OK, whats the Deal??

I can't understaind why manufacturers taint the V8 Muscle breed with the crappy V6 model of the same car. I thought the quote goes, "Survival of the fittest." But they way it seems, it is "Survival of the Weakest." I see more and more girls and guys driving V6 F-Birds, V6 Mustangs, and V6 Camaros.

The whole situation makes me laugh sometimes, especially when they try to add decals and aftermarket parts to their V6 wanna be monster and it turns out to just make the person look even worse when they try to pimp it out.

No, I don't mean to brag and make people mad here ... but no Corvette that ever rolled off the assembly line had anything less than a V8. Nuff Said!

Anyway, feel free to follow up with your complaints.

Not to bust your bubble, but the 1953 Corvette sported a 234.5 cid OHV inline-6 that made 150 hp @ 4200 rpm. Granted that this is 50 years ago but nonetheless, it is true.

Now about those V-6 Stangs and F-bodies, if the people putting money into them for more 'performance' would have waited and saved money a little longer, they could roll in a V-8 and feel the power gain.

as mentioned above the original corvettes actually did come from the factory with an inline 6cyl

but in my opinion i don't rank corvettes with camaros, firebirds, and mustangs....corvettes are in their own class....and this class would be sports cars....camaros, firebirds and mustangs are muscle cars...and the v6 or inline 6 cyl isn't anything new....originally all muscle cars had the option for the 6cyl option...most people of those times didn't opt to go with such a small engine but the option was still there....

now for the corvettes....chevy introduced the corvette to be chevy's top car in production all the time....corvettes are always suppose to be the fastest and have the most HP.....now thoughout the years chevy/ GM has found that the some of the cars made were actually better/ faster then the corvette (Camaro ZL1, Buick GNX, Pontiac Turbo T/A, and a few others) if you check the factory numbers corvette has always come out on top...but if you look at real actual dyno tests other cars through out history have come out on top....for example in '87 the GNX ran 13.4s all day long when corvettes were only running low 14s to high 13s.....and now with the new Z28s and T/As with the LS1 rated from the factory at 305 HP they are found to really have about 360 HP which is more then the corvettes....GM has to underrate these cars so that they sound weaker then the corvettes since corvettes are always suppose to be top of the line....

i thought i would just add my two cents

Mike

Never thought of it like that Mike, but thanks for raining on my parade HAHA, just kidding. I guess when it all comes down to numbers, it is just up to the person who is buying the car. When HP is anything over 350, I would have to go with the one I think looks the best. Whats another few HP when you got so much already

No biggie, I just don't like the new V6 cars where people try to put exhaust and stuff to make them sound/perform like the V8 model. There is clearly no competition between the models.

Tom

I would have to agree with mike. But i would also like to let it be known i am def a fan of the classic V8 engine, however, to compare Vettes to the Mustangs and F-bodys is not really a fair fight when both are in their own catagories. Most people purchase a V-6 mustang, camaro, or firebird for their looks not so much for the performance of the engine. Think about it who would pay 50 grand for a 6 cylender engine, i know i wouldnt. So they opt for a more price and gas efficiant engine, with the looks of a stand out car. So to sell this idea ford and gm offered this to the public.

Like i said before im all about the V-8s and all but ask any mechanic today about V-8s and V-6s and he/she will tell you that there are alot more mods you can do to a 6 then to an 8, plus you get the upper RPMs of a 6 you never would with an 8.

No offense to you tom but look at it this way.........Take your L48 350 ok. a V-8 pushing about 180 hp. stock.......then take a 95 camaro/f-bird, or a 96 stang with a 3.8 litre V-6 with 200 hp put em side to side and more then likely that six bangger just tore up a V8 350 so dont jump on top of the 6s just yet, for there size i can give them mad props!

ok well that would be my 2 cents.........mike

Yeah Yeah, I know... Like I said before, it may not have the HP to keep up with today's vehicles cause technology is always changing. But, for 1978, almost 200HP was a good amount of power.

Besides, I'm not worried about the HP as much as I am getting the comments about the car.

I know its not the most powerful thing on the block nowadays, but 25 years and still got the look.

Tom

I think my old '92 Firebird V6 could take my '85 Trans Am. I know the 85's kind of tired out by now, but if anyone wants to come over and race me in the '92, I bet you'll win! The '85 had 205HP when it was new, but I think it will need a rebuild and a miracle to ever see that again.

Oh well, don't need to go 100MPH on the rainy days, that's what the WS6 is for!.

Later homies...

I got to drive a 1999 v6 firebird last night bone stock.. And let me tell you that thing had some pick up and go. IIRC it is rated at 200hp stock, and my 98 GT is rated 220hp stock. I could definatly feel the difference, but it wasnt like hoping in my old civic, and then hoping into the stang. These new v6 will probally be what dominates the market in the near future, and i wouldnt be suprised if we start seeing less and less v8. In some articles that i have read i have seen some v6 mustangs running low 13's and high 12's. Now granted they did put some money into them, but i bet ya they run alot better and are easier on gas, then that v8 would be. Like mike said im all for v8s but i have a feeling that we are going to be seeing fewer and fewer of them as the years go by.

Jeremy

BUT... There will always be people like us out there to keep the dream alive!

one thing that i've learned being a muscle car ouner is that anyone who buys a car for speed and doesnt get the v-8, doesnt get it! i dont have to explain it to 90% of this sites members but for those 10% i will. its about the sound you get that vibrates your bones when you first start a v-8, the neck snapping torque only a v-8 can produce, its the look in the persons eye who wont race you b/c they are smart enouph to know that under your hood is a v-8, i could go on for hours but if you dont get it by now its not worth it. its a sad fact but sooner or later all new cars will probably be fitted with smaller engines and the v-8's will probably fall victim supply and demand