There was never a Glamour "
concept car". Concept cars are what's shown to the public or guests. "
Mockups" are the physical clay or foam models that reside in design studios and never see the light of day outside of those making decisions on design and production. Then there's also computer animation (Ed Welburn had a small movie theatre-like place at GM design where he...and certain other executives... can view realistic computer rendered design presentations from all over the world).
The so-called "Glamour" was most likely one of those animations, and at most, it was a clay or foam mockup. There isn't an "Elmaraj" running, get-in-and-close-the-door "concept". If there is a mockup, then like every other mockup, they'll be pictures taken for archives or future ideas, and the lump will either be destroyed or recycled for another vehicle.
corvettes share the same engines with pickup trucks,just tuned for more HP
Nope. More than just tuning. Different heads and cam. I believe connecting rods are different too.
guionM
My "proposal" does not create more issues than it's worth.
"Changing the banks from 90 degrees to 60 creates a whole new engine, and therefore all parts from crankshafts to heads from existing engines can not be used."
I was not suggesting that the engine should be changed from 90 degree V to A 60 degree V. The LFX engine case is a 60 degree V6 and I am suggesting that a series of 60 degree engines would make the cost of limited production "premium" engines far less than the cost of developing an all new engine. I was quite specific about the engines I was suggesting.
"It makes it easy to produce 3 very different engines, a 60 degree V6, a 60 Degree V8 with a split pin crank and a balance shaft, and a 60 Degree V10 with a split pin crank and a balance shaft. At 3.6, 4.8 and 6.0 respectively they share the same internals except for the crankshaft, further reducing the cost to produce."
As to turbos and heat in proximity to aluminum the issues are doable, after all aluminum heads have cumbustion chambers that see the flames of cumbustion and exhaust ports that carry hot exhaust gasses. With the narrower 60 degree block there is more space for the turbos and heat sheilding and cooling ducts.
1.V8 engines balance best at 90 degrees. V6s at 60. That's why these engines are made at different angles.
2. The Aluminum cylinder head is cast, thick, and heat treated. The aluminum rails on the Corvette are thin, and hydroformed. It's kind of like comparing your aluminum pan in your kitchen to aluminum foil.
3. Light a Bic lighter under the aluminum pan, and then light one under the aluminum foil.
Again, twin turbos create a lot of problems.
GM engineers aren't amateurs, nor are they a group who know less than you and I, and I'm pretty sure they have pretty decent IQs. There is a reason they went with strapping a supercharger on the top of an engine over hanging a pair of high heat turbochargers right next to thin aluminum rails. From a weight and fuel economy standpoint, they have all the incentive in the world to use them.... yet they didn't. Nor did they (or Ford) incorporate 60 degree angles when they made their OHC V8 engines (even though it would make assembly and parts sharing easier).... there's reasons these happened.
We all like to think we have all the answers, and that the people who actually are doing this every day and have been for many years for their livelihood simply are lazy, or taking the easy way out. Hardly. As with anyone who is in to their job, they want to take things to extremes and push the envelope, and create new masterpieces.
But realities set in. They have to create engines that fit into a certain space, for vehicles that have to cost no more than a certain price, that can put out a certain amount of power without melting anything, lighting anything on fire, affecting crash standards, can last 200,000 miles, get targeted fuel economy, and can be incorporated into an assembly line with all the space tolerances in tact.
A DOHC, Twin Turbo, V8 will not fit into a space designed for an LS (or now LT) V8.
Someone mentioned that a DOHC V8 will fit in any space designed for a DOHC V6. The person used the logic about compartment width. However, that person completely missed the fact that a DOHC's greatest height and width is up front....right where the hood is tapering down! That's where your cam cover is, and it's the tallest and widest part of the block. As big as a Mustang is, when you look at it's hood from a profile, it's almost unsightly because it bulges upward, and continues almost to the very front of the hood.
What do you think a Corvette's going to look like with something the bulk of a Ford DOHC V8 boat anchor under the hood. It won't fit. When it was pointed out that Mark Reuss said this, the response from a member was that it was just "
PR" and that he was just trying to sell cars. Fact is, he was telling the 100% truth. The key reason that GM sticks with pushrods is because of cost, performance, and most of all,
PACKAGING. You simply can not do a low, sleek, front engine, rear drive sports car like Corvette with something the physical size of Ford's DOHC 5.0 in it. Look up pictures of the 2 side by side. Ain't happening.
As for Cadillac, the million dollar question is CAFE. GM can continue to do high performance V8s for Cadillac based on the LT1. But to do a special V8, it would have to have a long lifespan to be worthwhile. Northstar lasted nearly 20 years. GM can do continual updates to the LS/LT engine because it goes into a gazillion trucks and SUVs. Therefore it takes less time to make up the cost. GM can go on updating the OHV engines right through the decade every couple of years if it wants to. But a "special" V8 for Cadillac would need volume and or longevity. With NA V6s about to breach the 340hp mark and turbo V6s about to pass 400hp, the need for a regular V8 for the Cadillac line is pretty much gone. Therefore the only place for a special V8 would be on the high end performance cars. Top engines are shared with Corvette because it has the volume to make it worthwhile. If Cadillac gets it's own, say, DOHC V8, the first question to be asked is will it last in the lineup for at least 10 years (say, 2024 or 2025) or will it be obsolete. There's no question like that on the volume V8s due to truck use.
If I can offer anything here, it's that there's reasons for everything. Sometimes they may seem somewhat silly (ie: GM not offering manuals on Chevrolet SS because they're scared it might become too popular and GM will have to negotiate to order more manuals from the supplier), but on questions like why not use DOHC or DOHC and TT on the Corvette, or doesn't Cadillac create a unique DOHC engine for the brand (there was actually one put on ice when GM went bankrupt), then there's typically good reasons.