I saw a write up on the new Caddy V16 engine. 829cid, 1000hp at 6000rpm, 1000 lbs of torque at 4300rpm, and weighs only 695 lbs. Kinda cool since Caddy had a V16 in 1930 also. Tom
Hard to think that big automakers went from v-16's and v-12's to v-8's because they got better gas mileage. If the trend continues, we'll all be driving 1 cylinder cars in 70 years.
I think that trend is actually starting to turn around. With all the modern technology - more efficient engines, cylinder deactivation and hybrid drivetrains make large engines more viable. I really doubt we will see V16s again just due to their sheer size (outside dimensions, not displacement), but engines are certainly getting larger.
The 16 has a form of northstar technology, so it can run on 4,8 or 16 cylinders that way you get good gas milage and power when you nail it
Didn't one of the car companies experiment with cutting out cylinders while cruising a very long time ago? What happened to that?
You're probably thinking about Caddilac, they had a v8 that would run on 4, 6, or 8, cylinders, but for some reason people didn't like it. Now it seems they do that all the time, guess the technology finally caught up with it.
I had thought I heard that they are going to use the cylinder cutting technology on the new GTO within a year or so?
People didn't like the '80's version because it wasn't quite ready for the public. Too many malfunctions, and probably cost Cadillac alot of $ in warranty repairs. ________________ Eric Hayden '71 Skylark Custom '68 Cadillac Coupe DeVille project
I remember reading that one of the problems with the "variable displacement" technology was that the surge from 4 to 6 to 8 cylinders was so pronounced that it really detracted from the usability. Couple that with the fact that it was never all that reliable in the first place, and it really got a bad rep. The other problem was that the valves kept opening and closing on the cylinders that weren't firing, so there were a lot of losses from pumping all of that air. What they are doing with it now is just closing all valves on the cylinders that aren't firing when they are about 1/2 full of air. That way the air gets compressed on the upstroke but it pushes back with about the same force on the downstroke. It also creates a little vacuum at the bottom of the downstroke to help pull the piston back up. That all helps things run a lot more smoothly, and helps mileage too. They got rid of the surging problems by turning on the inactive cylinders at a more gradual pace and doing in such a way that it doesn't interrupt the power flow by (somehow) changing the firing order (or something). Have to re-read that article again. They did have some good ideas with it though even the first time around, and those are all being incorporated into this latest revision along with 10 years more advanced engine management technology. You figure they have already had one extended test of the technology, and they have learned quite a bit from it. I think it will be a hit this time around. - Freed
