As part of my last post I included an image of a 1.8L SC Miata motor next to a 5.7L LS1. They are very similar in size.
A bit deceptive as for instance the exhaust prominently come out of the side of the Miata engine, while they are hidden underneat the V of the LS1. Of course an inline four should have about the same length of a V8 (two joined inline fours)
GM’s 60 degree 3.4L V6 (not a motor that turns enthusiast hearts) looks positively tiny in the Miata’s engine bay.
Should be if the bay is wide enough, and yes I was less than enthusiatic about a Pontiac Grand-Am Ram Air that I drove for three weeks last year, both in terms of performance as well in terms of fuel economy.
This motor isn’t going to win the Hp/L wars, but it does have benefits compared to a DOHC V6. Its valve train and head layout result in more compact packaging (presumably it’s about the size of a 3L DOHC V6).
So where does it put the two additional cylinders? I don't assume that the width between the cylinders of the V6 is so generous that total engine space would be able accomodate 4 cylinders per per block.
Also, given its extra displacement I would expect good low end torque. Given that it’s meant to be the size and weight of a V6 (3.0-3.5L was the common V6 of the time) it’s 300HP would be on par with the 3.5L V6’s offered by Nissan and Honda.
That is somewhat stating the obvious, because we agree that displacement provides additional torque. The XV8 will have similar power but higher torque than the Japanese V6's you make the comparison with[b]
You are correct, it was 3.5 when they banned turbos.
again not totally correct, under the turbo regime, the option was running either 3.0 litre (the Cosworth DFV) or 1.5 litre turbo, when finally everyone had switched to turbos they were replaced by a new 3.5 litre class, that has subsequently gone back to 3.0 litre again
France was the first to do it. I assume the other European nations followed suit.
France stiill has a sort of fiscal horsepower charging system, never figured out how it really worked. Anyway the Citroen 2CV (2 Fiscal horsepower) always remained the 2CV inspite of a 50% increase in displacement over the years I am sure Matra can inform us about how it actually works
However, the bigger engine doesn’t have to cost more. The cost difference between a 2.5L and 3.0L Ford Duratec engine is virtually negligible.
That is an obvious wxample, just as the other ones you gave, just increasing the displacement without fundamentally changing the engine layout will not cost much, and indeed what the consumer pays for is addiitonal prestige generated from the bigger engine
Finally do you really think a S/DOHC inline four is more expensive to build than a pushrod V6? Would like to see that being supported by some facts and figures
It’s tougher to compare things like a pushrod V6 to a DOHC I4 because their construction is different. However, in the case of the Chevy Malibu or Pontiac G6 vs a Toyota Camry, the V6 power GM cars cost about the same (out the door price) as the I4 power Camry.
That is not the correct comparison, there are many I4 cars much more expensive than the mass produced GM V6-es
As for construction, it’s a tough call. The V6 block is probably more expensive. It has more pistons and rods. It has two heads but they each require less machining so it’s not twice the price. The single cam cost half what the two cams cost. The 12 valves are cheaper than 16. It’s a tough call. Even if it is more expensive than an I4 (it very well could be) it is unquestionable cheaper than a DOHC V6. That slots the motor in between an I4 and a DOHC V6 in costs. Perhaps I don’t want the extra cost of a DOHC V6 but I’m willing to pay a few hundred more for a pushrod V6 that delivers similar mileage but more power than the I4 option (a win-win scenario).[/QUOTE]
Again here you buy an extra two cylinders for getting the same mileage, (which you will only get if you will not use the additional power of the V6), so why go for it then, save yourself a couple of hundred dollars. (In Europe such price difference would be more in the order of a couple of thousands though.
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