scotth3886

The first car ride I got coming home from the hospital was in my dads old 1960 Ventura vista roof.

1961 buble tops are still my favorite too. With 8 lugs, tri power and 4 speed.

Mine is a factory 389 348 hp HO tri-power, factory 4-speed, buckets, 3.90 posi, and as you can see, 8-lugs. It was a wet dream for a 17 yr old back in 1961.

Ventura was a trim option on the Catalina in the 60s...a fullsize Pontiac with a "wheelbase longer than 116""...same as the Bonneville.

I'll stick with Bonneville. Wikipedia even seem to agree with me naming the G8 as the Bonneville's successor. Real Grand Prix's are Coupes.

The Ventura was a separate series in 60 and 61, available as a 2 dr 'bubble top' and a 4door 'vista roof' and was a trim option throughout the remainder of the 60s. It was not the same as a Bonneville or Star Chief (long wheelbase b-body). It was on the short wheelbase b-body with the Catalina. To me, and I'm a little biased, the 61 ventura bubble top was one of the most attractive cars GM ever made. Of course, I'm a geezer, and was 17 when it was a new car. Too bad it took me another 40 years to get one.

I bought the first XR (midnight blue with Morroco leather) that came into my local dealer. 3.6 with 6-speed automatic.

I believe the HP wars are reaching their limits and peaks.  The V8 engine is slowly becoming archaic in the passenger vehicle market for that very reason.  Modern 4s and 6 have pushed vehicle performance to sports car territory of only a few years ago.

You can only go so fast to 60 mph or the ¼ mile. in real terms.  The buff magazines might split hairs over 0 -to-60 times, but the average consumer will not.

For that very reason, the V8 for passenger vehicles may soon be phased out because it no longer matters.

GM had already cancelled the V10 because they could do the same thing with the LSx V8 in the full sized utilities and pickups.  The V10 might have made headlines in the press and media but that would be about it.  How much longer until a V6 can do exactly what a V8 does as technology progresses further.

With power rating increasing across the board for passenger vehicles of all types and powertrain configurations, how much longer does the V8 have left beyond what a V12 application has today?

Beyond specialty applications and limited edition vehicles, I am finding less and less of purpose for the V8 even in the more or less main stream luxury market.

For some it could be argued that a Hybrid powertrain might be the image powertrain of the future.  That seems to be the approach Lexus is taking with their top of the line powertrain offerings.

In the not to distant future, the V8 might be relegated to a novelty status in the industry.

It is reaching the point where naturally aspirated V6s have 300+hp.  I am finding less and less of a point of the V8 beyond that applications I mentioned above.

Before readers fly off the handle at what I just suggested.  Step away from the computer and just think about what I did write.

Why do we need V8s? Here's why

http://www.magnaflow.com/04sound/domestic/srt8launch.htm

and

http://www.magnaflow.com/04sound/domestic/ctsvlaunch.htm

or

http://www.magnaflow.com/04sound/sportsound/rsxslaunch.htm

and

http://www.magnaflow.com/04sound/sportsound/civicSI.html

tell me which you'd rather listen to.