Charismatic engines - your nominations please

[MickyveloceClassic]

Caddyshack said:

MickyveloceClassic said:

From cars I’ve owned

Fiat Twin-cam in 1756cc guise.

Mercedes M104 straight six in bored out 3.6 Mahle piston AMG spec.

Mercedes-AMG M156 6.3 N/A

Lotus two-litre twin cam.

BMW E30 straight-six

Alfa boxer 1.7 twin carb.

E30 straight six is a good call.

I’ve had an E30 320i (1985) and 323i (1983); I reckon the 320 was the better (smoother) unit.

[wag2]

Coventry Climax.

[Speed 3]

wag2 said:

Coventry Climax.

Which one ? They made engines for myriad applications for three quarters of a century....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coventry_Climax

[Athlon]

Chrysler's 340 cu.in. small block from 1970, especially in T/A form.

6000 r.p.m. out of the box lumpy idle and linear power delivery with a NASCAR howl at high revs.

Big block power with light weight, it was (and is) a gem of an engine.

[bigmowley]

Left field nomination here:
Most charismatic engine I’ve ever had was the Kawasaki 2 stroke triple. I only ever had a KH250 but the engine was brilliant. My mate had an H2 750 that I rode a few times and that was truly awesome. It had a unique character and soul all of its own.
Happy days.

[Desiderata]

From the ones I've owned, in chronological order of my ownership;-

Citroen 2cv
ford/saab v4
Fiat 2l twin cam
Kawasaki z900
Audi 2.2 5cylinder Turbo
Volvo 2.4 5cylinder turbo
Triumph 900 triple
Scania V8

I've had a few other 'iconic' vehicles, but these are the engines that stand out.

[NelsonM3]

Porsche flat 6
2.9 VR6 engine
E46 M3 engine

[Welshbeef]

3 cars I’ve owned/own

Fiat Coupe 20V Turbo
Audi C5 RS6
MRec S205 4.0 Bi turbo

All different
All sounded /sound brilliant IMHO - cold weather makes them even better

[Mr Tidy]

In vehicles I have owned I'd say:-

Yamaha RD 2-storke twins
Kawasaki KH500 2-stroke triple

Fiat twin-cam - 1,608 and 1,756 variants
Rover V8
Pinto in a MK2 RS2000
Cologne V6 in Capri 2.8Injection
Mercedes M110 in an E280
BMW M54
BMW N52
BMW S54

[eldar]

dryden said:

Hillman Imp......That is a car that is all about its engine.

Except it wasn’t an engine out of a water pump, mounted in a eccentricity of a car, with a barely operating heater and clown capabilities. A marriage made in hell.

Except, the engine was magic if looked after, and civilised the rest.

[Wombat3]

Toyota 2TG 1600 twin cam from the early 70s was a good little lump. Revvy & about 120bhp running on the standard Japanese solexes. More with a pair of webers, decent ignition, some cams & an exhaust on it More still if you bored it out to 1750

[Pantechnicon]

Aside from the BRM v16 I challenge any true pher not to be impressed by the sound of a commer knocker on full chat.

[AAGR]

To widen the debate, the sound of any early-type turbo engine when the blow-off valve cuts in after hard running. Viz : Ford RS200

[mk1coopers]

6.3 AMG V8
A Series (in a high state of tune with a S/C box)
5 pot Audi Quattro
DFV Cosworth
V12 F1
V10 F1
Merlin
Scooby WRX
Plus many more rally and race lumps, engines are always best when well match with what they are fitted to as the two thing together generate the maximum appreciation of both

[Olas]

As they come out of the factory, anything that makes a nice noise is regarded as charismatic and any engine in a brand that stirs emotion is charismatic by association. Normal wideley available charisma is diluted by its availability and commonly encountered-ness.

More charismatic is an engine you spec’d and built with your own hands - even if it’s a 1600cc 4 pot from an escort / golf / civic - once you’ve spent more than the value of the car on speccing/sourcing all the parts and around a year putting it all together you will be more attached to it and more aware of the charisma than you have been in any other car.

Disclaimer: McL F1 and Zonda R have engines incapable of receipt of the ‘injection of charisma’ due to their already overflowing cups.

[RicksAlfas]

I think some posters might have missed the original brief!!

Duke Caboom said:

I'm particularity interested in engines fitted to reasonably attainable cars.

[viggyp]

I forgot to mention the Fiat 5cyl and Alfa Boxer unit. I love the crisp, raspy noise the Alfa Boxer unit makes. In regards to the Subaru Boxer lump, is it the turbo which gives it its unique misfiring warble when idling/pootling about? Doesn't seem to sound as nice as the Alfa.

[Halmyre]

RicksAlfas said:

I think some posters might have missed the original brief!!

Duke Caboom said:

I'm particularity interested in engines fitted to reasonably attainable cars.

Absolutely, I hate it when threads go of topic.

Anyway, I nominate the Deltic engine.

[4321go]

[Mark A S]

AAGR has nominated most of my nominations, BDA, V16 BRM etc.
Also :
Willys L134 Go Devil, iconic engine
Tuned Vauxhall XE, fabulous rally engine
2.8 Porsche air cooled flat 6 on megaphones!
Magirus Deutz F4L 514 diesel engine [ thinks its this version ] you need to hear one to understand why, Nuts for a truck engine, 2 stroke!
Auto Union V16