I was curious as to what people think about smaller displacement motors.
I have a feeling what kind of response I get, but I would like to know why we think displacement is king?
I know one of my cars (see sig.) is a Mini Cooper (original) with a 1000cc engine, and it is far and away the most fun car i have ever owned. I would appreciate constructive technical comments, not the "I hate Honda ricer boys" kind of attitude.
Personally I have a liking for "midsized" engines something between 3.5 and 4.5 litres, preferrably in a inline six configuration, and supercharged.
Other peoples thoughts, and also why you like your big block/motor bike engine.

 

I've got a mouse 1.8 Turbo in my Audi A4.... hhhmmm, ok, but doggy off the line. I prefer the 3.5 to 4.5 liter size as it seems there are a lot of engines in that range that make good power w/o turbo or supercharger, and they can pull a tall enough gear to get decent MPG.

 

I think people like displacement b/c its the easiest, cheapest way to make big HP. I like the move to a little smaller displacement that we have seen in truck engines in the last few years (like the 5.8 to the 5.4 Ford, the 5.7 to the 5.3 GM and even the 5.9 to the 5.7 Dodge) and I hope it continues to a point. If they can get 250 HP out of a 4 banger, imagine what you could get out of a 5.4 with some serious focus on advancement. I do miss the 4.9 I6, thats was a great engine and I think it had serious potential that could have been tapped. JMHO Also depends on the size of a vehicle how big I like the engine.

 

If you go too small cube, it actually decreases your mileage, as the engine is being overworked to try to maintain speed. It comes down to power to weight issue. Ever wonder why a 150 cc cycle has so much juice compared to a roller skate of a car with a small motor? Not as much weight to push around, so it has power to spare. If you put a 2.5 l in your Cooper, I'm sure it would be a different animal, but yet can afford to feed it. (the cube is just a figure, no intention of motor) I have has some cars with small motors that performed well, but the motor size and the car size were more of a match. A friend of mine drives truck, got one that was turned up and opened up, it got over 12 mpg regularly because they didn't run all that heavy. That's fairly impressive on those big rigs, with a 53 ft trailer behind it... The poll doesn't give application, so just cube size is irrelevent, need to have an idea where it will be going before I could make a choice.

 

Fatman...I've seen I-6's run about 500 hp before...

However, your comment about "If they can get 250 HP out of a 4 banger, imagine what you could get out of a 5.4 with some serious focus on advancement" shows weakness in your theory.

An engine's performance is pretty technical. I see so many people who think they understand engines (even my buddy who has a 95 mustang cobra, but is still impressed by 4 bangers performance).

It is a huge misconception that 4 bangers are remarkably efficient/great design over V-8s.

People need to understand that horsepower means very little. Horsepower is just a number, it's not a physical measure of anything. Horsepower is just a mathematical calculation of torque and RPM. The higher the RPM or the higher the torque, the higher the horsepower. Torque is the measure of rotational force.

You might be impressed by a 4 banger with 240hp, but what's it's redline RPM? The 2.0L in the honda S2000 puts out 244hp, but the torque is only around 175 i think, significantly lower. The ONLY reason the hp number is so high, is because the engine redlines at 9k-9500 rpm. My friend thinks it's pathetic how my mom's 95 cougar's 4.6L V-8 engine only puts out 205 hp but his 03' 3.5L V-6 maxima puts out 240hp. Only reason is because my mom's car redlines at 5500 but his maxima hits 7k. See what I mean?

 

I understand better now, I'm by no means a very knowledgeable car guy (I'm trying to learn late in life, at 25) thanks for the perspective! I still kick myself sometimes for not getting my hands on an F-150 with an I6 when I had the chance, that GM 5.7L gave me lots of trouble.

 

I didn't vote because I don't do the milli-metric thing. But I digress, my all time favorite is the 351w.

 

Trucks - 300 I6, 351 Windsor or Cleveland V8
Cars - 289/302/351C V8

 

i thought Chevy went up in displacement- 5.7 to 6.0 and 5.0 to 5.3?

 

I voted for >6L because I like the 460 (7.5L) in my '79. However, I don't want to feed it every day--for beating around town, I'll take the 1.9L in my Tracer any time. My wallet already suffers hunger pains. :P

 

Theres no replacement for displacement. I have owned all kinds of vehicles with all sorts of engines, from 4 cylinders ( a 1.8L Suburu) to a 71 Caddy with a 500 V8. The bigger the better as far as I am concerned.

Chris

 

I was into 4-cyliders for a long time before I got into V8s, but I still prefer a light vehicle with a high HP-to-weight ratio. That's why I like my Tiger, and also why my favorite V8 is the 289-302/5.0. But I still like 4-cylinders as well. Always wanted a Mini-Cooper, still have two Sunbeam Alpines, although one is going to get a V6 (2.8). Also have an '84 Nissan 200SX Turbo, 1.8. Gets 30-35 MPG and still goes like a bat out of hell. And it's no ricer, it's all stock, no stickers or tacky crap, has a 1-chamber Flowmaster, not a 5-inch coffee can exhaust. -TD

 

I love big V8's like 460's, 454's, ect. 4-bangers have there place, but not in my garage. I like some I-6 engines (the cummins and the old 300-I6)

 

Theres nuttin like dual 461's (bored 454s...but any big block for that matter) humming at the exact same RPM on a 40 foot boat. My buddy works at the marina (I live right next to the ocean) and knows the owner of the boat. He took us out on a ride for it, it wasn't very very loud, but it was very nice to listen to. If he had a loud exhaust on it I would have been in heaven.

 

All I have to say is 390.