So much for the misconceptions :)
Discussion
I'm used to people assuming the 'vette does 3mpg and goes round corners slightly less competently than the average wheelbarrow but it's nice when you're reminded how unfounded the misconceptions are.
I took the car for MOT yesterday and stood chatting to the tester as he was doing his thing. Eventually we got to the emissions test. Now, I'm sure many people think a 7 litre V8 must be some kind of environment disaster with windscreen wipers so I look forward to sharing these figures at every opportunity:
Permissible CO2 emission is 0.2% but the Z06 was 0.02% - 10 times lower than the legal limit.
Even better - permissible Hydrocarbons is 200ppm (parts per million of course) but the Z06? Three. (Yes, that was 3 ppm.) The testing machine took ages to register anything at all - the guy said he thought it was broken.
So it's official folks - if you want to save the planet, drive something with an LS7
I took the car for MOT yesterday and stood chatting to the tester as he was doing his thing. Eventually we got to the emissions test. Now, I'm sure many people think a 7 litre V8 must be some kind of environment disaster with windscreen wipers so I look forward to sharing these figures at every opportunity:
Permissible CO2 emission is 0.2% but the Z06 was 0.02% - 10 times lower than the legal limit.
Even better - permissible Hydrocarbons is 200ppm (parts per million of course) but the Z06? Three. (Yes, that was 3 ppm.) The testing machine took ages to register anything at all - the guy said he thought it was broken.
So it's official folks - if you want to save the planet, drive something with an LS7
niall1717 said:
I'm used to people assuming the 'vette does 3mpg and goes round corners slightly less competently than the average wheelbarrow but it's nice when you're reminded how unfounded the misconceptions are.
I took the car for MOT yesterday and stood chatting to the tester as he was doing his thing. Eventually we got to the emissions test. Now, I'm sure many people think a 7 litre V8 must be some kind of environment disaster with windscreen wipers so I look forward to sharing these figures at every opportunity:
Permissible CO2 emission is 0.2% but the Z06 was 0.02% - 10 times lower than the legal limit.
Even better - permissible Hydrocarbons is 200ppm (parts per million of course) but the Z06? Three. (Yes, that was 3 ppm.) The testing machine took ages to register anything at all - the guy said he thought it was broken.
So it's official folks - if you want to save the planet, drive something with an LS7
Modern cars (not just Vettes!) are indeed incredibly clean (unless you believe that CO2 is a pollutant). BTW, I think you'll find it was CO emissions at 0.02% rather than C02 I took the car for MOT yesterday and stood chatting to the tester as he was doing his thing. Eventually we got to the emissions test. Now, I'm sure many people think a 7 litre V8 must be some kind of environment disaster with windscreen wipers so I look forward to sharing these figures at every opportunity:
Permissible CO2 emission is 0.2% but the Z06 was 0.02% - 10 times lower than the legal limit.
Even better - permissible Hydrocarbons is 200ppm (parts per million of course) but the Z06? Three. (Yes, that was 3 ppm.) The testing machine took ages to register anything at all - the guy said he thought it was broken.
So it's official folks - if you want to save the planet, drive something with an LS7
As for the HC emissions, once the engine's warmed up they are indeed close to zero - if you get a bit of blow-back when you're filling up and spill a few drops of petrol on the forecourt, that'll swamp the HC emissions out of the tail-pipe as you burn the tankful of fuel!Don't forget though, an engine can be incredibly clean but only do 3mpg...or it can be incredibly dirty but do 50mpg!
Some years ago my wife was running a Mustang 11 Ghia with a stock 2 bll carb. The car was due to go in for an MOT test - unknown to us was that this was the very first day that the MOT started checking emissions. The Mustang had no cats, straight through mufflers, hasn't even had a tune-up. Ours was the 6th car of the day - everything so far had failed on excess emissions. The Mustang had one side of the carb way-out of tune, yet it was still way, way lower than the stipulated figures and passed with flying colours!
CO - yes of course it would be carbon monoxide not dioxide for emissions.
I'm sure modern cars are very clean, it was the fact the guy was confused at the delay in the results from the machine that led me to believe it was unusually low. Perhaps he was just expecting something different from the engine. I'm going to boast about it whenever possible anyway - especially to the petrol station brigade ("bet that's thirsty mate..." etc.) I'm sure owners of Ferraris, Lambos and GTRs don't get that as they make their 12-16 mpg. The vette actually uses only around 10% more fuel than my Scooby WRX.
I'm sure modern cars are very clean, it was the fact the guy was confused at the delay in the results from the machine that led me to believe it was unusually low. Perhaps he was just expecting something different from the engine. I'm going to boast about it whenever possible anyway - especially to the petrol station brigade ("bet that's thirsty mate..." etc.) I'm sure owners of Ferraris, Lambos and GTRs don't get that as they make their 12-16 mpg. The vette actually uses only around 10% more fuel than my Scooby WRX.
Edited by niall1717 on Sunday 8th January 20:20
My 528 bhp 'stroker' 489 cu. in. '68 C3 is actually about 1 mpg better at the 70 (ish) cruise at 15 mpg than what the stock L36 427 cu. in. was! - Plan will be for 'old school' style 'stack' injection but with F.A.S.T EZI self-learning or a mapped system - I'm hoping for 18 or better cruise mpg!
I also love giving the "i bet that thing can drink" brigade the actual figures. It is amazing really. I stopped in a garage the other day, and a very pleasant asian chap served me. He said, "wow mate,, whats in that? A 2 litre??..." "no" i replied, "7 litre" To which he replied in a rather condescending manner "Yea mate. You wish!" I grinned and walked out. then left 2 rather large 'footprints' on the exit of the forecourt.
The recent Corvettes are all "50 state certified" so the car is fully compliant with stricter California (and other connurbation) emissions requirements which are stricter than most other places. I'm willing to bet some of the people talking to you about the Vette are driving much smaller cars which couldn't pass the California tests.
Having said that, I'm not sure a Vette at full throttle is actually the cleanest way to travel!
Having said that, I'm not sure a Vette at full throttle is actually the cleanest way to travel!
5 USA said:
The recent Corvettes are all "50 state certified" so the car is fully compliant with stricter California (and other connurbation) emissions requirements which are stricter than most other places. I'm willing to bet some of the people talking to you about the Vette are driving much smaller cars which couldn't pass the California tests.
Having said that, I'm not sure a Vette at full throttle is actually the cleanest way to travel!
But then again you can't stay at full throttle for long without killing yourself, which must be environmentally friendly Having said that, I'm not sure a Vette at full throttle is actually the cleanest way to travel!
niall1717 said:
Unless you plough through a fence into a nature reserve of endangered species, catch fire and explode.
Nah, you haven't quite got those Steppenwolf, Born To Be Wild lyrics right, 
"I like smoke and lightnin'
Heavy metal thunder
Racing in the wind
And the feeling that I'm under
"Yeah, darlin'
Gonna make it happen
Take the world in a love embrace
Fire all of your guns at once
And explode into space"
Gassing Station | Corvettes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff