928ntslow

I find it interesting to know that many present day super cars are moving to the V8.(ehem...though Porsche wasn't the first, I think they figured out the possibilities of the design years ago)

I watch a lot of automotive related programs and it just dawned on me the other night at how many "supercars" these days are working with this engine. Are the 10/12/16 cyl's becoming a dying breed? Here is a handful of cars just pulled out of the air...

Ferrari F430
Aston Martin Vantage
Audi R8
Saleen S7
Mercedes/McLaren SLR
Ford GT

Barring the performance of the 928...which is still not bad compared to the modern day car, seems that the turbo and SC designs out there have sprung the engine performance of a 928 right back to modern day super car standards.

Comments?

IcemanG17

I would imagine that V8's of equal displacement to a V10 or V12 should make the same or more power due to the reduced frictional losses of more cylinders..... Plus something about V8 is just magic....

hacker-pschorr

Ok, just to play devil's advocate (somebody has to)

The F430, Vantage, and R8 (current version) are the "entry level" for their marque. The top of the line for each company has a V12.

The Saleen is a US based car, Steve's background is Ford V8's so it's natural for him to stick with what he knows. Same with Ford since the engine in the GT is based on the Mustang motor.

928ntslow

Be that as it may, and I really don't think that as necessarily advocate, the general idea here is that the cars are STILL super cars using V8's. The Saleen regardless of its background, will serve lunch to most world supercars. I'm not real sure that "entry level" is the correct term anyway. Many V8's can out perform those with more cylinders.

Charley B

Accepting the premise, which I do, what is the reason? Cost? Performance? Maintenance?

RyanPerrella

Absolutely agree with you.

The car is no longer a whale by todays standards either. It weighs the same as the current Turbo, if not slightly LESS.

The engines in the cars do have some issues that could be addressed, but we have seen you can get 500 rwhp out of a super charger, near 6 is you opt for the turbo, and not to mention all the combos when you bore and stroke the thing. The base we are starting with really is a great one.

These reasons are why i think i will stick with a 928 (and buy another GT, maybe 5 seed GTS if prices continue to dip) I think the next 928 i own though will be either boosted or stroked, or most likely stroked with a lower compression ratio AND boosted.

Insane power here we come!

PS: Oh and how lucky we are to have the master key to unlocking the factory engine electronics, without this we could be leaving 20% of this newfound power on the table. THANKS AGAIN JOHN!

PSS: And we do have THE BEST GROUP of owner inventors on the planet! I cant believe all the developments we have seen, or i have seen with these 20 year old cars now in just the last 3 years since i bought my first one.

hacker-pschorr

I'm a bad person to argue this since I've never looked at engine size / displacement, number of cylinders etc... as a measure of how super a car is. One of the fastest cars ever produced is a twin turbo V6.

As much as I love the 928 and it's motor, nothing compares to the sound of a Ferrari V12 at full song with open exhuast (close second is a 5-valve Ferrari V8).

RyanPerrella

I also agree

I would still love to have a porsche build, 928 based V-12 instead of 8, i think it could fit too.

So who wants to go ahead and try and make one of our blocks 50% larger and add a couple more combustion chambers to the heads?

Jim bailey - 928 International

The "best" engine configuration is a straight six cylinder in terms of harmonics , a flat-12 running as two 6 cylinders is better for sound . Any V engine is unbalanced. More cylinders make more torque for the same displacement as the explosions are closer together. The V engine is easier to put in a small spacer than a straight 6 cylinder or boxer and you just live with the vibrations

Charley B

I guess it's a generationl thing. Having started wrenching on 3/4 race flathead fords and Panhead Harleys the only sound to compare to a thundering V-8, is a radial aircraft engine.

If I get close to a P-40 or a P-51 just idling, it necessitates changing my skivvies.

Jim M.

BTDT I couldn't agree more. At idle nothing tops a radial engine for sound.

Again I agree completly!

Fogey1

Both the P-40 and the P-51 are V-12 engines, not radials.

I agree there's something magic about V-12's.

Bill51sdr

Agreed. A high-speed, low level pass by a P-51 still give me chills and a desire to cheer out loud. Radials aren't even close.

Jim bailey - 928 International

The Allison is a 60 degree V-12 and runs as two six cylinders plus had two exhaust ports per cylinder as I recall.....I remember them in Unlimited Hydros running on the Detroit River AWESOME SOUNDS !

Ispeed

A tweaked 500cc two stroke sounds nice. Also my old v twin 1000cc RC51 (with 2:1) was awesome.