I thought this quote from an article on the next gen Corvette (and GM truck) V8 was pretty interesting, given all the discussion of oil catch cans:

One big challenge for direct-injected engines is preventing the intake valves from accumulating crud introduced by recirculated crankcase vapors. Since in DI engines there's no injector in the port to constantly wash the intake valve with a very effective solvent we call gasoline, deposits can grow unchecked. For the Gen V engine GM addressed this potential for fouling two ways — by improving the intake valves' stem seals and tripling the capability of the air-oil separation system. Those odd-looking boxy doohickeys on the Gen V's valve covers house baffles that yank the oil out of the crankcase vapors before it can reach the valves.

More here:

http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/...t-century.html

 

We knock on Corvette's a lot in the MINI community, but it's hard to dispute that the LS engine is a very well designed engine. In the right hands, these Corvette's are nasty track weapons.

 

but the right hands are few and far between.

 

We have a MINI *and* a Corvette in our garage, have a lot of fun with both of them and their respective clubs here in STL.

Our Corvette club (Route 66) may be a little more autocross-focused than most, we have club leaders who are nationally-ranked competitors and who organize our club's autox event each year. We were able to use the St. Charles Family Arena parking lot this year - it's huge!- and had a VERY fast course as a result for the 75 Corvettes that participated. I'll get my MINI on there next year...they have a "guest" class :-)