If you could have any engine...

[ghibbett]

Just been looking through an old EVO and, near the front, is an advert for Honda showing the Ariel Atom and giving a load of spiel about it (nice of Honda to advertise their customers car for them..!!). Anyway, the bit that caught my eye goes as follows:

"Simon [Saunders. MD of Ariel] claims if you laid out every production car engine in the world and asked him to pick one he would 'always choose the Honda'. Which is nice of him to say."

If you were Simon Saunders, what engine would you choose?

N.B. Answers to the effect of a VAG TDi lump are disallowed as they contain too much luxury and imagine

[Daston]

The V10 from the LFA

[adycav]

AMG's 6.3 V8

[_Batty_]

BMW S70/2

[MX7]

ghibbett said:

If you were Simon Saunders, what engine would you choose?

For the Atom, I'd say he's probably about right if he's looking for relaibilty, price and performance.

[bodhi]

I reckon it would have to be an M Power lump, however i am torn between the E46 CSL lump or the V10 from the M5. Decisions decisions...

[s2driveruk]

are we talking production engine or just any?

Audi IMSA 200 Quattro 5cylinder please.....2.2ltr, 720bhp its a hauntingly special sound IMO

[rhinochopig]

1.5 litre V16 please. 550bhp and pistons like they came of a swiss watch.

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

And if you don't have youtube access - imagine a Viking God tearing a hole in the fabric of space with a big axe and that's a reasonable facsimle.

Edited by rhinochopig on Thursday 15th July 19:59

[911p]

5.0 Supercharged V8 from the current Jaguar XKR. The sound and performance of it!

[xyphod]

A merlin.

[kiteless]

First one that sprung to mind, for me, was the straight 6 from the E46 CSL. Closely followed by Jaguar's XK, and Porsche's air-cooled flat-6.

Depends on the application, though doesn't it? None of the above would work in an Atom.

[MX7]

rhinochopig said:

1.5 litre V16 please. 550bhp and pistons like they came of a swiss watch.

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

And if you don't have youtube access - imagine a Viking God tearing a hole in the fabric of space with a big axe and that's a reasonable facsimle.

Edited by rhinochopig on Thursday 15th July 19:59

That was a production engine?!

[RB26DETT]

Nissan RB26DETT.

[rhinochopig]

MX7 said:

rhinochopig said:

1.5 litre V16 please. 550bhp and pistons like they came of a swiss watch.

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

And if you don't have youtube access - imagine a Viking God tearing a hole in the fabric of space with a big axe and that's a reasonable facsimle.

Edited by rhinochopig on Thursday 15th July 19:59

That was a production engine?!

Yeah BRM produced them

[pete is pistol]

viper v10

[jbi]

quite happy with toyota's UZ series.

[MX7]

rhinochopig said:

MX7 said:

rhinochopig said:

1.5 litre V16 please. 550bhp and pistons like they came of a swiss watch.

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

And if you don't have youtube access - imagine a Viking God tearing a hole in the fabric of space with a big axe and that's a reasonable facsimle.

Edited by rhinochopig on Thursday 15th July 19:59

That was a production engine?!

Yeah BRM produced them

I bow down!

[rhinochopig]

MX7 said:

rhinochopig said:

MX7 said:

rhinochopig said:

1.5 litre V16 please. 550bhp and pistons like they came of a swiss watch.

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

And if you don't have youtube access - imagine a Viking God tearing a hole in the fabric of space with a big axe and that's a reasonable facsimle.

Edited by rhinochopig on Thursday 15th July 19:59

That was a production engine?!

Yeah BRM produced them

I bow down!

To be fair Simon did use the bike derived V8 which is more of a race engine than production engine for his super atom. So I think the BRM is a valid-ish choice and I didn't read the post properly

[ghibbett]

rhinochopig said:

ETA sounds like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZMPDCNyQxE

I have the original CD that accompanied the book 'Into the Red' with the full 6 minute 'track' of this. Now that is an exhaust sound!! Also, the Ferrari 250GTO in-car sound on the same CD is

[pilchardthecat]

xyphod said:

A merlin.

Good shout!