Lightweight V8 coupes?
Discussion
irocfan said:
the problem that you're going to face is that the LS is the world's most popular engine for a very good reason. The other issue is that modern cars are stuffed full of witchcraft which is might difficult to get communicating with (for example) a bigger engine - even from the same manufacturer
I know the LS is the most popular. But several other engines have been swapped too, so it is doable. 
Yes, the newer the car the more witchcraft. So I have started looking at cars from the 2000s as most success stories of swaps in newer type of cars seem to be cars from that decade.
Toyota GT86 with a Lexus V8
https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=8047
BMW Z4 with S85 V10
https://engineswapdepot.com/?cat=145
https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=8047
BMW Z4 with S85 V10
https://engineswapdepot.com/?cat=145
Edited by TurboBlue on Saturday 14th March 15:06
Angpozzuto said:
Lightweight and V8 this surely has to be the answer
https://youtu.be/FAHbXCTPang
That's insane. https://youtu.be/FAHbXCTPang
TurboBlue said:
Toyota GT86 with a Lexus V8
https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=8047
BMW Z4 with S85 V10
https://engineswapdepot.com/?cat=145
Very interesting site. Thanks for the link. https://engineswapdepot.com/?p=8047
BMW Z4 with S85 V10
https://engineswapdepot.com/?cat=145
Edited by TurboBlue on Saturday 14th March 15:06
Not that much love for the GT86 I'm afraid, with any motor I must say.
It's also larger than what I have in mind.
But the Z4 coupe is exactly the spirit here. Although it feels much nicer to replace a more ordinary engine than something as nice as the BMW straight-six.
But yes, the Z4 just about fits. The Z3, SLK and Crossfire seem to be the only others.
I want the engine in the front, power to the rear. Rear mid engine is the wrong set up here. Coupe or at least a folding metal roof. But prefer coupe. No soft tops.
So VAG has nothing, since the TT is FWD and they have no other small coupes. The Italians have nothing front engine RWD of that size. Nothing British either apart from TVRs. But TVRs are the wrong "donors" for this. Nothing Japanese unless I go oldie like 90s. Korean neither. French is FWD only. American there is the Solstice Coupe. But very rare even in the U.S. I would never find one here and it would cost as much as a Z4 coupe or more if I did.
So it's looking like my options really are Z3, Z4, SLK (R170), Crossfire. Interestingly, 4 German cars.
Going by price of entry, the SLK is the cheapest, followed by the Crossfire, Z3 and Z4. Given the Z4 is at the bottom of the looks scale for me, this makes it the most expensive and the ugliest option.
Specifications, so much will probably change, with new brakes, suspension, engine and possibly gearbox, that it is a toss here.
But these 4 cars seem to be the only ones which fit the particulars I envisioned. Did I overlook anything?
ZackM said:
Very interesting site. Thanks for the link.
Not that much love for the GT86 I'm afraid, with any motor I must say.
It's also larger than what I have in mind.
But the Z4 coupe is exactly the spirit here. Although it feels much nicer to replace a more ordinary engine than something as nice as the BMW straight-six.
But yes, the Z4 just about fits. The Z3, SLK and Crossfire seem to be the only others.
I want the engine in the front, power to the rear. Rear mid engine is the wrong set up here. Coupe or at least a folding metal roof. But prefer coupe. No soft tops.
So VAG has nothing, since the TT is FWD and they have no other small coupes. The Italians have nothing front engine RWD of that size. Nothing British either apart from TVRs. But TVRs are the wrong "donors" for this. Nothing Japanese unless I go oldie like 90s. Korean neither. French is FWD only. American there is the Solstice Coupe. But very rare even in the U.S. I would never find one here and it would cost as much as a Z4 coupe or more if I did.
So it's looking like my options really are Z3, Z4, SLK (R170), Crossfire. Interestingly, 4 German cars.
Going by price of entry, the SLK is the cheapest, followed by the Crossfire, Z3 and Z4. Given the Z4 is at the bottom of the looks scale for me, this makes it the most expensive and the ugliest option.
Specifications, so much will probably change, with new brakes, suspension, engine and possibly gearbox, that it is a toss here.
But these 4 cars seem to be the only ones which fit the particulars I envisioned. Did I overlook anything?
To be fair none of these are lightweight Coupes, even before you stuff a V8 in them! Not that much love for the GT86 I'm afraid, with any motor I must say.
It's also larger than what I have in mind.
But the Z4 coupe is exactly the spirit here. Although it feels much nicer to replace a more ordinary engine than something as nice as the BMW straight-six.
But yes, the Z4 just about fits. The Z3, SLK and Crossfire seem to be the only others.
I want the engine in the front, power to the rear. Rear mid engine is the wrong set up here. Coupe or at least a folding metal roof. But prefer coupe. No soft tops.
