Engines - the legendary one of each type?

[DJP]

Pete317 said:

Suzuki made a 750cc water-cooled triple back in the '70s IIRC...

AKA "The Kettle".

[Alicatt1]

DJP said:

Pete317 said:

Suzuki made a 750cc water-cooled triple back in the '70s IIRC...

AKA "The Kettle".

yep, a mate had one, very smooth and quite quiet. I had the GT380 the air cooled smallest brother, not the most economical bike I have ever had - anywhere from 16mpg to 60mpg depending on how limp your right wrist was I put about 120k miles on mine over a 5 year period, the only bike I have had longer is my current FJR1300 but I'm doing no where near those kind of mileages now.

[Krupp Stahl]

Another vote for Rolls Royce Merlin for the V12 category. That sound is utterly spine tingling.

[JimbobVFR]

ChemicalChaos said:

trickywoo said:

Why no V4?

Good point. In which case I nominate the Honda VFR range

I Agree, although not surprising based on my username. I do think its more specific though, I'd say the proper gear driven can versions would qualify but the later camchain VTEC versions don't. I'd even go as far to narrow it down to the various RC and NC versions, the VFR400 NC30/RVF400 NC35 engines are engineering masterpieces in miniature, the bigger 750 motors are also pretty special IMO

[ChemicalChaos]

JimbobVFR said:

I Agree, although not surprising based on my username. I do think its more specific though, I'd say the proper gear driven can versions would qualify but the later camchain VTEC versions don't. I'd even go as far to narrow it down to the various RC and NC versions, the VFR400 NC30/RVF400 NC35 engines are engineering masterpieces in miniature, the bigger 750 motors are also pretty special IMO

Dad used to own a VF400F. Whilst it wasnt exactly a roadburner, and it weighed a ton, it was a very very smooth, quiet and impressively engineered lump

[b14]

Re the V12, all of you have failed. The answer is the BMW V12 from the McLaren F1. Closely followed by RR Merlin.

[tom_loughlin]

Gary C said:

Think I would vote RR griffon for V12

I'm with you Gary on the Griffon.

[loose cannon]

Nobody mentioned the C20XE ? How many touring cars alone have had that engine fitted.......

[Harvey Mushman00]

Vaud said:

No, sorry. From a road car, the Lexus LFA. The Dodge sounds like a tractor in comparison.

Good call

[Harvey Mushman00]

ChemicalChaos said:

I dont know what sort of tractors you have round where you live....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCdykWtbMjw&fe...

Nope, sorry, the sound of a Viper does nothing for me,yes it is loud but it doesnt have the off beat rumble of a v8 or the manic scream of a v12, it just makes "a noise", in my opinion, of course.

[ChemicalChaos]

tom_loughlin said:

Gary C said:

Think I would vote RR griffon for V12

I'm with you Gary on the Griffon.

I'd disagree - the Griffon was too big, too heavy and sounded rough as hell compared to the smooth noise of a Merlin

[Vaud]

Harvey Mushman00 said:

Vaud said:

No, sorry. From a road car, the Lexus LFA. The Dodge sounds like a tractor in comparison.

Good call

Quite.

The 2013 SRT Viper - 640 hp (480 kW) and 600 lb·ft at 4900 rpm / 8.4 L (514 cu in)

The LF-A - 4.8 (293 cu in) - 552hp (412 kW) at 8,700 rpm (9,500 max). Maximum torque is 480 N·m (354 ft·lb) at 6,800 rpm.

So 552hp from a NA 4.8 V10, vs 640 from an 8.4L NA v10. One sings, one grunts. I know which is legendary and which is the lazy blob.

[ChemicalChaos]

Vaud said:

Quite.

The 2013 SRT Viper - 640 hp (480 kW) and 600 lb·ft at 4900 rpm / 8.4 L (514 cu in)

The LF-A - 4.8 (293 cu in) - 552hp (412 kW) at 8,700 rpm (9,500 max). Maximum torque is 480 N·m (354 ft·lb) at 6,800 rpm.

So 552hp from a NA 4.8 V10, vs 640 from an 8.4L NA v10. One sings, one grunts. I know which is legendary and which is the lazy blob.

And here is my standard response to such arguments - which one is fussy and highly strung and requires extensive servicing at short intervals due to such high stresses, and which one is a true GT engine that can do mega mileages reliably for years and years without wearing out or going bang or needing an expensive rebuild??
Not to mention, which one can very reliably be taken to 1000bhp+ with some simple tuning?

