At the '08 Detroit Auto Show, the big three have unveiled vehicle lines centered around smaller, more efficient motors; technology created with fuel savings in mind, not unabashed fuel consumption and waste. It seems that the big three have finally started to listen to the growing environmental concerns voiced by the public.
According to the New York Times, General Motors has gone so far as to cancel a $300 million program to develop a new V-8 motor. Their reason - recently passed legislation that requires a 40 percent improvement in overall gas mileage by 2020.
You read it right, President Bush recently signed a fuel economy bill that requires a considerable improvement in fuel economy by 2020. The bill has been touted by many as fluff. Critics cite that 2020 is so far off, who's to say what technology will be in place then? I disagree. Just look at the moves the domestics are now making. This legislation was just the catalyst the big three needed to turn things around.
In an attempt to appeal to the environmentally conscious, Ford has been focusing on a new technology called, EcoBoost. This new technology uses gasoline turbocharged direct-injection technology resulting in up to 20 percent better fuel economy and a 15 percent decrease in CO2 emissions compared to larger displacement motors. These will be widely used in 6-cylinder applications and will replace many of the V-8 options Ford once offered.
Some may brush this off as a gimmick but I think Ford is onto something with this technology. Many foreign auto makers have already proven that you do not need eight cylinders to go fast; a big enough turbo can make almost anything go zoom, zoom, zoom.
Chrysler is taking a slightly different approach. Instead of phasing out their famed Hemi V-8 motor, they are making strides to improve it's fuel economy. One such example is the MDS technology included in the new Hemi motors.
In a nutshell, an MDS cam-shaft can variably activate and de-active four of the eight cylinders, instantaneously. Once the computer senses that the throttle is wide open, all eight cylinders are activated. During regular driving situations, the MDS system deactivates four cylinders. MDS technology can result in a 10-20 percent fuel economy improvement over unequipped models. That's pretty impressive considering that the Hemi motor was one of the biggest gas guzzlers on the planet.
V-8 lovers, hold off on the doom and gloom for a second. If you look at what Subaru and Mitsubishi have done with boosted 6 cylinder applications what are we really losing if the V-8 is phased out? In many cases, these little motors out perform big V-8s and get better gas mileage too. So what are we really losing? Maybe the throaty sound and high gas prices, sprinkled with a bit of nostalgia here and there but is that really enough to justify paying $4+ per gallon just to keep these beasts on the road?
My Take on Things...
Bottom line, the big three are finally producing vehicles most Americans have wanted for years. Rather than focusing on meaningless fluff, they are now taking an environmentally conscious approach, albeit with the help of legislation. I welcome the new technology so long as we don't sacrifice performance and power to get it. I love V-8s but if I can go just as fast with a boosted 6 cylinder for less, I'm all for it.
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