Maranello gives the 458 special treatment.

[BangkokDean]

Maranello gives the 458 special treatment.

If you ask Ferrari, there are too many people who love the 458 Italia but are put off by its measly 562 horsepower and piddling 202-mph top speed. At least that’s what we assume the thought process is, as the gang in Maranello pulls from the oven the 4...

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/ferrari-458-speciale-photos-and-info-news

 

[68/70Vette]

ce.

 

[Sam Cogley]

You don't need a ton of displacement with a really high-revving engine that's designed very well.

 

[68/70Vette]

You don't need a ton of displacement with a really high-revving engine that's designed very well.

Your engine will wear out quickly. The high revving and probably high compression ratios will destroy engine piston rings quickly. A high revving engine cannot be designed well...it's quick wear out time will be shortened.
WHY DOES ANYONE WANT TO BUY AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE CAR WITH A LITTLE BITTY ENGINE?



Absolutely stupid. If you want to spend tremendous amounts of money for a car, get a car with a big engine in it. Big engines are really not that more expensive than little engines. They just have bigger holes in the cylinder block.

Actually, I think its a cultural thing. European cars, I suppose Scandinavian and Italian, cars have had large taxes on large displacement cars and I guess there is some follow on to German cars also. This is a mindset to produce small displacement engines, and then try to get HP out of them. They just haven't broken out of the paradigm of building car engines with large displacements.


[/B]

In the 1960's an expensive and collectable car was the Ferrari 250 GT. It was a V12 engine. Impressive engine?......nope. The displacement of each cylinder was 250 cc. The 250 GT Ferrari had a V12 3 liter engine. WHY DOES ANYONE WANT TO BUY AN EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE CAR WITH A LITTLE BITTY ENGINE?

Well OK, I think I've made my point. Maybe some defenders as to why little bitty engines are what we really need. I have my 6.2 liter Corvette engine that out performs almost every car on the street and freeway. I don't have to go above 2000 rpms for supremacy. For what few cars that have more performance, my A&A supercharger starts compressing air at about 2500 rpms.

I have a ZZ4 SB 68 Corvette which I drive. My project car is a 70 BB with a 502 cubic inch engine.