Small Block Chevy. No other engine in the history of man has a better horse power to dollar ratio. Small block ford comes in 2nd, then honda k series irrc.
The GM LS really is just the next version of the SBC, except with some revisions and made out of aluminum so that it ends up lighter than some cast iron 4 bangers.
Though when you get into 4 bangers, the GM ecotec is right up there with honda, and for the longest time honda couldnt touch the GM factory teams in FWD outlaw drag racing for power or speed. They have the fastest and quickest FWD 4 cylinder record in outlaw, the fastest and quickest 4 cylinder in pro extreme class, and the quickest ndra turbo street record and as of 2008 it was in the only fwd 4 cylinder car to go faster than 200 mph in the 1/4 mile. So honda isnt running away with the best 4 cylinder title.
Mazda BP (MX5/Miata 1.8) - Its not that smooth and doesn’t make that much power, but they’re perky, rev pretty well and with a bit of N/A tweaking can pull along an MX5 ok. It’ll happily take a big load of boost on stock internals, and given the appropriate con-rods (such as mine) the appropriate fuel system, and a decently sized turbo you can get 220kw+ from one. If it DOES explode, they are dirt cheap and easy to find anywhere, and simple as hell to work on.
GM LS Engine - Enough said, cheap, simple, overpowered, massive aftermarket support and fits in EVERYTHING somehow.
Toyota 4age - Practically the inventor of the high tech small capacity 4 pot that revs to the sky - ones from the 80s still are an impressively fun motor today. The owners manual I seem to recall had a line about not running it over 6000rpm for more than an hour at a time as it might get too warm, which give you an idea of how easy it is to accidently flog the shit out of them. the 20V ones took it a step further with a table flat torque curve and were still smooth as silk bouncing off the 7600rpm limiter
Ford Falcon Straight 6 - in many variants ranging from <100kw pushrod carby motors to the current 190kw DOHC, VVT 4.0ltr and even the 310kw (stock) Turbo varient - powers everything from LPG taxis to 1000hp drag cars over here.
Torquey as hell, fairly unbreakable, and known to last over 600,000km in taxis, turbo variants are RB26 like and will make more power than you can possibly imagine
I wish we got straight 6’s in the states from someone other than bmw and the GM truck division. Not that I have any thing against bimmers, but for what ti costs for an off the shelp e30 cam I could pay someone to make custom hollow billet stainless cams for my car. A cast cam should not cost 3 grand.
The issues I have with calling the mazda 1.8 a good engine is that its a cast iron boat anchor and one of those engines that are in the same weight range as the LSx.
I disagree, if you have ever torn one down they share NOTHING with the classic GEN1 SBC. In fact they look a bit like a SBF when apart.[/quote]
They dont share much, thats for sure, which is why its an evolution. And they are already 1 generation removed from the classically know sbc, because there was the short lived mutant LT1 and LT4 with reversed flow coolant.
I disagree, if you have ever torn one down they share NOTHING with the classic GEN1 SBC. In fact they look a bit like a SBF when apart.
They dont share much, thats for sure, which is why its an evolution. And they are already 1 generation removed from the classically know sbc, because there was the short lived mutant LT1 and LT4 with reversed flow coolant.[/quote]
Yeah those LT-1/LT-4s are weird setups. Interesting motors but quite odd.
I disagree that the Falcon 6 is a great engine, certainly not in the worldwide scheme of things. Longevity of production doesnt make it great, that has more to do with Ford Au not exactly having the budget to replace it. It is a huge, heavy, low-revving, low hp/l engine. There isnt and never has been anything particularly notable about it in technology, and yes it can make good power with forced induction but then what similar-sized engine cant? Yes it may be reliable but there are any number of engines around that are equally so.
With the endless RB/JZ engine debate, i cant really see what makes the RB better. I think a lot of people assume that because it was in the GT-R that that automatically makes it better, well no. The 2JZ makes more power and torque, is stronger and more reliable (it doesnt have a habit of shitting oil pumps, for example) and has greater modified potential.
No, Kents (and the subsequent re-imaginings) sounds like they came from the factory with a loose bag of spanners left under the bonnet. Horrible, vile, ecobox things, even if Lotus made them quite alright sometimes.
Edit: Not that I’m personally old enough to have experienced the early ones, but have you ever heard a Ford Ka? Eugh, should be banned.
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.
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’.
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.
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
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!
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…
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