Does having fun in a car require a V8? Nope
I could'a had a V8. Ever heard that one? Sure, people like their cars to be powerful and fun to drive. It used to be that there was a distinction between the term "sports car" and "muscle car". Sure, sports cars must be quick to accelerate and change direction, but they don't require honkin' V8 engines to be an enjoyable ride. Muscle cars, historically, were not built to go fast around corners but to blast the ol' 1320 in as little time as possible. In fact, having a huge lump of iron under the hood of your sportscar often has a negative impact on driving dynamics. Take a good look at what Lotus has done and is still doing for an excellent example of what we are talking about.
Take a look at this blog posting at The Detroit News. It seems that the writer knows only the joys of straight-line acceleration. Mind you, we are not advocating underpowered cars, just pointing out that a vehicle need not have a V8 engine to be fun to drive.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mattias 3:02PM (1/31/2008)
Since a few days a got a small diesel, rated at 100kW. It already has 250+ lbft torque at 1800rpm and gets some 40mpg. Now I am convinced.
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Whopper 3:21PM (1/31/2008)
Holy stromboli, what archive did you pull that pre-1960 Olds rocket from? Is that your view of what a V-8 is in 2008?
Virtually no one puts a heavy cast iron V-8 in the front of a sports car these days, they use light, compact V-8's aka Ford's 4.6L SOHC model, 319 HP. The Chrysler Hemi is about to rejoin it's brothers in history; it was more advertising hype than reality anyway. Yeah, it made big HP and had some nice hight tech pieces but still it belongs in another time.
If you enjoy cornering on a back road or parking lot gymkana, your Miata will be just fine. A Mustang with the 4.6L will corner almost as well and make up for anything it may lack in the corners with acceleration in the straights.
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Jeremy Korzeniewski 3:44PM (1/31/2008)
Whopper -
I never said that a car featuring a V8 could not corner well... take a look at the Vette for a perfect example of a well done V8 powered sports car. What I did say is that a sports car with a smaller engine can be just as fun... with the Miata you mentioned being an excellent example. Another one, as I pointed out, is the Lotus Elise.
Ever driven an RX8? They handle wonderfully and are a blast to drive, despite the fact that they are underpowered as compared to their competition - the Mustang being a prime example.
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Throwback 4:08PM (1/31/2008)
I grew up during the muscle car era so V-8s, especially big blocks, will always have a spot in my heart. Having said that, the best sports car I have ever driven is a Lotus Elite. For those of you who do not know what I am talking about see the link below. Light weight, small engine (what a concept huh?) extremely fragile but what a drive. I wish I could afford to buy one for a weekend fun car. 1,110 lbs and 1.2 liters 75hp and this was 50 years ago!! I don't know what mileage it got but I'm sure it would exceed 35 mpg.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Elite
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Dan 6:39PM (1/31/2008)
Please. A Civic Si has the same horsepower as a 1984 Corvette. Sure, it may not have the torque, but if that's what you want, the VW/Audi 2.0T has the 200hp and plenty of torque too.
To Jeremy, the Wankel engine in the RX8 is really a marvel of packaging and light weight, but it's not very efficient. I've heard 14MPG when you drive it hard.
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MikeW 12:47AM (2/01/2008)
The crossplane crank V8 is the least efficient engine configuration.
L R L L R L R R, everything else is better
Sure it can be smooth, when extra counterweights are added to the crankshaft for balance. (it is not inherently balanced)
A flat plane crank L R L R L R L R, is better for power and can be 95% as smooth with balance shafts.
Even VW was able to make the W8 workable.
a 'semi flat' L L R R L L R R (it could be made) More power due to even cylinder matching.
a 'semi cross' L R L R L L R R (it also could be made)
But why, when you can make a V12, which is so much better.
noise does not equal power.
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Turbofrog 4:06PM (2/01/2008)
A 4.6L SOHC Mustang engine is neither light nor compact. Take a look, compared to the previous 5.0L OHV small-block:
http://www.vorshlag.com/pictures/motor-4.6-4V-004.jpg
"Big block size, small block power," is the phrase I've heard...
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