Why does everyone think that a Turbo V6 would weigh less than an LS3/L99 Camaro.

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Originally Posted by Atlas

I wish there was a morphological chart somewhere that conveyed the numerical percentage weighted values of engine development between these popular platforms in question. Might help to answer a lot.

Weight is almost irrelevant as long as you have the appropriate torques to move it, and the adequate horsepower to keep it going. In the case of a Turbo V6 Camaro weighing as much/less as its V8 kin, doesn't really factor all that much as a weighted value when compared to other variables. Simply put, its the same damn car underneath it all, who cares? I'm not sure who everyone is, but you're talking about a Camaro, not an Exige, or Triumph. My opinion (and this is where that morphological table will come in handy), curb weight is the least collated factor among other variables in reference to the Camaro. I think we're obsessing to much over the number of cylinders.

Secondly, the engine in the LT was not designed to be turbo-charged. It has been done, and in many cases successfully. However, drivability, longevity, and reliability are compromises made when an engine does something the engineers didn't account for in R/D or T/E. It is not a high performance engine like that of the VR38(GTR) where its power ratings are weighted higher than other variables, and the ancillary and subsequent components compensate for the need to make that power. Short version; shit will break. Engines designed to be force fed from the get go have design implements that account for the increase in load, resulting in better overall drivability, reliability, and longevity when compared to an engine that is turbo/super - charged after the fact.

Point being, you can only play the numbers game for so long. After awhile it gets old. My last car went through four engines. One of which was turbocharged using aftermarket components, and another that came from an entirely different car (2ZZGE - found in the Celica GTS and Lotus Elise). I had a lot of time between builds to crunch numbers and play diddle. The whole F.I. vs displacement can go either way in a number of different ways. Needless to say, all that bench racing accounted for squat once I got behind the wheel.

It is really hard to compare cars know a days. It becomes almost laughable when you start doing it while taking into account a myriad of modifications. Just drive the damn things. You can talk math in school.