[LOWDOWN]

It's CLEAR that the "powers-that-be" DEMANDED such a high-bar car. To achieve the end result required components that even the most rabid Z/28 - LS7 fans didn't suspect would be utilized. Which drove up co$t$.

I was clearly, as were many-many, a proponent of 1LE - LS7 results, but that was NOT the benchmark chosen. I respect their expectations, and I certainly respect the result.

Facts are, the development costs would be the SAME, either version. And if an alternative version, with non-mandatory-but-optional features was created, the development costs would have been even GREATER. EVERY version would need to jump through all the hoops and hurdles, and each hoop-n-hurdle CO$T$.

Paying more, and getting less, would have been the Base model's destiny, while the true-intent Top Dog would have been even closer to COPO ca$h...