MAGK944

Just wondering how far the inline-4 engine has progressed in 20 years. After reading a R&T report on the new Scion xB...not much.

Scion xBAnyone have any other 'modern' comparisons?

75ohm

Heck... only 6 years newer than my NA...

1994 Pontiac Grand Am GT

Inline-4 cylinder

2.3l Quad 4 DOHC

180bhp @ 6200rpm.

160lb-ft torque @ 5200rpm.

SamGrant951

Honda F20C: 240hp/153tq, 120hp/liter, 9000rpm. Reliable

CarbonRevo

S2K makes good hp, but my god...Look at that torque. That's SAD.

My '92 toyota pickup:

2.4L 8v
HP: 114
TQ: 142
Redline: I have no tach!

V2Rocket

no tach = keeps pulling to 300,000RPM

STI = 2.5L
300HP/300TQ

MAGK944

I too didn't like the lack of tq in the s2k. You really have to work that gearbox and keep the revs up to get it to perform.

alex

But wouldn't you take the 150 torque you have in a 944 and happily add another 90 hp? I mean, maybe not for that price, but still.

Techno Duck

STi dosent belong in this comparison because its turbocharged.

I dont think there are many other 4-cylinder production engines that match the torque spread of the 3.0L 968 engine..

3.0L DOHC with Variocam
236hp at 6200rpm
225ft-lbs at 4200rpm
11.0:1 compression ratio
78.7hp per liter

Then again, not many production 4-cylinder engines match the 3.0L displacement either!

J Silverman

Not to mention its a flat 4.

Techno Duck

For more comparison sake, this is the factory information slated for the '87 n/a 8v 944..

2.5L 8v SOHC
147hp @ 5800rpm
140ft-lbs @ 3000rpm
9.7:1 compression ratio
58.8hp per liter

and the '87 944S

2.5L 16v DOHC
188hp @ 6000rpm
170ft-lbs @ 4300rpm
10.9:1 compression ratio
75.2hp per liter

And compare these to the specs to some of the most popular Honda engines around right now,

B18C5 (From older Integra Type-R)
1.8L 16v DOHC with VTEC
195hp @ 8200rpm
130ft-lbs @ 7500rpm
10.6:1 compression ratio
108.3hp per liter

and the K-Series found in the RSX Type-S is in my opinion a great engine...very smooth low end with great top end.

K20A2
2.0L 16v DOHC with i-VTEC
200hp @ 7400rpm
145ft-lbs @ 6000rpm
11.0:1 compression ratio
100hp per liter

And dead reliable!

Honda's might lack torque but you gotta admit its downright impressive the power they make with such small displacement.

yellowline

It's progressed plenty. Engines are stronger, lighter, more durable, more fuel-efficient, and cleaner-burning than ever. The engines and seals are designed for synthetic oil, which lets engineers spec that oil and design moving parts to ever-tighter tolerances. Electronic throttles and all-electronic MAF sensors (no axial wiper arm on a track) ensure that the engines don't miss at idle... *cough* my car. I'm getting a new AFM this week, but it irks me that the stupid thing has such design flaws...barn door sticking open, contact strip wearing, etc.

Not to mention the fact that timing belt failures are pretty much unheard of on modern cars...just change the belt every 60k and you're fine.

The only place they've gone downhill is exhaust note. Camrys and non-turbo Subarus today sound like vacuum cleaners.

MAGK944

I can see that technology has contributed to positive gains. I was always a fan of the late great Colin Chapman of Lotus fame. He managed to squeeze power out of the smallest of engines. Just imagine what he could have done with todays technology.

V2Rocket

They have all their technology to tell you if things are getting dangerous..but most engines these days aren't interference style.

tomrc

My girlfriend had an Xb, it was a slug compared to my 944, the horsepower and torque are so high on the power band that it's near unusable. Same with the S2k, you have to rev the crap out of the engines to get any useful power. No thank you I love the power band on the 944 and wouldn't trade it for another 4 banger. IMHO the 944 engine is near perfect for a 4 banger.

BTW anyway I can get more power out of it?

V2Rocket

www.zex.com