Ward's 10 Best Engines for 2004

[Demon-Xanth]

Laust: check out DC's 4.7 that's in the trucks and Jeeps. Fuel injectors are pointed straight up, spark plugs are on the top, under the coils which point straight up and attach with a 10mm nut, a quick disconnect cable attaches to the coil. You can swap cams w/o taking any major parts off. The valve train is even more simple than a pushrod, it still has rockers. It's quite possibly the easiest access engine that I've ever had the potential to work on (haven't needed to yet). Would I trade the SOHC for pushrods+displacement? Oh hell yeah I would. Pushrod engines are so much more narrow that you can cram some massive displacements in the same size box. The 4.7 can only be enlarged to about 330CID, the Hemi's the same phyiscal size, but has been pictured in upto 6.1L. (rumored 425HP, 425LB/ft)


...I wonder how much an engine swap would run...

 

[Demon-Xanth]

oh, and the MSRP on the SRT-10 Ram is $45k.

 

[brxndxn]

[/quote]Quote

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* Toyota Motor Corp. 1.5L DOHC I-4 Hybrid (Prius)
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I can't think of a powertrain more deserving.
[/quote]

maybe it would stack up if they used two of those engines for one slot in the top 10...

 

[LAUST]

I did notice the 4.7 is very clean under the hood for sure, I do like that a lot, the new 5.7 I noticed looked like an electrical nightmare though

and I'll fix my sig for ya

 

[N8Magic]

Originally posted by: SynthesisI
Crap, my Volkswagen 1.8T got beat out for the first time since I can remember! The mill is getting a little old in the tooth though. 2.0T coming soon.

You all can quote me now:

The new VAG 2.0T FSI engine will be on that list the year of it's release.

 

[geno]

I'm amazed the HEMI made it on there.
Happy to see the Renesis on there

 

[johnjbruin]

Originally posted by: mdbound

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned. That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time. Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong. Jason

Agreed. I like the following line:

Rounding out the new entrants to the 10 Best Engines list is Audi AG with its power- and technology-laden 4.2L DOHC V-8, which powers the special S4 variant of the company's A4 compact sedan/wagon lineup. The thrusty Audi V-8 produces 340 horsepower and 302 lb.-ft. of torque, making it <STRONG>one of the market's most powerful V-8s</STRONG>.

Conservatively, my SS makes atleast 300 RWHP and lb-ft of torque, which, at the fly wheel would be much more. Obviously though, the displacement is higher and the engine overall is probably lower on the "technology" scale. But the Audi's V8 is definitely not one of the "most powerful"

MD.

I'd agree with your second statement. The infiniti 4.5L V8 also makes 340hp and 333TQ, so definitely the 4.2 is not one of the strongest one.

 

[GTaudiophile]

BMW's 3.2L I6 is still the best engine on the list!

 

[andylawcc]

what about the Toyota's 2JZ-GE 3.0 inline 6 in the GS and IS ??
and how bout the 3.0l in the BMW 3 series? I thought those are [or were] great engines????

i also believe the Honda's new 2.3l 4-cylinder deserve some attention for its hp and torque with a relatively high gas mileage.


also, would it be blasphemy to say the Ford Cobra's 4.6l DOHC is a great engine too?

 

[BadgerFan]

Folks, I don't know if you realize this, but this list includes only engines that are CURRENTLY availible. Duh.

 

[slikmunks]

Originally posted by: oLLie

the Renesis brings significant and exciting new improvements to
the design

Improvements like slightly less horsepower and significantly less torque than the RX-7 rotary engine?

no, improvements like relocating the exhaust ports so that there is less overlap and less pollution making it easier to work w/ emissions and yields higher mgp, while keeping the hp similar, and reducing the temps in the engine bay. high temps in the engine bay is one of the things that killed coolant seals in the rotary, which leads to broken apex seals.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

how the hell is the VQ there again? What's that? 9 years running? Or 10?

Pruis's motor gets my vote.

While I was waiting for hte bus at the bus stop, I watched the new Pruis drive by me and stop at the red light. it was SILENT!! Eerily silent.

I wonder how quiet it is on the highway?

I must test drive one of those.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: BadgerFan
Folks, I don't know if you realize this, but this list includes only engines that are CURRENTLY availible. Duh.

who's listing old motors?

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: oLLie

the Renesis brings significant and exciting new improvements to
the design

Improvements like slightly less horsepower and significantly less torque than the RX-7 rotary engine?

You're comparing a Turbo Rotary from the old RX7's to the NON-Turbo Renesis motor in the RX8?

