Quote:
Originally Posted by LOWDOWN
In many foreign countries, vehicles are taxed on displacement. 2.0L can be "magic" territory. So, if you're "restricted" to 2.0L AND no forced induction, "factory-built tuner engines" ensue...
With VVT, the conventional wisdom to this point has been to concentrate on more hp beyond a certain rpm. No one said manufacturers couldn't use VVT to concentrate on torque AND mpg, instead...
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I see two problems with that explanation. Anyone that I've talked to what likes a high hp/L has been living in either the US or Canada. Last time I checked, neither country has a displacement tax. Second, regardless of why a manufacturer does it, its not a positive attribute and if anything, its a negative. More power is good. More torque is good. But high hp/L ... so what? I'd much rather have an LS7 than the 4.3L from the F430 Scuderia. The proponents of hp/L would have you believe that the Ferrari engine is superior, since it makes more than 50% more hp/L. But in just about any measurable way its inferior to the big pushrod mill of the Z06: it makes less torque, burns more fuel, and costs more (and presumably, weighs more and is bigger overall though I can't find much info on that stuff)