| kaisen |
03-05-2008 10:32 AM |
Maybe we should forget talking number of cylinders and address it as 'displacement'. There is little reason for a 'normal' passenger car to have displacement over 4.0L, arguably 3.5L. A modern DOHC 4 valve/cyl gasoline engine with near square bore/stroke seems to have settled on ~0.6L per cylinder as the sweet spot for flame-front efficiency. 50 horsepower per cylinder is the high-end of normal, today. I think a 200hp 4 cylinder or 300hp 6 cylinder is plenty for a 3000-3500lb C/D class midsize sedan. Transmission efficiency helps small engines cope, as they multiply torque.
Combine efficient four cylinder engines with computer-controlled variable-geometry turbocharging, electric motor assist, regenerative braking, adaptive multi-ratio or CVT transmissions, better tires with lower rolling resistance (maintaining same grip), better aerodynamics, modern materials for a better strength/weight ratio, and todays active/passive safety systems and there is no reason why a car the size of a 1993 Honda Accord can't get 35 mpg city / 45 mpg freeway, pull 0.7G, earn a 5-star safty rating, and do 0-60 in 7 seconds while still selling for a reasonable price (if they sell 300K+ units like an Accord).
Apply the same technologies to a performance car and the relativity remains.
That said, I still love V8s
|
