Best, or just sweetest 4 cylinder engines?

Best, or just sweetest 4 cylinder engines?

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Discussion

Electrics not for me

Original Poster:

69 posts

20 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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As a long time devotee of 5, 6, 8 and upwards cylinder-ed cars i often wonder if there are any smooth, powerful 4 bangers around? The A45 AMG is obviously epic from a performance point of view, 420 bhp and supercar 0-60 times are stunning efforts but i find them raw, loud and uncompromising.
What 4 cylinder cars have been made that are quick but smooth and quiet?

biggbn

22,813 posts

219 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Honda four pots? The old Fiat Twin Cam was a lovely old unit. And I have a massive sof spot for the VAG 1.9 tdi. Most influential engine of the 20th century?

off_again

12,249 posts

233 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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biggbn said:
Honda four pots?
^ This

The old zingy 1.6 VTEC engines were fun to ring out. But they werent great on power. But when we got to the 197BHP CTR engine, it changed the game. They got quick and that engine was amazing. Smooth and sweet to use. Did a trackday at Castle Combe in an EP3 CTR years ago, didnt even break into a sweat until I cooked the brakes of course. Not the only cracking Honda engine, but they have a reputation for a good reason.

cherryowen

11,682 posts

203 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Not driven any, but I have read good things about the four-pots fitted to Porsche 944 / 968

GregK2

1,651 posts

145 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Good thread, not really thought about it myself, Honda as mentioned got to be hard to beat. Mitsubishi 4G63 I guess stood test of time for a good while.

wyson

2,066 posts

103 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Another vote for Honda 4 pots. By far the best out of all the 4 pots I’ve tried. Vw prob next best. Then BMW. Then Ford, Kia, Hyundai. Worst were Vauxhall and Fiat. I don’t like how Vauxhall engines are tuned at all. No top end, very grumbly, noticeable vibrations through major controls.

Matt Watson did some youtube stunt, running some cars without engine oil. Unsurprising the Honda 4 pot lasted the longest. Read a car magazine article in the past that said they are built to tighter tolerances than the competition, that Soichiro Honda wanted their engines to be the best.

Edited by wyson on Friday 5th August 19:36

Garvin

5,155 posts

176 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Vauxhall C20XE ‘red top’ (just make sure it has the Cosworth cast heads).

HazzaT

449 posts

44 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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The EA888 is smooth, I wouldn't particularly say it's sweet but it does the job without a fuss 90% of the time.
I think it tends to be the purely direct injection ones that are clattery, particularly at low revs.

courty

400 posts

76 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Honda S2000 has a cracking engine, late '90s tech.
I have a Lancia with a Lampredi 1.6, very sweet engine..1960's tech with 1980's fuel injection.
Alfa busso Nord twin spark, as in 75, early 164 etc. very good engines, well built, chain timed..1980's variable valve timing tech developed from 1950's Busso Nord.
Don't know about any contemporary examples, but these old petrol engines were designed to be zingy, i.e. needed to be revved up for full power.

biggbn

22,813 posts

219 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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I love the old vw flat four, a bog standard 1200 is the sweet spot for me, will still trundle on when everything modern has failed to progress! The early small capacity alfa flat fours and lancia v4s were super sweet also.

Mr Squarekins

1,041 posts

61 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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My s1000rr has quite a nice 4 pot.

KarlMac

4,456 posts

140 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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The 4G63T in my Evo will always hold a special place in my heart as my favourite engine after the RB26DET. Made power OEMs are only just catching up with and made a not unpleasant sound at full chat.

Torquey

1,888 posts

227 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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80s - Ford RS cosworth
90s - Vauxhall 2.0 16 redtop.
00s - honda ctr 2.0 / mitsubishi Evo /
10s - meh...

Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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The Rover K series 1.8 VVC is a whizzy little motor. Going further back into old school stuff, the Lotus Twin Cam is hard to beat for sheer enthusiasm.

Skyedriver

17,655 posts

281 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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The Ford Kent/Crossflow/BDA/BDG

Beethree

809 posts

88 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Honda H22 or B18.
The K20 is a ‘better’ engine, but loses quite a bit of the character the 90’s engines had.

LunarOne

5,089 posts

136 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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cherryowen said:
Not driven any, but I have read good things about the four-pots fitted to Porsche 944 / 968
I've driven the 968 with the 3.0 four. Wasn't it one of the biggest fours ever put in a production car? I think it was around 240bhp. Anyway it felt lovely and torquey and made a bassy rumble at low revs. Gave really good performance in its day. Not bad for the early to mid 1990s. I'd love to own one now!

Ransoman

884 posts

89 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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The 16v Alfa Twinspark is a very nice engine.

paradigital

843 posts

151 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Having owned an EA888 (2017 Audi S3 Saloon), they are soul-less and dull sounding, but fast, with a small amount of lag.

The old Alfa 2.0 16v Twin-Spark on the other hand, sounds great, revs great, and is fun to wring out.

biggbn

22,813 posts

219 months

Friday 5th August 2022
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Ransoman said:
The 16v Alfa Twinspark is a very nice engine.
Yes, had a 145 breadvan green cloverleaf, absolutely brilliant little thing.