicle purchases aren’t made for practical reasons. You would see a lot more small hatch backs on the road if that were the case. These are all emotional purchases, just like the site’s existence. You don’t NEED to make vehicles faster...

[peejay]

I ask again. What is the functional reason? Can turbo a front engine car. So that's not it.

The main advantage of midengine is mostly braking. A car that is 50/50 weight sitting on the scales is 70/30 on the brake and overloads the front tires. A midengine car that starts arc30/70 is 50/50 when braking giving more braking for more laps. You can also brake a little deeper into the turns which also helps.

Corvette chassis engineers in the C6 era have stated, publicly, that they have reached the limts of front-engine performance because they cannot get enough accleerative grip to deal with the amount of power they are able to get from Powertrain.

Their options are to try to package all wheel drive, or to go with a mid-engine design.

[peejay]

I have to ask, does anyone here think they can take this years highest performance front engine Vette and utlilize all it's performance on a public road other than in a straight line?

I couldn't take a base model Mazda 2 to utilize all of its performance on a public road, not even in a straight line.

[Brian P]

Nobody buys a Vette (of any sort) because it's "necessary"!

Chevrolet reached the limit of what could be done with a front engine platform. Ferrari, McLaren, etc use mid engine for a reason ... and it's the same reason GM is doing this. Will it look "different", sure. They'll have to push the driver's compartment forward.

I ask again. What is the functional reason? Can turbo a front engine car. So that's not it.

Bear in mind that every modern Formula 1, Indycar, etc uses a midship/rear layout. You will not win a Formula 1 race nowadays with a car having a front-engine layout!

General advantages:
Better front/rear balance during braking (already covered above)
Better grip during acceleration because it starts off with more weight on the drive wheels, particularly when accelerating out of corners
Reduced polar moment of inertia (for changing directions) - the heavy stuff is well inside the wheelbase

The tradeoff is reduced understeer budget, i.e. reduced stability. Mid/rear is not quite as bad as a rear-engine layout, but it's heading in that direction. I'm sure the suspension engineers have had their work cut out for them, and aerodynamics matters at higher speeds, too.

[MadBill]

I have to ask, does anyone here think they can take this years highest performance front engine Vette and utlilize all it's performance on a public road other than in a straight line? I have to ask, can anyone here take the highest performance Camaro, Mustang or Challenger and use all the performance on the street other than in a straight line...?
Super performance cars are bragging rights for the manufacturer and the owners...

And how about the tens of millions of drivers getting half the mileage they could in a car while toting nothing but air in their off road-capable HD 4WD pick 'em ups and tip-toeing over speed bumps at 2 MPH?

[Newold1]

We need to keep remembering that this forum is called SPEEDTALK!

We are not here to discuss and delb into grocery getters or your grandfathers Buick!

We are here discussing horsepower, performance and the engines and vehicles that exemplify those characteristics!

Mid-engine Corvettes are not for the everyday driver nor are they supposed to make sense! For those who feel the "need for speed" and want a car that can provide that thrill, I think they will do a great job of that!

If you as a fellow enthusiast are excited about new performance technology in engine and vehicles, the near future seems to hold ever increasing exciting offerings and possibilities!

If you have a problem here on Speedtalk with engines like this new 4.2L twin turbo V-8 and cars like a new mid-engine Corvette then "there's the door"! Just my personal opinion.

[mk e]

And how about the tens of millions of drivers getting half the mileage they could in a car while toting nothing but air in their off road-capable HD 4WD pick 'em ups and tip-toeing over speed bumps at 2 MPH?

LOL