Originally Posted by JCL

Excellent, another engine discussion!

Agree with your comment that it depends on what you're judging. The Corvette has amazing and affordable performance, the Aston has a certain style, and the Ferrari, well, it is a Ferrari.

However, to suggest that GM, which was very late to the V8 party, somehow invented the class, is misleading. Even if you go back to the early Cadillac (which wasn't a GM then), you are a decade or so after the first V8s from France and England. If you talk about the first mass-popular V8 it is Ford with the '32 flathead. That is the engine that made the V8 a part of history. Then 15 years later there was the odd Oldsmobile, etc, but GM didn't really get in there with a historic V8 until the 265 in the mid fifties, admittedly a great engine. It also started out in the Corvette, so it is relevant to the post. That engine has had a great run, with some design features still around in the current GM V8s.

Since the Ferrari is in the comparison, how can we compare cross-plane and flat-plane designs in the same article? The cross-plane is smoother, but doesn't have the exhaust note or tuning potential. It also doesn't rev as easily, and is heavier. The flat-plane is bred from a racing engine, and you can't compare the two exhaust notes, they are essentially two different engine designs. It is like comparing Nascar to F1. (bias showing here).

There was a mention of the Chrysler Hemi. Chrysler only ever built a few real hemi engines starting in the mid '60s. The current ones are a marketing campaign, not a real hemi. 'nuff said.

As cars, my vote goes with the Ferrari. For affordable performance, nothing touches the Corvette. But I still want the Aston in my garage, emotionally.

Isn't it great to live in a time when there are some fantastic cars available? We are definitely spoiled for choice.