[jamieduff1981]

ChemicalChaos said:

tom_loughlin said:

Gary C said:

Think I would vote RR griffon for V12

I'm with you Gary on the Griffon.

I'd disagree - the Griffon was too big, too heavy and sounded rough as hell compared to the smooth noise of a Merlin

The Griffon was derived from the Rolls Royce R race engines. It was neither too big nor too heavy. The common variants were all tuned towards low altitude interceptor work. They were reliable, whereas the 2000hp Merlins with triple stage supercharging as found in the Hornets were starting to get marginal.

You have listed no radial engines. If you're ranking the Merlin amongst car and bike engines, you need all the common aero configurations. Then, coincidently you'll find some truely vast piston engines...

[wolves_wanderer]

ChemicalChaos said:

Vaud said:

Quite.

The 2013 SRT Viper - 640 hp (480 kW) and 600 lb·ft at 4900 rpm / 8.4 L (514 cu in)

The LF-A - 4.8 (293 cu in) - 552hp (412 kW) at 8,700 rpm (9,500 max). Maximum torque is 480 N·m (354 ft·lb) at 6,800 rpm.

So 552hp from a NA 4.8 V10, vs 640 from an 8.4L NA v10. One sings, one grunts. I know which is legendary and which is the lazy blob.

And here is my standard response to such arguments - which one is fussy and highly strung and requires extensive servicing at short intervals due to such high stresses, and which one is a true GT engine that can do mega mileages reliably for years and years without wearing out or going bang or needing an expensive rebuild??
Not to mention, which one can very reliably be taken to 1000bhp+ with some simple tuning?

It depends whether you view legendary as being the biggest lump of truck-derived pig iron or not.

[5charlie46]

i think one of the HD1 toyota lumps could be with a shout as one of the great diesel (car) engines, just because it keeps working all day everyday

[Usget]

Single cylinder has to be the 500cc lump out of the Royal Enfield Bullet. The most desired bike by approximately 1bn people.

[DanielSan]

cocopop said:

Also, I think Toyota's 2JZ could give the RB26 a run for it's money, as could BMW's S54.

Likewise Nissan SR20 against Honda's F20C.

There's sod all legendary about the SR20. It's an average engine that makes average power with a snail strapped to it. The F20C is a piece of genuine engineering brilliance.

[cib24]

Hmmm...Some good suggestions so far but my list would be:

I4 - K20A, F20C, B18C5, B16B

I5 - Audi Quattro whatever it's called or Volvo T5 from 850R

I6 - Toyota 2JZ followed by BMW E46 M3 motor

V6 - Honda NSX C32B followed by the Buick Grand National 3.8L V6 Turbo

V8 - LS7, Dodge Challenger Hellcat motor, BMW E92 M3 V8, Ferrari F40 V8, there are just too many...

V10 - Lamborghini and Audi R8 V10 engines followed by Dodge Viper crazy 8.4L unit

V12 - Too many to list

Rotary - 13B-REW followed by a 20B.

[vournikas]

Hooli said:

boz1 said:

ChemicalChaos said:

I6 - Nissan RB26

Shurely shome mistake?

There are many very uninteresting versions of that engine in uninteresting cars; only the highly tuned versions like in the Skyline can be considered 'legendary'.

I think that one of the BMW straight-sixes that was at least a bit special in all cars where it was fitted has to be more deserving.

Can I jointly nominate the S38 and the S54?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_S38
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BMW_M54#S54

Jag XK lump. Made for years & won LeMans.

For an inline 6, the XK surely has it sewn up?!

I'm mostly crap with engine designations, so I'll stick to vehicle names for my other votes where I can :-

V Twin : Ducati Testastretta
Flat Twin : BMW motorcycles
Parallel Twin : mostly dull, so let's go Triumph Bonneville
I4 : Ford BDA
V4 : Honda NSR500 2T race engine
Square 4 : Suzuki 2T race engine
Flat 4 : Impreza flavour
I5 : Audi flavour
V6 : 1988 Honda as fitted to the McLaren MP4 F1 car
I8 : Alfa 2300 8C
V8 : Moto Guzzi 500cc V8 race engine
V10 : 2004 Ferrari F1
V12 : tricky the Bizzarrini V12
V16 : BRM