New L88?

[Robert Lewis]

Doggone it Joe, you use your mouth better than a $30 whore!!!  I wish I
could
talk like that.......


> I've read this discussion with interest and resisted comment.  . . . but I
> can't resist, so here I go!
>
> To compare GM to Ford to European to Japanese and even motorcycles would
be
> endless and futile.  Besides the obvious subjectivity when comparing
> engines - cars - technology, we also end up with "one-up"ping each other
> with supposedly even higher tech marvels.
>
> The discussion began with comments that GM should be "embarassed" and
> "ashamed" of it's engineering, i.e., push-rod engines for their elite
> vehicles (a new L88? - with push rods!?).  I understand why these comments
> are being made, but they are misplaced.  Of course, GM fans are quick to
> defend their own and fight back with stats, spec's and examples.  But the
> issue was engineering and technology and this, fortunately, is fairly
> straightforward.  An engineer's objective is to design, redesign or
improve
> existing designs to meet a set of requirements, which normally include
> specific economic guidelines.  In the case of a large auto maker, their
> engineers are given stringent guidelines by management, including
emissions,
> fuel mileage, manufacturing (and retooling) costs, research costs,
reduction
> in parts, reliability, safety, etc.  Let's not forget what the sales and
> marketing people want (cheaper, more style, more luxury, faster, quicker).
> Who do you think gets the most attention from management?
>
> If you left the engineering entirely up to the engineers' discretion, they
> would be competing with the likes of Ferrari and Porsche -- probably
> something to compete with an Indy racing engine.  That's not practical.
GM
> makes cars to fit certain niches.  Unfortunately, they don't make 'em to
> compete with the exotic foreign jobs, because they (Sales & Marketing and
> management) don't allow them to try.
>
> We can only guess why they want to go with a new L88, but a good guess
might
> be that Marketing believes there would be a lot of sales for those wanting
> the big blocks of the "good ole days".  They don't care how -- just make
it
> affordable! -- but make it hot, too!  DOHCs might not be exotic anymore,
but
> it probably doesn't fit the guidelines (especially packaging, as some
> mentioned).  Instead they are tinkering with controls and efficiency to
> wring out every ft-lb of torque and mpg they can get, while meeting the
> demands of marketing.
>
> People are claiming that GM is losing its history of excellent
engineering.
> GM has made a reputation on the SBC as an engineering marvel, not because
it
> outperformed all other engines or used the best technology, but because it
> was an engine most people could work on and the aftermarket supported it
at
> a more affordable price.  Racing legends and history were built on it.
> Because it HAS lasted so long, we continue to call it an engineering
marvel.
> Is it time for a new workhorse?  Possibly.  It took many years before Ford
> hit on a comparable engine with its 5.0L (considering aftermarket support
> and general popularity) and now they abandoned it for a new engine.  They
> might have made a mistake, its yet to be seen.  The aftermarket does seem
to
> be supporting the new engines, though.  If it does work, it might be a
sign
> that GM's engineering might be hurting by not searching for the next GM
> workhorse.  One that can benefit from more "high-tech" approaches such as
> DOHC's and the like.
>
> This was a long comment, but I did not want it to get by that it is not a
> question whether GM should be embarassed of their engineering if they make
a
> new L88 push-rod engine.  It is more a question of whether they should be
> embarassed on their marketing direction.  If they make alot of money on
it,
> it was a good marketing approach.  If it turns out to be an awesome
engine,
> then it was also good engineering because they met the requirements
whether
> it is high-tech or not. ....And we'll love it!
>
> Joe
>
>
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