What engines can you think of that had a very low specific output for the time they were produced? I'm thinking engines like the Iron Duke...

17 Jun 2015

Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.

Comments

Landrover 300 tdi 2500cc and 90bhp

It’s diesel

What about Toyota’s 3A-U engine? It only produced 89 hp in the 80s when engines were already hitting 140-180 hp.

Whatever engine that was in the 78’ Mustang King Cobra, which looked like a Trans-Am rip off, and didn’t have a power output of the previous V8s.

BMW 4.4L engine used in e38 and e39, producing 286hp.

I came here to rant about the GK era tiburon only having 175hp out of its 2.7L v6… but it looks like it could be way worse.

Suzuki G13A. 1.3l engine rated at 61-65hp.

Suzuki G16A was pretty bad being a 1.6 making 80hp but it was closer in design to a diesel that burns gasoline. Made 100-120ft/lbs depending on the head installed.

Suzuki sucks at making engines.

The 2.5 petrol in the old Chrysler Voyager was putting out 99hp. pretty rubbish.
And the 2.1 na Diesel in the R19, 21 and 25 put out 90hp.

Every american engine (shot fired) LOOOL
I’m sorry but this is the reality…every Europe engine have a higher specific output…

Every American car? A bit stereotypical maybe?

Maybe out of smog era cars, and maybe when you compare 1990’s versus 1960’s, when they were really still in the toddler stages of building engines, but the European cars of the era weren’t much better. Just E-types that broke down everywhere and didn’t make as much Hp as claimed. Same with Astons and literally every other European car.

Buick has 5.7 liter V8 with 160 hp, if I’m right. That would make it 28hp / liter. It sounds so wrong, when my ”why-would-you-even-have-that”- Mercedes E200 has 160hp in 2-liter engine. I might be wrong about the Buick engine.

Cadillac and Buick, and I think Chrysler too, made big engines specifically not to make big power, but rather more torque and to be as smooth of luxury engines as they could make. There’s a reason why they’re called land yachts. It wasn’t until recently that they could use balancing bars and other techniques to make smaller engines feel as smooth as the old ones like the 472 Caddy.