Is the engine the most important part of the car for you?

[irocfan]

BathyThermo said:

Is that some sort of macho thing?

I've driven some cracking 4, 5 & 6 cylinder engines, and some crap V8s.

Macho thing? Not really, more my style of driving - plus I love the noise it makes

[scottos]

Im obsessed with engines and it's a massive part of buying a car for me, it doesnt even have to be good, it just needs to sound good to be honest and as long as the handling is good enough to string some b roads together im a happy man.

[Avalyn]

Absolutely number one for me.

The cars that have made me smile the most have all had excellent engines, given I do generally town/motorway driving my priority is definitely noise and engine over the last word in handling.

I've had flat 4's, flat 6's, straight sixes, a few woofly v8's and currently a 5 cylinder engine.

I prefer ones that headbutt the rev limiter (rather than runs out of puff) so enjoy naturally aspirated engines, but the current engine trend for low down torque/turbo's do limit what cars I look at these days.

It's always nice to have a car that makes you smile on the first turn of a key/push the start button.

[anonymous-user]

irocfan said:

Macho thing? Not really, more my style of driving - plus I love the noise it makes

What does a V8 do that suits your style of driving, that the same amount of power or torque from a different layout wouldn't do?

[Olivergt]

I think the engine does make a big difference.

If you take an E46 for example, you can get the same car with:

2.0 Diesel Inline 4
1.8 Petrol inline 4
2.0 Petrol inline 6

They will all be the same with regards to interior creature comforts and how they handle, but I gaurantee that if you drove all 3 back to back, everyone would pick the inline 6 as it is orders of magnitude nicer than either of the other 2 options.

P.S. I am a little biased having owned several BMW inline 6's, I now have another one which I'll be hanging on to for a long time, they are just so silky smooth and make a huge difference to the driving experience.

[irocfan]

BathyThermo said:

irocfan said:

Macho thing? Not really, more my style of driving - plus I love the noise it makes

What does a V8 do that suits your style of driving, that the same amount of power or torque from a different layout wouldn't do?

Lazy, effortless gobfulls of torque - "ahhh, yes" say you, "but you can get better torque from a modern turbo diesel limp, and in all honesty an electric motor would have 'me both beat!" and, yes, both are true. However, that is to miss the 2nd part of the equation - the noise

[anonymous-user]

irocfan said:

Lazy, effortless gobfulls of torque - "ahhh, yes" say you, "but you can get better torque from a modern turbo diesel limp, and in all honesty an electric motor would have 'me both beat!" and, yes, both are true. However, that is to miss the 2nd part of the equation - the noise

So it's the noise then. Fair enough.

[binnerboy]

isn't dull car great engine the basis of the market for hot hatches (with added handling)?

I had a good car with a dull engine and found it frustrating to drive.

Mind you I have driven dull cars with great engines and found them frustrating as well

Dull Dull - well you know what you are getting
Dull Great - frustrating
Great Dull - frustrating
Great Great - :-)

[ffhard]

Coming into this one late (as always!) but I look at this in two different ways.
As a customer loan car I own a 2005 Nissan Micra 1.2. Now before you all laugh it's a cracking little car with great steering, handling and brakes. IF you can keep the speed up. All it needs is about twice (or maybe even triple) the power output. It honestly feels like it could handle it.
But then my own last car was an Alfa 156 2.5 V6. Fantastic engine, great sound, enough power and very flexible (although the 6 speed box did help) but with that big weighty lump at the front it wasn't anywhere near as nimble as my previous 2.0 156 which was slower but, in some ways, better.
So which is most important? In my fence sitting view both. The car needs to have as much power from the engine as it can handle safely.
Anyway picking up a Civic type R tomorrow which I really hope is the best of both worlds.
The floor started to fall out of the Alfa by the way

[Mr Tidy]

Olivergt said:

I think the engine does make a big difference.

If you take an E46 for example, you can get the same car with:

2.0 Diesel Inline 4
1.8 Petrol inline 4
2.0 Petrol inline 6

They will all be the same with regards to interior creature comforts and how they handle, but I gaurantee that if you drove all 3 back to back, everyone would pick the inline 6 as it is orders of magnitude nicer than either of the other 2 options.

