Why are people obsessed with overhead cam? Seriously, it isn't somehow superior to pushrod in of itself. OHC and OHV both have pros and cons, one isn't clearly superior than the other as it totally depends on application (and execution).
That aside... Why does the Corvette "need" to "shake off its cruder American stereotype" as that author put it?
The author says:
"GM has been freakishly obsessed with proving that the Corvette is the equal of its international sports car rivals, campaigning the car (and winning) at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, making track-ready Z06 editions and now probably making some sort of
midengine version.
It doesn’t need to do all that.
It’s never going to work."
Wait a minute. He just contradicted himself. First he says GM campaigned and WON with the car, then says "it's never going to work."
... Derp.
Why do we want to "beat the rest of the world at its own game" with a smaller engine? What's the point?
Yes, the Atlas is a very good engine, with what seems like a lot of untapped potential. But why put it (or similar) in a Corvette? That's not the kind of engine the Corvette is designed for. (Besides, the Atlas I6 is a freakish tall engine, I don't think it would fit under that hood too well).
I think the guy is off his rocker, if you can't tell my opinion already