jasaero

Wow! You have odd taste!! About 90% of posts, EVEN on BMW enthusiast forums, prefer this interior over the M5. I would say more than 50% of the posts I have read in various forums actually make it sound like they actually think this is the new benchmark for all other interiors to be judged by!!

I am not seeing anything??

I would become a huge fan of the Ultra V8 if it were infact a production version of the XV8. My guess though is that is HIGHLY unlikely. An engine of the XV8 design would probably have inferior NVH characteristics to the N* DOHC. EVERYTHING else about the engine would be superior, but in this premium sport luxury class NVH seems to be of extreme importance when it comes to engine selection. I do know though that GM has some very interesting patents as far as direct injection and engine of the XV8 design go. Basically everything about how the XV8 was designed is patented by GM. So they, at the very least, didn't want anyone to pilfer the 2 cam in block idea from them. Guess all will be revealed soon enough.

Not sure I agree with this all together. Pretty sure whatever this ULTRA V8 is, one thing it won't be is small and light. The N* could be revised to expand it's VVT capabilities and add DI. If they could get it upto 4.7 or 4.8L also, I think it could then get really close to 400hp pretty easy in the NA form. That is more than competitive in that class. To me the ultra V8 is only needed once Caddy is ready to sell models with trim levels in the $100K+ range that most of Germany's V12's currently sit. Really right now only MB has what would amount to the Ultra V8 anyhow and that engine is only used in the AMG cars, which are low volume. The N* with DI and maybe a bump in displacement would take any volume DOHC V8 out there. Think the MB 5.5L only makes like 380hp. A 4.7L N* with DI would probably right in that same range. Until the next gen STS-V is needing an engine I see no really good place for this rumoured ultra V8.

I am guessing that it will be ~380hp and mostly just have VVT and DI features added like they added to the 3.6L DI. Think the VVT could probably use some more adjustability on the N* as I think the 3.6L has a bit more exhaust cam phasing capability than the N*?? They are similar engines though so I am sure the injector placement for DI would be similar on the N*, but there would be 2 more of them. If they tweaked all these things I think that 380hp would be reasonably easy. With DI on the N* I would hope they moved to turbo's instead of the superchargers on the N*'s for the V's. Doubt that will happen, but it would be preferable. As for the Tech, I agree 100%, but peeps that drive BMW's, MB's, Audi's, and Lexus's are used to the butter smooth idle and high revving nature of SOHC and DOHC engines and have the impression that the OHV engines are less refined. I prefer a larger displacement OHV myself, but do have to agree they are less smooth and refined. I think the LS engines are probably the most refined engines in the world from an engineering and manufacturing stand point, but from an end users percieved smoothness and vibration standpoint they loose out. The LS makes more power with less weight and less engine compartment room, while using similar or less fuel under many conditions. I figure if GM moved the LS to a dual cam in block OHV with 3 valves per cylinder they could probably make them even more competitive and get emissions to the same point as any DOHC engine.

I agree with this also, except for maybe the Ultra V8 part. Guess it is possible such a monster could be in the works, but even if so I would guess that would be farther down the road? Maybe not, but haven't heard any official sounding leaks of such an engine like we have with LS9. I do think such an engine is needed for the STS and STS-V. I think the CTS will do fine with the first 3 though. Doubt a new STS or STS-V will be out before the 2010 model year anyhow, so you could be onto something. I've also heard that most all of the higher output LS? engine might get 3 valves per can and FI to pass future EPA regs. That would cool in some respects as it would allow for some pretty simple mods to jack power up. A turbo setup would be cooler in that respect, but a SC is also cool.

I drove the new Silvarado at the Texas state fair. I have to whole heartedly disagree with all the comments made here. They aren't only a huge step forward for GM, but do eclipse the competition in my honest opinion. I say this because they match the REAL competition(Ford, Dodge, Nissan, and MAYBE the new Toyota(Didn't have a chance to check it)) in every IMPORTANT way. And then exceed them in many important ways(Fuel economy being the most important one). As far as the interior, ride, power, and all it was as good or better than any previous truck. Quit talking about the Ridgeline. That is not a truck, but an SUV with a good towing capacity with a truck LIKE box. I don't agree that it has a better interior or feel anyhow. I have an Accord and can't say anything about the Accord seems any more "tactile" than the new Silvarado. It's a truck anyhow so a lot of the soft feel materials you might be referring to wouldn't stand up to gun barrels, hammer, plier, and all the various other construction, farm, hunting, fishing and various other equipment that tends to find is way inside the cabin of proper utilized TRUCKS. And even the higher trim level Silvarado's get properly utilized MUCH more often than ANY Ridgeline ever probably has, being that it isn't really a truck anyhow. The new Toyota Camry's are already starting to get complained about because all the soft touch materials are TOO soft! But even so, I thought everything fit as well as any honda I have been in and all hinges and such were just as fluid in their operation. I would actually venture to say that some of the more hardened previous silvarado buyers are going to think this new one is a step back in some respects mostly because of the smoothed over ride and fluid feel turbo200 is asking for. For example my Honda's doors open in a very fluid fashion. So fluid in fact that they don't seem to hold an particular open angle in what I would call a steady way on a hill or in a light wind. I preferred the less fluid but kinda ratcheted feel of my old Oldsmobile Aurora's doors over the fluid feel of the Accord. You had 2 or 3 set open positions the door would hold reliably.