P.S. I am a little biased having owned several BMW inline 6's, I now have another one which I'll be hanging on to for a long time, they are just so silky smooth and make a huge difference to the driving experience.

The engine makes a huge difference!

Back in 2005 I bought my 1st BMW, an E46 320td as I was dong business miles at the time.

Then in 2014 I got an E46 325ti which felt like a completely different car!

I kept that just over 3 years, but it was getting tired so I replaced it with an E91 325iSE. I just never gelled with that car - it didn't go as well as my E46 325ti even when you did rev the nuts off it!

So in April I replaced it with an E90 330i SE that is even the same colour - but it feels like a totally different car. Lovely.

I don't think I'd enjoy a good cart with a lousy horse, so I suppose I focus on the engine 1st.

Edited by Mr Tidy on Thursday 23 May 23:44

[cerb4.5lee]

ffhard said:

Anyway picking up a Civic type R tomorrow which I really hope is the best of both worlds.

Enjoy collecting it!

[mikEsprit]

The most important thing to me is how the car looks.

To make a car fun, I think having a manual transmission is the most important thing, however.

[PATTERNPART]

I've had a 2002 E46 Touring with auto and 2.2 petrol six for a couple of years and I absolutely love the engine's character. Even cruising on the motorway it gives me a warm feeling. The sound is just right. It is surprisingly willing to belt through the gears when you want to accelerate smartly and auto gives a nice sensation as it always gets the changes just right! Apparently a straight six is the best balanced layout that physics can give...

I also have a Hillman Imp with a race tuned 998cc engine with no low down power but 100bhp at 7,000 revs. It sounds like it wants to go to 10,000 but I always stop at 8,000. I love that too!

The BMW has a great chassis. The Hillman is a bit skittish with a very light front end. I'm going to improve things with some shorter springs and a tiny chin spoiler in due course.

I've seen them racing in HSCC and they can be made to corner like a baby 911.

[Mr Tidy]

PATTERNPART said:

I've had a 2002 E46 Touring with auto and 2.2 petrol six for a couple of years and I absolutely love the engine's character. Even cruising on the motorway it gives me a warm feeling. The sound is just right. It is surprisingly willing to belt through the gears when you want to accelerate smartly and auto gives a nice sensation as it always gets the changes just right! Apparently a straight six is the best balanced layout that physics can give...

I also have a Hillman Imp with a race tuned 998cc engine with no low down power but 100bhp at 7,000 revs. It sounds like it wants to go to 10,000 but I always stop at 8,000. I love that too!

The BMW has a great chassis. The Hillman is a bit skittish with a very light front end. I'm going to improve things with some shorter springs and a tiny chin spoiler in due course.

I've seen them racing in HSCC and they can be made to corner like a baby 911.

You need to try the next generation 3 Series 330i (E9* Series) with the N52 engine - they produce 258 bhp at 6,600 rpm and have a 7,000 rpm red-line, but are just so smooth!

Although I believe a V12 is as well-balanced as a straight 6, I won't be having one anytime soon - OK, make that ever!

But your Imp sounds like a great little car - is it a road or race car?

[dchester]

There are many factors that make a good car or perhaps a fun car. It's not just down to the engine or any other one thing.

For me it needs to be at least adequately quick but must also handle well, look good and feel good to drive and sit in.

And definitely NOT a diseasle!

[ericmcn]

Engine is paramount, any of the best cars of all time were never diesel, its for the sales reps who are more concerned at how much it costs to fill up a tank than actually having something exciting to drive.

[fatboy18]

Coor

[cerb4.5lee]

fatboy18 said:

Coor

[WonkeyDonkey]

ericmcn said:

Engine is paramount, any of the best cars of all time were never diesel

I think the Audi R18 would want a word about that.

[rayyan171]

WonkeyDonkey said:

ericmcn said:

Engine is paramount, any of the best cars of all time were never diesel

I think the Audi R18 would want a word about that.

Exactly. Best car ever in the history of mankind likely wont be a diesel, but there are many great diesels. V10 TDI/V12 TDI come to mind, as well as the 35d/40d twin turbo BMW diesel, as well as the (now quad turbo) 50d diesel. Some great V8 diesels from many manufacturers. Diesels don't have to be horrible!