GM puts Zeta rear wheel drive platform on hold

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: SampSon
The government isn't telling them what type of cars they can manufacture and sell. They are telling them that if they don't meet fuel economy standards they will be penalized monetarily.

Which is preventing them from being able to make the cars that people want.

ZV

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

Originally posted by: Ktulu

Originally posted by: DougK62

Originally posted by: ajayjuneja

Originally posted by: ballmode
I wanna know how the Japanese and Germans make more HP and similar or better mpg than the american cars.

Direct Injection
more work on the computer/engine management program
more work on weight reduction
more gears in transmissions

all of those are techniques GM only sometimes decides to use, that the imports tend to use more pervasively.

Wow - you guys are clearly clueless. Maybe you should actually take a look at the gas mileage that GM cars get - you obviously have never done it before. They're very competitive in this category.

That would be asking too way much. Why research when Consumer Reports decides what we believe?

Seriously though, the only category I see the big 3 lagging in are compacts. Their 4 cylinder engines just aren't efficient enough. Plus they need one good high mileage hybrid like the Volt.

Well I think the issue is that American car companies make 4 bangers with torque. torque requires more fuel. Americans want smaller cars, but they also want a car that can get on the highway without hoping that the 18 wheeler behind you doesn't squish you in the process. I've driven a civic and it took about 30 seconds to get up to highway speed. I've also driven a cobalt and it can get up and move a lot easier than a civic.


The reason a RWD vehicle is harder to get better gas mileage is because the power loss due to going through the transmission, and having to spin the drive shaft, then going through the rear differential and then the axles to the wheels. a FWD car puts power through the transmission to a differential and then axles then wheels. There is one less step of having to rotate a large heavy mass. The ette gets around this because it is short enough that there is no drive shaft. The transmission connects to the rear differential.