While alot of what you said might be true (I emphaise might), the domestics have bigger dreams than their engineers can produce. I know darn well that alot of great automotive ideas stem from Detroit first, then everyone else follows suit. Again, they can dream big, but the Japs can walk the walk. The fact that Honda didn't use FI untill the 1980's doesn't mean that, unlike domestic big milti-barrel carbed gas hog polutinous tanks, the cars were hard to start or reliable, efficient, and clean (Civic CVCC ring a bell?). If Chevy operated like Honda, the ZR1 would still be in production and have VVT by now. You could balance a dime on the valve cover at full throttle, and the switch gear, radio, and dash trim would not be out of an Impalla.

 

Please tell me what is so God like about VVT?

You get an extra cam which changes the intake and exhaust valve timing after reaching a certain rpm. Everyone doesn't want to floor their car all the time just to get some power from their motor during daily driving. That's why GM still uses OHV motors. It's cheap to mass produce and it's proven through time that it's reliable and gives power through the whole power band, just not at the peak like VTEC does.

Just expressing my opinion, but I'd rather have a simple pushrod motor that delivers power throughout the whole power band instead of an OHC motor giving power at the top [But I wouldn't turn down a LT5, 2JZGET, RB26DETT, 4G63, SR20DET, B18C5 motor(s).]

 

I'm all about engineering and thoughtfull design. Variable timing makes engines efficient and economical. It is the way to go for motors in this day and age. Again, domestics can cut corners and get 25 mpg out of a Vette because they use transmissions with such large overdrive ratios the engine is barely running. Now, you put a closer ratio six speed to keep the engine exactly in the sweet spot at all times watch the fuel go down fast. I want to see more thought go in to GM engine designs. Same for Ford. They have been using variants of the same blueprints from 60 years ago, and that does not impress me one bit. HP/LTR is a key ratio that the domestics just don't seem to care about. We are getting off topic, so I'll steer us back. NSX is an example of what great engineers can do. Corvette is an example of what gearheads can do.

 

Actually, it was completely designed by Lotus. The only possible way you can credit is GM with any part of the LT5 is a) they owned a substantial part of Lotus at the time, and b) it was built here in America.

But everything else was Lotus Engineering in the U.K. GM bought Lotus in '86, and immediately used them to revitalize/revamp several of their projects - including the Corvette. They gave the mandate, and Lotus went to work. The LT5 would not have been possible if not for Lotus' innovative design: DOHC instead of pushrods, aluminum instead of cast iron, pent roof combustion chambers, etc. etc. etc.

I read that Lotus themselves rated the LT5 at well over 400+ hp, but had to detune it for American specs. Also, the thing that finally killed it was GM's ability to up the rating on the pushrod engine to above 300hp in their experiments of the early/ mid-90s, and their insistance at installing the ZR-1 "squared taillamps" on the base model 'Vette - to the fury of ZR-1 owners, who felt that the little badges weren't enough, they wanted a car that not only performed different than the base mode, but looked different too.

Sadly, Lotus is now wholly owned by an Indonesian company, making this kind of project unlikely to occur ever again - the cost of consultation would be too high. Too bad, too...

 

This guy is right.

 

owning an NSX is a lot more impressive than owning a Z06
thatz how i decide wuh cars i want =P

 

the nsx wasn't meant to compete w/ american muscle anyways...it's meant to be an exotic (better reliability tho). it's hp and torque curves more closely resemble ferrari and such...i believe its similar in performance to a ferrari 355 all around (cept more reliable, like i said).

 

To who? I don't understand why anyone would prefer the NSX when the Z06 is much faster, handles much better, cost much less, and looks good doing it.
Sadly, you are in the majority. Most younger people do buy cars because they are viewed as 'more impressive' by the idiots they are trying to impress, without regard to actual performance. Notice the import trend of the last 5 years. It's rare to find people who buy a honda for the good gas milage, good reliability, decent factory power, and high resale value. Usually it's cause 'you can put NAAAWS on it and run 10's, dude!' or 'it has VTEC so it's way faster than some stupid V8'.
If you say american muscle as in the Camaro/Mustang, then yes... it is above either in performance, and FAR above in cost and quality. If you are saying it is not meant to compete w/ a corvette.... what? The Z06 competes with Ferrari, so how does the NSX not compete with it? Besides that, the Ferrari 355 (and the newer, faster 360) smoke the NSX, but the '02 Z06 will beat a 360 around most courses.

 

You are ignorant.
My third gear is good to right about 105. Idiot. So why would a downshift to 3rd at 90 MPH make my 'valve rods' shoot through the block?

The LS1 is not by any means (other than having eight cylinders, one cam, and pushrods) a 60 year old design. It is completely new. It is smoother at higher revs than almost any high power engine I could name. It revs willingly and makes power up to redline. One day you will understand how engines work (maybe) and will realize that higher RPM does not make for a better engine.
Next time, before you start spewing bullshit about things you know absolutely nothing about, maybe some research would be warranted. Try here.

http://www.idavette.net/hib/ls1c.html

 

Hmm... 2002 Z06 vs. 2002 NSX 3.2 MT
Same performance??
Z06 - 405 Hp/400 Tq
NSX - 290 Hp/224 Tq
Twice the fuel economy????
Z06 - 19 cty/28 hwy
NSX - 17 cty/24 hwy

We'll have to see about the three times the reliability thing.... but my guess is you're a brain dead rertard and will be wrong there, too.