GM Inside News Forum - View Single Post - Will Holden's VE Sports Models Kill HSV? LS7 GTS Could Save The Day

KingElvis · 07-13-2006, 11:09 AM

100kg more weight? That means about 4100lbs or above two US tons on the V8 models. That's about what a '69 5.7L Impala weighed. Progress?

This chassis is "zeta" right? That means our dear, dear Camaro should be the heaviest one in history.

We're getting all this massive displacement and horsepower that dwarfs what you could get in 1960s cars, but it wasn't until Pontiac used its small, 3500lb/1590kg car, the Tempest, with the 6.5L engine that the "supercar" (yes that word was coined to describe the Pontiac GTO, not Ferrari's GTO) was born.

When weight goes up you get a "viscious circle." You have to have bigger wheels and tires to corner the same with greater body weight, but the bigger tires create more running friction and then the fuel economy goes down. The bigger wheels have greater inertia, so acceleration and braking suffer, so then you have to have a bigger engine, then fuel economy takes yet another hit.

One wishes some of the resources that went into creating killer hood scoops and air foils were instead invested in more aluminum and composite parts.

07-13-2006, 11:09 AM	#4 (permalink)
KingElvis 4.6 Liter Northstar V8 Join Date: Feb 2003 Posts: 1,669	Re: Will Holden's VE Sports Models Kill HSV? LS7 GTS Could Save The Day 100kg more weight? That means about 4100lbs or above two US tons on the V8 models. That's about what a '69 5.7L Impala weighed. Progress? This chassis is "zeta" right? That means our dear, dear Camaro should be the heaviest one in history. We're getting all this massive displacement and horsepower that dwarfs what you could get in 1960s cars, but it wasn't until Pontiac used its small, 3500lb/1590kg car, the Tempest, with the 6.5L engine that the "supercar" (yes that word was coined to describe the Pontiac GTO, not Ferrari's GTO) was born. When weight goes up you get a "viscious circle." You have to have bigger wheels and tires to corner the same with greater body weight, but the bigger tires create more running friction and then the fuel economy goes down. The bigger wheels have greater inertia, so acceleration and braking suffer, so then you have to have a bigger engine, then fuel economy takes yet another hit. One wishes some of the resources that went into creating killer hood scoops and air foils were instead invested in more aluminum and composite parts.