Quote:
Originally Posted by lbls1
What really worries me is the state of the v8 after '16. All of the good things that was accomplished with the ls series engines may vanish if gm listens to the bean counters that say that all cars must obtain 35+ mpg by '16.
I hope that the zl1 will be around at least by '15 (when I recuperate from my last New Car Day). This sweet zl package might not be back for the new generation and could be replaced by a turbo charged four cylinder 'somethin (paranoia I know, but then again I don't put anything past these guys........I've seen them louse up good cars!).
Ok just my rant.
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You should be pleased to read this post...I think...
CAFE fuel economy laws dictate that all
manufacturer FLEETS must obtain 35mpg by 2016. So that means that Camaro gets averaged with the Corvette, and the Impala, the Malibu, with Cruze, and the Volt, etc, etc...then, based on all sorts of crazy calculations (including an interestingly higher fuel economy rating than what appears on the sticker...), the FLEET as a whole must be 35mpg. If not? Fines....but GM's never had to pay this fleet fine.
So...we'll probably see extremely hi-performance cars (and therefore relatively low fuel-economy) get more expensive, which equals less volume, which is better for the fleet rating. But don't count on anything disappearing anytime, soon...
EDIT: The good news is that the Alpha platform's light weight should facilitate lower-power (and therefore higher fuel economy) engines being used with little to no negative impact on performance. So performance 4 cylinders and V6s may become more prominent...but if they deliver the goods (which they WILL, or they don't get used)...does it really matter so much?