Most pointless engine.

[eldar]

We've had threads about good and bad engines, but not, as far as far as I can find pointless engines.

The one that occurs to me is the 3.0l V8 that was developed for the Triumph Stag. Pointless in that engines of a similar power were already available - inline 6 of 2.5l (Triumph)and 3.0l (Austin), 2.8 to 4.2l (Jaguar)and 2 V8s, 2.5l Daimler and 3.5l Rover.

The Stag engine was a failure, under developed and horribly unreliable for the first couple of years. Timing chain stretch, cooling marginal, and other problems.

It did nothing the Rover V8 couldn't do better, so pointless.

Any others?

[shake n bake]

Hondas effort in this years F1?

[anonymous-user]

Ford V4 springs to mind....

[Negative Creep]

Ford 1.3 Duratec when the 1.25 Zetec was sold alongside it

[J4CKO]

Jag V12 when in an E-Type.

[jamieduff1981]

Suddenly I fancy a Stag.

It's hard to imagine how frigging dull cars would be if everything used one of a handful of played-out engines.

[daytona365]

Most pointless engine ? Anything over, say, lets be generous, 2litres ! Unless its for heavy haulage/military etc.

[Baz Tench]

Ford 1.3 when used in the Capri.

It was bad enough in 1.6 guise in the same car....

[gazza285]

280E said:

Ford V4 springs to mind....

I remember a local lad had one of these in a Mazda, after it had lunched it's rotary engine, probably went like a bag of nails, but it certainly sounded different. This would be around 1980...

[R8VXF]

daytona365 said:

Most pointless engine ? Anything over, say, lets be generous, 2litres ! Unless its for heavy haulage/military etc.

Got to agree with that. <goes to check garage /> Ooops

[vrooom]

any (small)diesel engine in car.

[Willwors]

Slightly off piste but I can't think that the Mazda rotary would make it in this day and age when it was winning awards right left and centre ten years ago. 15mpg and all that oil and CO2 wouldn't suffice for the revs.

What happened to the short-lived 2.9l Boxster/Cayman engine?

[Axionknight]

daytona365 said:

Most pointless engine ? Anything over, say, lets be generous, 2litres ! Unless its for heavy haulage/military etc.

Get out!

[grkify]

This one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFpa26h5Hp8

[Pebbles167]

BMW V8 found in the E34 530i and the one in the E39 535i. The 6 cylinder engines were just about as powerful.

[eldar]

280E said:

Ford V4 springs to mind....

True, I'd forgotten that.

[Krupp Stahl]

None of them are pointless.

They all turn petrol into work.

Granted - some do that better than others, but none of them are pointless.

I love them all.

[B'stard Child]

shake n bake said:

Hondas effort in this years F1?

Oh go on then

[Morningside]

The wankel engine. Very, very clever but I really cannot see the point of it.

[smithyithy]

<1500cc non-turbo diesels.