Greatest Automotive engines ever made?

[BiotecVirus]

The Kent series and "some" of its later engines were a good engine at the time but the version dropped into the KA (endura-E 1.3L) would be vile as it was using technology crafted in the stone age. Ford should have just dropped in the 1.25 Zetec/Zetec-SE instead.

[Azurael]

Depends whether greatest automotive engines ever made really means sporting engines, in which case I'd say the JZ and RB (I'm not taking sides, I've seen both tuned past 1000bhp and still reliable - although obviously not much of the engine is original by this point!) are in with a chance (having said that, although I've always been a poor man's supercar fan, I'd rather listen to a Ferrari anyday.)

If it means engines in general, there are probably far better examples than either in terms of units sold and durability. How about the VAG 4-banger TDi, it's in millions of cars, is very economical, is pretty bulletproof, and even the old ones which shipped as 90-odd bhp can be tuned past 200bhp without any internal work... But I suppose it's not really one of the 'greats'.

[conan]

The only problem with VAG Diesel engine is that it found it's way to VW and Audi in which later model are overpriced pose box shit. Skoda and Seat are the way to go with that one.

[Azurael]

TBH I think the biggest problem with Audis is the people who drive them, not the cars. I'd certainly take a better equipped, cheaper but otherwise pretty much identical Skoda or Seat though

Then again, JC said people who drive Renault Lagunas are wife-murderers... Not that I'm married

[Daffyflyer]

Not that I'm married

Well... not anymore

[conan]

Audi S4 and top of the range Skoda Supeeerrrrrb. S4 is just a jumped up VW Passat with slightly souped up engine and Supeeerrrrrrb is a scaled down Rolls Royce (It even got the same umbrella in the door panel thingy!).

Skoda is slightly slower but equipped with pretty much the same kits. A lot CHEAPER!

One thing though ... When did Jezza said that?

[Azurael]

Okay, I got two quotes mixed up, he said that "In my mind, everyone who has a Renault Laguna is a wife swapper." it was concours enthusiasts he suggested were murderers (along with lorry drivers, of course )

It was in a 2008 Times review, which seems to have fallen off the edge of t'internets now...

[conan]

Jezza quote come in one big lump so quick and go away just as quickly.

Ford Cortina > Volvo > Skoda > VW > Audi

[Azurael]

Ford Cortina > Everything

Until you reach a corner, of course. Then it's just another bit of metal wrapped around a tree/lamp post/cat.

Edit: Wait, I'm thinking of the Capri, aren't I? *dons dunce hat*

[conan]

Well what did you expected from 1970's motor?

Capri = Cortina Coupe (I'm not going any ruder because there's people here who got one. )

[T16]

I'm not going any ruder because there's people here who got one.

Really?

oh.. wait a minute...


anyway speaking of the loose back end of the Capri's I don't really see the problem, I had no problems in mine. Same with my E30, they have a reputation of snap-oversteering but in my experience, unless you are a trophy wife from the 80s, I wouldn't call it a snap..

[Z31NA2T]

Nissan VG (V6)...it was the first V6 from Japan and changed everything. It is stout and incredibly reliable. Offered in many forms from a 2.0L, to a 3.3L, SOHC or DOHC, NA, Single Turbo, Twin Turbo or Supercharged. It was Nissans workhorse from 1984 to 2004 before it was completely replaced by the VQ. Nissan put it in everything from the Z to minivans to trucks...it was even used by Ford in a joint Nissan/Ford project that produced the Mercury Villager and Nissan Quest. The real great thing about it? NA's didn't get weak internals like many other cars. NAs had the same crank/rods as the turbos and the pistons were made of the same materials and quality as the turbo pistons, just flat-top not dished for compression ratio purposes. Even the one the minivans used was just as stout as the turbo version.

Its only downfall is the oiling system...it doesn't much like over 7000rpm (SOHC) with the stock oil pump and such.

[Leafy]

Of course it has an inherit flaw, its a v6. Its funny that the conceptually worse and conceptually best engine arrangement has the same number of cylinders. I'm not saying all I6's are the best nor all v6's are crap. But the v6 is the engine that every engineer is told, "never make these, the inherent flaws of the arrangement typically wont outweigh the benefits." or something to that nature.

[Azurael]

Yeah... It's ironic how due to their irregular firing patterns, defective engine/exhaust designs tend to sound the best -V6s definitely seem to sound better than I6s, crossplane V8s better than flat-planes, and Subarus just because the header is so asymmetric.

I must just like burbly sounds :d Still, I'd rather drive an I6 than anything really, since that's inherently the simplest possible 4-stroke engine design with perfect balance. Then again, is a V6 so much worse than an I6 that it counteracts the handling benefits of being able to keep more of the weight closer to the centre of the car (in a FR/F4WD configuration, anyway. I'd have thought a V6, all else being equal would be inherently heavier than an I6 though due to the extra camshaft drivetrain and balance weights)

[Harm]

Easy: the Volvo B18 engine. The world record holder car for the most miles with the original engine (2500000 miles) is a Volvo P1800 with B18 engine. Also, they were built (in basic form) from 1961 until 1997 in the modernised, but basically the same, B21 version. That engine is the most reliable, solid and tunable (put a big turbo on it and you will fly) inline 4 I know. Volvo's entire reputation for extremely reliable cars was build in the time they used these engines!