Peak horsepower numbers are nice for bragging, but I have always picked my vehicles on their torque curves, the LS1/2 in the Camaro is an only slightly uprated version of the same family of engines the trucks come with, so you'd expect, and get, a very wide torque curve, you can't get that low end torque and flat curve from something with a high hp/displacement ratio.

 

All this talk about the Mustang and Camaro is pretty boring. Big motors with big hp is overrated. Yeah the sound of a cammed V8 is unbeatable and talk is all cool but I think gm is making a good move with the C7. Hopefully it lives up to its hype. Not to fond of the headlights though. Check out this link... http://www.gmtunersource.com/blog/ne...r-displacement

 

Being a very proud Mustang GT owner, having a V8 doesn't always have to be about speed and HP, infact, I drive my HHR alot faster than I do the Mustang. But a V8 will give you a sound, rumble and feel that no 4 or 6 cylinder engine in the world will ever to produce and thats what its all about ... at least as I'm concerned

 

Thats what I miss,,,, the rumble...the feel of being pushed and not plled.....counter steering....

 

I am happy that the government helped GM out, but I wish they would stop screwing around with the company. I think Lutz was trying really hard to change GMs image with specialty performance cars that really lived up to their SS badges. I think the performance division was good move, and now from what I hear its suppose to be gone.

As I see it, the Government wants GM to build plain vanilla vehicles. All I can say to that is it didn't work back in the 70s and it probably won't work today! Hopefully the situation will change with the government overseeing GM and leave them alone.

 

OK cut to the chase.... I want to see a 2013 rendition of a '57 Bel Air!

 

just for the record,i have eaten several new camaro v6 cars,havent had a shot at a v8,mustangs have been close ,depends on traction and drivers,,,,these cars are a blast

 

Peak HP doesn't tell the whole story. The LS type V8's have a torque curve that looks like it was drawn with a ruler. You can get a lot of peak HP out of a small displacement forced induction engine, but they usually have a power band about 500 RPM wide. (I'm exaggerating for dramatic effect.) I'm sure VW's addition of a positive displacement supercharger to a turbocharged engine is an attempt to produce a tiny motor that actually has a usable power band, but it's also an admission that small force fed engines need a lot of work to make them practical. At the end of the day, there's no replacement for displacement. Anything you can do to a sewing machine motor, you can to to a 6L V8. There are LS powered cars running around with 1000 HP at the crank that idle like stock and get good fuel economy in normal grocery fetching.

 

just bought a 2011 mustang v6. still have my hhr ss. both are good. mustang harder to get in and out of, lots less room. same or better mileage than ss on reg unleaded. have 600 miles on mustang, 8200 on 08 ss, mustang feels faster, hard to tell.

 

I wish people would understand the truth that the Goverment has not and is not telling GM directly what to and what not to build.

I am the last person to support Obama and his gang. But the truth is GM is doing what they needed to do and build some smaller cars that make money.

GM has failed to make profitable small cars and they hope the new Aveo and Cruze etc will change this around.

The GM Performance Division did not close and the people they removed are now developing the new cars from the start and not fixing them after the fact like the HHR SS. Imagine what they could have done if they had the HHR LT or LS from the start.

GM just dropped a 556 Cadillac wagon and coupe on the market. They are soon to drop a 250 HP + Buick GS and a near 600 HP Z28 on the market.

GM is investing big in a new Direct Injected V8 that is to be around 440 HP before they add performance.

The smaller performance cars will come soon. GM is far from done with the Regal and Cruze. Look for Coupes and convertibles soon.

Also performance version of the Cruze will come but when you need to sell 100,000+ regular ones and only would sell around 5,000 performance ones the need is to get the money makers right first.

The only place the goverment is screwing with the product is the emission and CAFE laws they are passing. GM has to find ways to meet 31.6 MPG average by 2015. This will effect product in more ways than I can count. But we still have the new V8 coming and even a twin turbo V6 with well over 400 HP for the small Alpha RWD cars that will arrive in or near 2015.

Note too that Chevy will have a RWD SS sedan soon. It will be pretty much a G8 GXP in updated Chevy form in 2013-14.

The fact is more people buy plain Hondas, Toyotas and Hyundai's They make a lot of money with the boring cars. GM needs to make money with boring cars to make the fun ones for us that we want. GM is only getting their house together like they need to years ago.

I know people at GM and the only time they slowed down on performance was when they were trying for the bail out. Now that they have it all the cars they had planned and on the shel are now back on line with more to come.

Just don't expect GM to tell much more than 18 months ahead. They no longer need to they to keep share holders happy to keep the stock up with a large debt. With the IPO coming they should be able to buy much of the company back from the goverment.

Also watch for a new small pick up to come soon. I have seen it and it looks good. It should be release oversea soon and then here. GM is releasing overseas to sort the cars out first in China etc and then here. It will make the don't buy the first year fears go away. Toyota and Honda always sorted their cars out in the home market first since they were more forgiving and then sent them here.