Greatest Automotive engines ever made?

Small Block Chevy. No other engine in the history of man has a better horse power to dollar ratio. Small block ford comes in 2nd, then honda k series irrc.

The GM LS really is just the next version of the SBC, except with some revisions and made out of aluminum so that it ends up lighter than some cast iron 4 bangers.

Though when you get into 4 bangers, the GM ecotec is right up there with honda, and for the longest time honda couldnt touch the GM factory teams in FWD outlaw drag racing for power or speed. They have the fastest and quickest FWD 4 cylinder record in outlaw, the fastest and quickest 4 cylinder in pro extreme class, and the quickest ndra turbo street record and as of 2008 it was in the only fwd 4 cylinder car to go faster than 200 mph in the 1/4 mile. So honda isnt running away with the best 4 cylinder title.

[Daffyflyer]

Mazda BP (MX5/Miata 1.8) - Its not that smooth and doesn't make that much power, but they're perky, rev pretty well and with a bit of N/A tweaking can pull along an MX5 ok. It'll happily take a big load of boost on stock internals, and given the appropriate con-rods (such as mine) the appropriate fuel system, and a decently sized turbo you can get 220kw+ from one. If it DOES explode, they are dirt cheap and easy to find anywhere, and simple as hell to work on.


GM LS Engine - Enough said, cheap, simple, overpowered, massive aftermarket support and fits in EVERYTHING somehow.


Toyota 4age - Practically the inventor of the high tech small capacity 4 pot that revs to the sky - ones from the 80s still are an impressively fun motor today. The owners manual I seem to recall had a line about not running it over 6000rpm for more than an hour at a time as it might get too warm, which give you an idea of how easy it is to accidently flog the shit out of them. the 20V ones took it a step further with a table flat torque curve and were still smooth as silk bouncing off the 7600rpm limiter


Ford Falcon Straight 6 - in many variants ranging from <100kw pushrod carby motors to the current 190kw DOHC, VVT 4.0ltr and even the 310kw (stock) Turbo varient - powers everything from LPG taxis to 1000hp drag cars over here.

Torquey as hell, fairly unbreakable, and known to last over 600,000km in taxis, turbo variants are RB26 like and will make more power than you can possibly imagine

I wish we got straight 6's in the states from someone other than bmw and the GM truck division. Not that I have any thing against bimmers, but for what ti costs for an off the shelp e30 cam I could pay someone to make custom hollow billet stainless cams for my car. A cast cam should not cost 3 grand.

The issues I have with calling the mazda 1.8 a good engine is that its a cast iron boat anchor and one of those engines that are in the same weight range as the LSx.

The GM LS really is just the next version of the SBC, except with some revisions and made out of aluminum so that it ends up lighter than some cast iron 4 bangers.

I disagree, if you have ever torn one down they share NOTHING with the classic GEN1 SBC. In fact they look a bit like a SBF when apart.

The GM LS really is just the next version of the SBC, except with some revisions and made out of aluminum so that it ends up lighter than some cast iron 4 bangers.

I disagree, if you have ever torn one down they share NOTHING with the classic GEN1 SBC. In fact they look a bit like a SBF when apart.

They dont share much, thats for sure, which is why its an evolution. And they are already 1 generation removed from the classically know sbc, because there was the short lived mutant LT1 and LT4 with reversed flow coolant.

The GM LS really is just the next version of the SBC, except with some revisions and made out of aluminum so that it ends up lighter than some cast iron 4 bangers.

I disagree, if you have ever torn one down they share NOTHING with the classic GEN1 SBC. In fact they look a bit like a SBF when apart.

They dont share much, thats for sure, which is why its an evolution. And they are already 1 generation removed from the classically know sbc, because there was the short lived mutant LT1 and LT4 with reversed flow coolant.

Yeah those LT-1/LT-4s are weird setups. Interesting motors but quite odd.

Hi there

I disagree that the Falcon 6 is a great engine, certainly not in the worldwide scheme of things. Longevity of production doesnt make it great, that has more to do with Ford Au not exactly having the budget to replace it. It is a huge, heavy, low-revving, low hp/l engine. There isnt and never has been anything particularly notable about it in technology, and yes it can make good power with forced induction but then what similar-sized engine cant? Yes it may be reliable but there are any number of engines around that are equally so.

With the endless RB/JZ engine debate, i cant really see what makes the RB better. I think a lot of people assume that because it was in the GT-R that that automatically makes it better, well no. The 2JZ makes more power and torque, is stronger and more reliable (it doesnt have a habit of shitting oil pumps, for example) and has greater modified potential.

Well I can't see the JZ is better than Ford Kent engine either.

Okay ... Ford Kent engine might not makes more powaaaaaah, But it will pretty much lasted forever.

(Yes just because you like Toyota doesn't mean the Jay Zaaaad is the best motor ever.)

No, Kents (and the subsequent re-imaginings) sounds like they came from the factory with a loose bag of spanners left under the bonnet. Horrible, vile, ecobox things, even if Lotus made them quite alright sometimes.

Edit: Not that I'm personally old enough to have experienced the early ones, but have you ever heard a Ford Ka? Eugh, should be banned.

At least they produced a shedload of them and replaceable one is about as easy to find as a .... an air?

Well that is not my point. My point is there's no point to arguing what is the better engine. JZ? RB? Do you think Karl Benz would be proud of them?