HP vs. MPG vs. Displacement

[MaineExport]

I was reading an article about the top 5 fast cars of the year. I was rather taken back by the fact that US automakers (GM in particular) have somehow gotten an edge on import performance cars in regard to efficiency. Two of the top 5 vehicles were the Corvette Z06 and Acura NSX. The Corvette has a MUCH larger engine and a boat load more horsepower, yet beats the NSX in MPG as well! I couldn't believe it, but here are the stats that the AOL sponsored article quoted.

Vehicle_____MPG city____MPG hwy____HP____displacement__

Corvette Z06:......19.............28.........405.........5.7.............

Acura NSX:..........17..............24........290.........3.2.............

And, just to compare these vehicles to the far superior European engineering... the Porsche 911 GT2 had the following numbers. Note that the HP is a significant amount higher than the corvette, with just a slightly larger engine than the Acura.... but the MPG SUCKS big time.:

Porsche 911:......15.............22........456..........3.6..............

[sultan]

I think the performance and gas mileage of the LS engines is very impressive. also impressive is the exhaust, have you heard the exhaust at idle of a vette? it's like the engine isn't running at all, but when you rev it up you can hear it just fine.

[Stoneage_Turbo]

just proves the mighty pushrod small block isnt a dinosaur , the cam may not move around but it doesnt need to

as for hp per litre (a marketing tool) hondas got the pushrod

as for desireabilty tho im a vette man thru and thru

[PSG1]

Yeah Corvette has amazing highway mileage

[Bizz]

Yeah but why? I'm thinking it's on the chubby end of the scale in that company.........maybe it produces enough torque to allow for taller gearing. The two missing factors are torque and weight and gearing. The three missing factors are torque, weight, gearing, and powerband location. AMONGST the missing factors are such diverse elements as torque, weight, gearing, powerband location, and how the mpg test cycles act on the other factors. Did i miss any thing?

[MaineExport]

Yeah but why? I'm thinking it's on the chubby end of the scale in that company.........maybe it produces enough torque to allow for taller gearing. The two missing factors are torque and weight and gearing. The three missing factors are torque, weight, gearing, and powerband location. AMONGST the missing factors are such diverse elements as torque, weight, gearing, powerband location, and how the mpg test cycles act on the other factors. Did i miss any thing?

NO ONE EXPECTS THE NICO INQUISITION!!!!!!!!

But seriously... good call! In a nut shell I think it boils down to simple efficiency. A large, high-horsepower engine has to work much less to push the vehicle from stop to go, and works less during the entire process of acceleration and maintaining cruising speed. The smaller engine just has to work more to achieve the same result.

[reggiegsd]

What the Corvette has is BIG Torque numbers through out the rev range. That lets it run a Sixth gear that is almost a 2:1 overdrive. That coupled with a relatively light weight gives good steady state mileage.