So VAG has nothing, since the TT is FWD and they have no other small coupes. The Italians have nothing front engine RWD of that size. Nothing British either apart from TVRs. But TVRs are the wrong "donors" for this. Nothing Japanese unless I go oldie like 90s. Korean neither. French is FWD only. American there is the Solstice Coupe. But very rare even in the U.S. I would never find one here and it would cost as much as a Z4 coupe or more if I did.
So it's looking like my options really are Z3, Z4, SLK (R170), Crossfire. Interestingly, 4 German cars.
Going by price of entry, the SLK is the cheapest, followed by the Crossfire, Z3 and Z4. Given the Z4 is at the bottom of the looks scale for me, this makes it the most expensive and the ugliest option.
Specifications, so much will probably change, with new brakes, suspension, engine and possibly gearbox, that it is a toss here.
But these 4 cars seem to be the only ones which fit the particulars I envisioned. Did I overlook anything?
I'm on my 3rd Z4 Coupe because I think they are by far the best looking option, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Still my current one has the S54 engine and 340bhp so performance isn't exactly lacking!
If you are really determined to have a V8 why not just buy a Monaro, TVR, Corvette or Mustang? Although they aren't exactly light either.
Mr Tidy said:
To be fair none of these are lightweight Coupes, even before you stuff a V8 in them!
I'm on my 3rd Z4 Coupe because I think they are by far the best looking option, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Still my current one has the S54 engine and 340bhp so performance isn't exactly lacking!
If you are really determined to have a V8 why not just buy a Monaro, TVR, Corvette or Mustang? Although they aren't exactly light either.
Well to be fair, we established long ago that what I want doesn't exist and I would have to build it. So the cars listed are just a starting point. I'm on my 3rd Z4 Coupe because I think they are by far the best looking option, but then beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Still my current one has the S54 engine and 340bhp so performance isn't exactly lacking!
If you are really determined to have a V8 why not just buy a Monaro, TVR, Corvette or Mustang? Although they aren't exactly light either.
But they are all bellow 1400kg. The goal is 1300kg with the V8. So I think it is feasible to lose about 150-170 kg from the donor cars, so after the V8 it sits at about 1300 kg.
Many times you can shed 80-100 kg just by tossing electric seats in the trash.
The Z3 and Crossfire are actually about 1300 kg already. So even less weight to lose.
By the way, for TVR fans out there, what did they do to the Sagaris that it is nearly 100 kg lighter than the T350c? They use the same engine, same chassis and even share body parts. It would be interesting to know.
Johnniem said:
OP, if you do eventually go down this route it might be nice to create a build thread? I would like to see how it turns out for you in the end and if the final product really is the unicorn for you.
JM
I'm flattered. JM
But do you think there would be enough interest for a build thread? This thread has not been very active as is and it's not really that complex of a build. It's an engine swap. Not a full car build like many of the interesting builds out there.
But is there a part in the forums here for that type of thing?
ZackM said:
I'm flattered.
But do you think there would be enough interest for a build thread? This thread has not been very active as is and it's not really that complex of a build. It's an engine swap. Not a full car build like many of the interesting builds out there.
But is there a part in the forums here for that type of thing?
You think a V8 swap into a Crossfire or Z3 is just an "engine swap" and not a build???? But do you think there would be enough interest for a build thread? This thread has not been very active as is and it's not really that complex of a build. It's an engine swap. Not a full car build like many of the interesting builds out there.
But is there a part in the forums here for that type of thing?
Have you ever done an engine swap before?
irocfan said:
reader's cars
Ok. But that is a place for when I have already bought the car I guess?It would be great to discuss the pre purchase before.
Like the pros and cons of each of the contenders. Trying to access the technical difficulties each car would present and so on. So I could make an educated decision instead of a purely heart one.
In the end this is a passion project. So it will be heavily influenced by heart. But it would still be nice to discuss.
But there doesn't seem to be a lot of interest for that here. Maybe because it is the wrong forum, now that it turned out to be a project?
Johnniem said:
Great minds, and all that! Now I'm thinking, does an LS3 slip nicely into a Cayman? Not for me but as a mid-engined car it really could work. Superb balance.
yes they fit, there are even nice LS swap kits for such cars... so then it should be easier to do such swap.http://renegadehybrids.com/987/LS-1.html
ow, a year or 2 ago, there was a Triumph GT6 for sale with a V8 swap, its smal and light and with that big hood open you get a easy look and work? at the engine I guess.
not this one, just a example, although this one looks a bit to much tuned.
http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/JonCook.htm
not this one, just a example, although this one looks a bit to much tuned.
http://www.britishv8.org/Triumph/JonCook.htm
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