Would you want a high displacement import sports car?

[#RealRiceGSR#]

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[Bubba1]

The only downside I see to the higher displacement is higher gas consumption. There's a guy I know that regularly brings a midsize Mercedes sedan to the track. It looks absolutely stock until he starts it up. Has a Ford V-8 and straight pipes. Very cool car and the best sounding MB I ever heard.

[thes14project]

7 series BMW V12 power, or you could always buy and old z and drop a 350 chevy in it.

[Bubba1]

True, you also can buy a Veedub Passat with a W12. Dropping American V-8 motors into small foreign cars is a concept that goes back decades. Carroll Shelby did it with a Ford V-8 crammed into a little British AC (renamed it cobra), In the 50's, there was the Cadillac powered Allard. Very fast sports car. In the 60's, there was also Sunbeam Tiger. A few years later the Jensen interceptor (Chrylser hemi), the bizzarini GT (chevy V-8), the de Tomaso Pantera (Ford). In the 70's many people dropped American V-8's into sleek little Jag E-types. Absolutely ruined their value, but made them a lot quicker than Jags I-6.

I suppose there will always be a segment of the market that wants V-8 pigiron in little imported cars. But it's not the # of cylinders or dispacement that matters, its what you do with them. Remember a little 4 cyl STi will embarrass most V-8 cars out there.

[thes14project]

EXCELLENT point

[BadMojo]

In the 70's many people dropped American V-8's into sleek little Jag E-types. Absolutely ruined their value, but made them a lot quicker than Jags I-6.

And as an added bonus, fewer oil slicks on the garage floor!

[Bubba1]

Ha! How true.

[InlineSix]

I think that the Skylines that will come to the US will be V8s. Not too sure thought, thats just what Ive read.

[masticatingcow]

My .02:

We are talking about raising displacement in imports. I think this conversation has been had in at least Nissan R&D already.

Consider this: The VQ35 is a BIG V6. And the rumor that the 2007 USDM Skyline will be a V8 seems to reinforce the concept that "there is no replacement for displacement" even in Japan.

ALSO

Import engines are only small by comparison to domestics. Compare imports to each other and you will INSTANTLY see that Nissan is taking strides to increase displacement throught their cars.

Motor Trend did a great article that sums up this comparison when they set an S2000, a 350Z and an RX-8 next to each other. The resulting conclusions are not so important as the fact that the 350 was repeatedly referred to as a MUSCLE CAR in comparison. For a quick run-down:

S2000 displacement = 2.2LRX-8 displacement = 1.3L350Z displacement = 3.5L

So you see that the 350 is displacing as much as the other two COMBINED.

Whether you like it or not, we're already seeing big displacement in imports, and I think that the trend will continue. You know, there may be some truth to the rumor that the 2007 Skyline will be a V8... after all, Nissan seems to be the one pushing hardest to bump up displacement numbers...

[240SXedUp]

If the skyline comes out... which i doubt. The fact is that the terms import car and small displacement are almost interchangeable. with every USDM company looking for more efficient cars, which are smaller in displacement, i dont see why the import manufaturers would decide to give them an advantage in that battle. Is there anyone other than the small small small % of car enthusiasts that are sitting around saying "you know what? i really want a gas guzzler. the gas prices are so low as it is that i think i can afford a V8 kia."

[masticatingcow]

While I'm no industry expert, I still think there's a growing effort in import companies to build engines that are literally bigger. (For sports cars anyway... economy cars are another story...)

I'm not talking leaps and bounds, but I've noticed a steady trend up the displacement scale when there really hasn't been the need. I mean, look at Honda's engines... the Civic started with that 1.6L and now the SI has a 2.0L. What about the S2000? 2.0 to 2.2... no HUGE jump, but a move in that direction. I already explained Nissan's rush for displacement in a previous post, and would reitify it by mentioning the SE-R (2.5L, up from 2.0 in the old SR series.)

I think we all understand that the idea that any car company would pull an about-face and change their manufacturing strategies is out of the question. I mean, Chevy is still built on pushrods, right? But it's something to think about.

The terms "import" and "small displacement" are colloquially interchangable. But a quick question... ATI-Modded Focus aside, who's building the biggest sport compact engine on the market?

[240SXedUp]

Quote »While I'm no industry expert, I still think there's a growing effort in import companies to build engines that are literally bigger. (For sports cars anyway... economy cars are another story...)[/quote] Well, the past few years there has been a huge push for electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and what ever else-powered cars. Change is coming people. Whether you see it or not, there will be plenty of alternately powered cars by the end of the decade? Think im an idiot? Look at how much money honda, toyota, etc is putting into these projects. Within the decade companies will be mass producing these cars so the public can afford them. Hell, they already have their own car meets. Im just hoping for no more emissions laws.

My .02

[masticatingcow]

Im just hoping for no more emissions laws.

Amen to that.

[masticatingcow]

... economy cars are another story...