Puny engines in big cars thread

[LotusOmega375D]

Now that the motor industry seems to be down-sizing engines across the board, it's got me thinking about small-engined cars of the past. One that always stuck out for me was:

Ford Capri Mk 2: 1.3 litre.
A huge long bonnet with a tiny engine underneath. It produced just 54bhp to propel a tonne of car. How embarassing must 54bhp/tonne in a "sporty" coupe have felt at a 1970s traffic light Grand Prix?

Can you lot think of any other such weaklings?

[Eighteeteewhy]

Merc E200

BMW 518

[stain]

S350 diesel. Underpowered as it is and they are doing a 4 pot diesel soon.

[Steamer]

LotusOmega375D said:

Ford Capri Mk 2: 1.3 litre.

I heard rumours about these, but never had the displeasure!

That is a shocking engine output for such a sporty image.

My contribution:

Morris Ital - 1.5 Litre B series diesel engine = 37Hp

[Codswallop]

Volvo do the current S80 with a 1.6 eco-diesel with barely over 100bhp. That must be tragic to drive.

[bakerstreet]

Codswallop said:

Volvo do the current S80 with a 1.6 eco-diesel with barely over 100bhp. That must be tragic to drive.

I think it kicks out about 110bhp and is geared accordingly to allow for the lack of power.

5th gear report was pleasently surprised by that car

[BorkFactor]

Didn't the Cortina come with the 1.3 engine too? Even bigger and heavier, that must have been tragic!

I know 1.4 Cavaliers exist in some markets, as do 1.2 mk4 Astras. The new Astra (or maybe the previous gen one) came with a 1.3 diesel, I drove a Combo van with one of these and it was so slow it was almost dangerous! Joining a roundabout, foot to the floor, nothing, nothing, nothing, TURBO, change up, repeat. Not good.

[Faust66]

Steamer said:

I heard rumours about these, but never had the displeasure!

That is a shocking engine output for such a sporty image.

My contribution:

Morris Ital - 1.5 Litre B series diesel engine = 37Hp

Mate of mine had a 1.3 MK 5 Cortina back in the day (so basically a Capri in plain wrapper). To say that it was slow is an understatement!

Of course, a 2 door Cortina would be worth a fair bit now - always wanted to drop a nice big V8 in one.

bks to small engines in big cars!

[deltashad]

I owned a Golf 1.1 mk1, worse to the fact it had GTi wheels/ interior/ black around the rear window, like the GTi. So wrong.
Renault 5 850cc
Also Cortina 1.3
Thought the Jaguar 2.9 engine in the XJ40 was a let down.

[CatJ]

The new Focus is now coming with a 1 litre turbo engine. I read by 2015 it will have replaced the 1.6 n/a petrols completely.

[Wild Rumpus]

I had an Audi A80 (1982) which was a non-turbo 1.6D with around 50bhp. It was a model not normally sold in the UK (for good reasons) but had been orderd by a guy in the RAF while in Germany and brought back to the UK. I inherited it from my dad, it was slower than a week in jail but returned around 50mpg. 0-60 must have been around the 20 second mark, but once it was wound up it would cruise at 80-90 all day.

[HowMuchLonger]

Not sure if this counts, but I would like to nominate the Dico3. Over 2.5tons with a 2.7 diesel that once going is fine, it just has problems getting going in the first place.

[Hammerhead]

Eighteeteewhy said:

BMW 518

My dad had one of these when they were new and it wasn't a bad drive at all. Near 2.0 I6 performance but without the six growl. What it did impress with was how crisp a chassis the e34 had. Was rather comical looking into the engine bay and seeing a lot of tarmac underneath, though.

[Codswallop]

bakerstreet said:

Codswallop said:

Volvo do the current S80 with a 1.6 eco-diesel with barely over 100bhp. That must be tragic to drive.

I think it kicks out about 110bhp and is geared accordingly to allow for the lack of power.

5th gear report was pleasently surprised by that car

I'm sure it would be geared accordingly - manufacturers try and do that most of the time

Regardless of gearing, I should imagine it would still struggle in a vehicle of that size (especially if you add some luggage and or passengers). I do vaguely remember the 5th gear review - Johnny was reviewing it wasn't he? Nonetheless, nice car, but needs a bigger engine imo (which would ironically probably be more economically as it would be less stressed).

[vixen1700]

deltashad said:

Thought the Jaguar 2.9 engine in the XJ40 was a let down.

Probably worse than that were the early 2.8 XJ6s. Can't be many if any of those left these days.

[deltashad]

They did the Granada in a 1.8 L/GL, 90hp.

[GBDG]

The new 1.0 Ecoboost Focus has to get a mention. Although uses turbo wizjiggery to produce " the power you’d expect from a 1.6 litre engine" (100PS)

[NotDave]

E36 tourer. 2.0 straight six. Always felt gutless, unless you thrashed fk out of it.


Mundano mk3 1800 petrol is the opposite. Feels "steady but smooth" until you ask it to do anything more than "sedate"


MY2006 Shogun Sport TD. 105BHP released from a 2500cc TURBO DIESEL engine. In a car weighing 2tonnes plus.

My christ it's exhausting to drive. fk all power, fk all legroom, useless gearbox for anything over 50mph, st MPG. Absoluteley horrendous vehicle. But epically amazing at what it does.......... I.e. go anywhere, and not break down. EVER.

[gforceg]

Sticking to small engines in big cars, I always thought the Carlton/Senator with a 1.8 must have been a bit hard to pedal.

[oyster]

It's not just puny engines with big cars, it's also puny engines with big spec too.

Modern 320d M Sport cabriolets come to mind.

If it's for company car tax reasons, then the extra tax on cost of options will more than make up for tax saved having a rattly engine.