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: sward666

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

I'm sure it was on their list...



...in 1967.

Don't kid yourself. What powers the Z06?

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned.

That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time.

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

Jason

Bah. 351C > 350.

ZV

Not a whole lot of 351s out there ripping it up every day. The 350 on the other hand.....
If I have to I'll drag out the Car Craft article questioning the build of Ford motors in the muscle car days as well.

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: SuperTool

Originally posted by: LivinLaVivaPollo
Surprise surpise... VQ.

The gold standard for V6.

The 3800 V6 from GM is pretty solid as well.

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: CFster

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned.

That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time.

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

Jason

Fifties technology.

50s technology still propelling the probably the best price/performance sports car in the world, the corvette.

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: BadgerFan
Folks, I don't know if you realize this, but this list includes only engines that are CURRENTLY availible. Duh.

who's listing old motors?

Nobody as contenders to the top 10 list. Seems like above poster is harping on everyones references to old stuff in comparison.

Plus I think if you wanted to say it right, it would be egines that are currently available in cars, as Mopar Performance still offers a 528cid Hemi putting out 610hp and 650ft-lbs.

 

[Chaotic42]

Cool. Boxer and Wankel engines are interesting to me.

 

[helpme]

Originally posted by: NeuroSynapsis
fujitsu heavy industries one crazy ngga, neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeegga

Negaaa no get BMW 7 Series negaaaaa!

 

[CFster]

Originally posted by: jjessico

Originally posted by: CFster

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned.

That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time.

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

Jason

Fifties technology.

50s technology still propelling the probably the best price/performance sports car in the world, the corvette.

Doesn't matter. Nobody is talking about horsepower here. We're talking about innovation. And that engine was innovative forty years ago. The basic design hasn't changed since then. There have been minor changes to the block and valvetrain, that's it. Even the aluminum version is a boat anchor, and accomplishes what it does with brute force not refinement. It's horsepower vs. displacement figures are nothing special compared to most other engines out today.

And about the Corvette being the best - well...that's a matter of opinion I suppose. I wouldn't buy one.

 

[jjessico]

Originally posted by: CFster

Originally posted by: jjessico

Originally posted by: CFster

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned.

That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time.

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

Jason

Fifties technology.

50s technology still propelling the probably the best price/performance sports car in the world, the corvette.

Doesn't matter. Nobody is talking about horsepower here. We're talking about innovation. And that engine was innovative forty years ago. The basic design hasn't changed since then. There have been minor changes to the block and valvetrain, that's it. Even the aluminum version is a boat anchor, and accomplishes what it does with brute force not refinement. It's horsepower vs. displacement figures are nothing special compared to most other engines out today.

And about the Corvette being the best - well...that's a matter of opinion I suppose. I wouldn't buy one.

It's called Ward's 10 Best Engines, not "most innovative", "most changed", "coolest technology". The bottom line is that the 5.7 GM motor puts out 400+ hp in its best, naturally aspirated form.

I guess if you can find a car that performs on the level of a Corvette for the same price it would be a matter of opinion, but I think you are going to have trouble doing that.

 

[StageLeft]

You know I do love the RX8, but calling its engine one of the 10 best is quite silly. Mazda is the only company that makes a rotary car right now. The technology is quite accesible, but over decades it's just proven that it's inferior (for standard auto applications) to the engine we all have in our cars Price vs power vs weight vs reliability vs gas economy, etc. it doesn't really win out.

Of course it's no surprise that nissan's v6 is on there

 

[LAUST]

Originally posted by: jjessico

Originally posted by: CFster

Originally posted by: jjessico
No 5.7L Chevrolet engine mentioned.

That sure is odd considering it is probably the greatest all around v8 of all time.

Any top 10 engine list that leaves the 350cid Chevy off is plain old wrong.

Jason

Fifties technology.

50s technology still propelling the probably the best price/performance sports car in the world, the corvette.

We went over this in another thread, that block is not the same as the block used in the 283/305/327/350/400 it's now a totally NEW block as of 1997. If you are calling pushrods 50's tech then I call OHC tech even earlier tech.

the new block LS1 (1997 Vette) is not the same as the LT1 (1996 Vette) the physical block itself is about 2 inchest shorter, it's a SIX bolt main vs a FOUR, the heads are totally different and can be seen a mile away by the exhaust ports. distributerless ignition, and lots more. There are ZERO parts that share from the old block with the new block. Trust me I KNOW, not even the fuel injectors are the same.