Last GM big block engine rolls off the line

Good riddance.

Hahaha...was looking for that, and the first European in the thread deliveres. :lol:


I've always thought the appeal with big blocks was the relatively cheap price to horsepower and tunability.

I guess I approve with my Swedish neighbour. It's time to move on from 1950's. :p
 
Your face hurts from the sheer acceleration, not the size of the engine. Anything over 500bhp will melt your face under full throttle. I don't understand the appeal of a big block engine, because if it's numbers and face melting experience you are after, there are plenty of engines that can do that without the need of a say.. 8 litres of misfire and noise??

Hm... a quick example would be... V10 viper engine v.s V10 M5 engine. Both make similar amount of power, both will melt your face under hard acceleration. But what makes the big block variant more desirable? This is the part where I can't understand.
I once had a truck that had a 454 V8 in it, and lemme tell you. That damn thing just had endless amounts of torque. That's what was so epic about it. Back in 1970, when the 454 was in the Corvette, it was making at least 390hp and 500 ft/lb of torque*. Most modern cars still have problems making that much power, even with modern electronics and such. You may not ever understand the appeal of a big-block engine, but if you're a car fan, you must drive a big-block powered car at least once in your life.
The appeal of a big block isn't just the sheer brute force they have, but also the noise they produce. The low end rumble of a big block is just about the nicest sound in the world.

[YOUTUBE]Y7Uf1JSMKl0[/YOUTUBE]

That's more than enough to make Christine throw a rod and shit her muffler in fear.

I think I just had a crisis.
 
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Hm... a quick example would be... V10 viper engine v.s V10 M5 engine. Both make similar amount of power, both will melt your face under hard acceleration. But what makes the big block variant more desirable? This is the part where I can't understand.

That's because you have to rev the nuts off it to exploit it. Compare an Commodore with an LS1 to a E60 545i, which I've driven both. The E60 has a lot of power, infact more than the LS1 (250kW v. 225kW). But because it all comes towards the top end, it doesn't nearly have the sensation of speed that a LS1 does. You can feel the torque push you back into your seat at 2-2.5k rpm. The 545i just feels... well, boring in comparison. Sure, the LS1 is a small block, but if that's what a reasonable size small block can do, you'll wet your pants with a big block.
 
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The Australians get it ;)

Don't see any BMW V10s doing this...

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=od1BqI0y9bA[/YOUTUBE]

That engine builder is about 20 mins from me.
 
That's more than enough to make Christine throw a rod and shit her muffler in fear.

There is a reason she didn't wreck the Charger... she was scared of it's 440 big block. :p
 
Another example with my own car.


my car has a 3.8L engine with 145hp and can do 0-60 in 11 seconds ( slow )

If my car had a 1.8L engine with 145 hp it would take a minute or two. ( haha )

It's just the way engines work in relation to size, the term "no replacement for displacement" is true every day in every car.
 
The big blocks have had a long slow death. Each division of GM had it's own until the 80s when GM went all coporate engine. I have owned big block engines from almost all of the American car companies at one point in time or another, Buick, Chevy, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Pontiac, Ford, Chrysler, and driven several more. Of course they really were needed for the mountains of tourque they produced in the big boats we drove. But when they started disappearing in the 80s, I knew they wouldn't be around much longer. I am really surprised they(GM) let the BB last this long.

I wonder how much longer the Small block will be around. GM needs to adapt to move forward, and while the Small Block has a solid following, they really only use it in a small fraction of the vehicles they make. I guess the next generation of Corvette and Camaro will tell. I think there will be a turbo/supercharged 6 cylinder in there at some point as the "big" engine. Maybe it will be a variation of the 4.3 litre, which is a small block, just not a v8.

Well, here is to the great Big Blocks of the past, may they live long and make many smile as they drive by.
 
My car has a 1.3 liter and does 0-60 in about 7 seconds :p
 
Guys, give up trying to explain big blocks to the poor bastards who haven't experienced one. When I was a teenager I was the exact opposite. I didn't see how a peaky little 4 cylinder could be any fun. I had to own a couple Celicas before I figured it out. Anywho, those who have not experienced that kind of torque just won't get it. They just don't. You just have to drive something (other than a commercial vehicle :p) with a big block to understand. It's glorious raw power guaranteed to put a huge smile on your face, no matter what kind of car you drive.

This news isn't so bad. They haven't put the big block in anything fun for decades and the LSx is a fantastic powerplant. As long as it's available in the aftermarket I'm happy.
 
Big blocks can be fun and sporty.

800px-Shelby_AC_427_Cobra_vl_blue.jpg


800px-GT40_at_Goodwood.jpg
 
:drool:
 
Hahaha...was looking for that, and the first European in the thread deliveres. :lol:

indeed.....leave it to the europeans to not understand the appeal in anything that isent a 1.800 cc overengineerd , finding-horsepower-through-tinkering-and-now-it-has-so-much-HP-per-CC-its-gonna-disintegrate-after-100.000km leafblowerengine.....

The automotive world needs less snobby high-end calculator tinkering and more cubic inches.......could be just me :p
 
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well when you look at the Viper or Corvette or anyother large engined sports car you'll also notice they get good MPG's too, sure the ZR-1 matches my highway MPG with just about 500hp more than I have.

Something with a less powerful engine like the F430 gets something like 17mpg on the highway.

hell I wouldn't mind seeing huge diesel's in some supercars
 
Low end torque is where all the good times are.

Just throw a .5 OD in 6th gear and you have yourself a 500hp 25+mpg muscle machine.
 
I can never understand the appeal of a big block engine.

TORQUE!

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIrmYdjdKpg[/YOUTUBE]

mmmmmmmmm, big block
 
Good riddance.

I realize that some people feel that these giant, gas-guzzling beasts have no place in a modern, more efficient world, but you gotta respect the noise :cool: There's nothing out there like it. The torque, the noise, the feel of all that power is something to behold. A bit harsh, if you ask me.

And to continue to drown out the naysayers :p :

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjoCT6YvNnE&feature=related[/YOUTUBE]
 
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well when you look at the Viper or Corvette or anyother large engined sports car you'll also notice they get good MPG's too, sure the ZR-1 matches my highway MPG with just about 500hp more than I have.

Something with a less powerful engine like the F430 gets something like 17mpg on the highway.

hell I wouldn't mind seeing huge diesel's in some supercars

Thought the LS(x) engines were classed as small blocks?
 
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