Are you a car enthusiast? Or are you one of those folks who get fascinated by how cars work or at least want to know what makes them so powerful? Well, of course, it's the engine that plays a big role in making them so powerful and if you have cars in your Instagram feed then definitely you might have come across some popular engine types such as I-6(inline-6), V6, V8, V10, and V12 that is used by some impeccable cars like Ferrari 812 superfast and Pagani Huayra R. Now if you are totally new to this industry and you keep scratching your head when anybody blabbers about these engine types or you keep wondering what exactly these engines are, then you have come to the right place to know about them. Also, this blog is not so detailed, it is kept as simple as possible considering that you are probably a newbie.
Types of engines covered:
I3(inline-3)
I4(inline-4)
I6(inline-6)
V6
V8
V10
V12
W12
W16
I3 (Inline-3)
Starting off with the most common turbocharged engine. The 1.0L 3-cylinder turbocharged engine, design of this engine is pretty simple. The 3 cylinders are arranged in a line and are mostly paired with a turbocharger to gain more power. Tata uses this same type of engine but it is naturally aspirated because it is 1.2L and not 1.0L. Repeatedly the 1.0L 3-cylinder engine is paired with a turbocharger. Also, this engine combination is not that reliable but still usable. Also, they don't sound amazing so they are better with commuter cars only. I will be using these ‘{(I3)}’ symbols and figures to explain it in a better and easy way.
I4 (inline-4)
This is the most common Naturally Aspirated engine combination. And again, this being an inline the pistons are arranged in a line. This engine is considered to be the most flexible engine since it can be tuned, it can be turbocharged or you can just keep it stock. And yes this engine sounds great! Pretty much reliable and if driven respectfully then it turns out to be light on the pocket, therefore it can be seen in many petrol cars these days. ‘{(I4)}’
I6 (inline-6)
This engine type is used in mighty JDM cars like Mk4 Toyota Supra and Nissan Skyline GTR R32, R33, and R34. And this engine being used in these legendary cars means it is definitely the most tuner-friendly engine. It's only the first owner of these cars that keeps it stock. And undoubtedly this engine is reliable considering the fact that it is made by Toyota and Nissan, the real Japanese carmakers in the market. This engine is also flexible but you don't just keep it stock like I4. Many car enthusiasts use it as their project car and throw a single turbo or maybe twin-turbocharged sometimes but yes you cannot find them stock easily. You can imagine this engine as 2 I3 engines stuck together. {(I3)+(I3)=(I6)}
V6 Engine
This engine type has been used in the latest Nissan model, the Nissan GTR R35, it was also used in Honda Acura NSX which is usually considered a Japanese supercar. In this engine configuration, two inline-3 cylinders are arranged parallel, intersecting at a point forming a ‘V’ shape. Hence it is known as ‘V6’. 3 cylinders on either side. This engine is tuner friendly too.{(\3)+(/3)=(\/6)}
V8 engine
This being a V-series engine it is arranged in the same way as the V6 but here two inline-4 engine is used to make the car more powerful. This engine can be paired with turbochargers as well as superchargers. Some popular cars like the Mercedes G63 AMG and the Ferrari 488 Pista use this engine which is paired with twin turbos. {(\4)+(/4)=(\/8)}
V10 Engine
V10 Engine, Lamborghini lovers assemble! Yes, this engine is used in the famous Lamborghini Huracan and the Audi R8 V10. You might be wondering if there is no I5 (inline-5) engine then how is this engine made? Well, there was an inline-5 engine, but since it is not used in any recent car, there was no use in mentioning it. The V10 Engine again, uses the same engine structure that is 2 inline-5 Engines stuck together. {(\5)+(/5)=(\/10)}
V12 Engine
This engine type uses the same technique as others but here it has 2 (inline-6) engines stuck together at an angle. These engines are mostly twin-turbocharged and used in hypercars or in exotic cars like the Ferrari 812 Superfast and Lamborghini Aventador SVJ. One of the most iconic incidents that happened with this engine is when Smokey Nagata, yeah that popular JDM car tuner who formed this company named ‘TopSecret’. So, Smokey Nagata swapped his MK4 Toyota Supra with the most underrated JDM V12 engine that is the 1GZ-FE engine that is used in Toyota Century a luxury Sedan. After the swap, Smokey Nagata had no idea to tune that V12 engine, and yes this happened in the late nineties so you can expect technology to be so advanced that this V12 block will be tuned with the stock ECU. Furthermore, Smokey Nagata was forced to use 2 ECUs to tune that V12, he used one ECU for a single Inline-6 motor, and he did this to the other joint inline-6 motor. Basically, he tuned a single V12 block separately. This incident is barely known by anyone. {(\6)+(/6)=(\/12)}
W12 Engine
This engine type might be complex to understand but with the symbols, it will be easy. This engine uses a different engine structure as compared with the (\/) series engines. Here, 2 V6 engines are stuck together by which they for (\/\/) shape, and since it uses (\/6) it multiplies by 2 and hence (\/\/12). This engine is mostly used by the Volkswagen group, Bentley Continental GT, and Bentley Flying Spur. {(\/6)+(\/6)=(\/\/12)}
W16 Engine
This engine follows the same structure as the W12 engine but the only difference here is that it uses 2 (\/8) engines to form this engine. This engine is used by the might, the only respectable car, that car that costs more than ₹35cr and there is not a single unit of that car in India, The Buggati Chiron. Yes! The Buggati Chiron uses (\/\/16). This engine is very hard to maintain and fun fact. You can't tune this engine, it will only be a maniac who will try to play with this engine. {(\/8)+(\/8)=(\/\/16)}
Conclusion
In conclusion, now you know the most common types of engine that are used in the cars produced in recent times. Some of these engines are amazing in that tuners have an emotion towards them. And hey, stay tuned if you want more information in simple words so you don't make a fool out of yourself. One last thing before ending this blog that is, you shouldn't care if your car is fast or slow unless it drives well. Respect every fuel-powered machine and not electric.
GGood