best engine in the world is...

[dragstar]

i dont know, you tell me.

my "mates" S2000 is excellent though. never complains/splutters/argues just goes (and revs into tomorrow).
what is the best engine around today?

silly price ones and sensible priced ones alike

[HarryW]

Have to go some to be the noise of a screaming Fezza V8 IMHO . Varients of the BMW V8 such as that fitted to the morgan jobbie are good to, great shame no one really took the rover V8 to its limits really.
The cerb flat plane crank V8 is special in a different way, no car sounds as great on the overun IMHO.
Of the 6's you have to go some to beat a T350/tuscan on full chat.

Harry

[agent006]

Rover V8, or whatever the one it was made from is.

[Pigeon]

The BMC A-series must deserve a mention both for length of production run and ease of getting bike-like specific outputs... 100bhp/litre without breaking the bank. The Jag XK engine is also one of my favourites. The MG XPAG unit was good enough that Volvo are still using derivative designs. But none of these have quite the je-ne-sais-quoi of a Deltic.

[dragstar]

deltic?

[cammers]

How about the Ford 427 Cammer!

[nevpugh308]

HarryW said:

Have to go some to beat the noise of a screaming Fezza V8 IMHO

Oh yeah, baby !

[Boosted LS1]

Depends what your criteria are. I like the Chevy LS1/6, then there's the Chevy Northstar. Do you want it simple or complicated. I like 2 strokes as well

[Pigeon]

Well said that man, two-strokes are cool!

dragstar said:

deltic?

A Deltic has 3 crankshafts at the corners of a triangle, 36 cylinders and 72 pistons. It's a supercharged two-stroke diesel. The Mk 1 produced 1650bhp, then there were Mk 2 and 3 versions which more or less doubled that. It's used in locomotives and fast naval patrol boats. I'd like to make a trike with one, just for the crack.

[Apache]

Another blinder from Napier, that company certainly produced some interesting stuff

[sparkyjohn]

Rolls Royce Merlin. Won the war, powering the most charismatic and historically important aircraft ever built, sounds like nothing else on earth, 1030bhp, my grandmother had a small part in building them (Rolls Royce, Derby 1941-43 iirc).

[Apache]

mmmn, how many aircraft used that then? Spit, Hurricane, Mustang, Lancaster, Mosquito, no doubt eric'll come out with more. Strangely enough it is a fave for powering monster tractor pull thingys

[annodomini2]

p51 mustang, 1500bhp in the supermarine 7 spit.

BMW '8x (don't remember the year) F1 engine 1500cc 4 cylinder turbo. producing about 1400-1500bhp in qualifying setup! it's also based on a production engine block!

[Mr2Mike]

Apache said:

mmmn, how many aircraft used that then? Spit, Hurricane, Mustang, Lancaster, Mosquito, no doubt eric'll come out with more. Strangely enough it is a fave for powering monster tractor pull thingys

That would more likely be the Meteor, a version of the Merlin as fitted to the Centurion tank, as it already comes with a suitable transmission.

Did anyone ever see the nutter that had (I think)5 Jag V12's on his puller?

[Incorrigible]

Merlins powered MTBs too

Moto Guzzi V8

[Alien]

Best normally aspirated: Honda RC211V V-5

Best turbo: toss-up between Nissan's RB26DETT and Toyota's 2JZ-GTE - mmm inline sixes

[dragstar]

cheers pigeon for that!!

still liking the honda engines, not just for there performance, but the reliability etc etc.

i dont think honda can be beaten, all round.

all IMHO.

[accident]

the best engine in the world is......
whatever runs today with the abuse i give it!

[HarryW]

If we are getting into 'old' engines, as opposed to current ones, then I think the BRM V16 F1 lump takes some beating as does the sound, not sure of the configuration, of the Masser 250F GP car

harry

[matt_T16]

Best F1 - BRM H16
Maddest F1 - BMW 1500CC Turbo Toluene Powered Lumps
Most Tuneable (road car), Saab B202 T16
Best Sounding (road car), Noble/Ford 3.0 TT V6

Matt