The discussion between which type of engine is better continues to loom onward. Some love their naturally aspirated engines that are pure power and only tuned to what they want while many have fallen for the turbocharged boost that you can now have on smaller engines. The benefits in fuel efficiency are obviously going to favor the turbocharged engines and the fact that you can get more power out of smaller engines is certainly admirable as well. There’s still nothing quite like the instant power that a pure engine gives you on one that hasn’t been boosted in any way.
Engines
Power Swapping for Excitement
So many times those of us who spend time around a track or competitions will utter the words “I wish I could put that engine in here.” Gearheads everywhere have thought of what it would be like to have a massive power plant under the hood of a much smaller and lighter model and some have even accomplished the feat. Engine swapping isn’t the easiest thing to do and sometimes it can cause trouble, but when it works the result is simply amazing. Here are some of the most impressive engine swaps ever performed:
Will We Ever See the Rotary Engine Again?
The Wankel Rotary Engine was and still is an engine that is designed to offer maximum power and performance but it does have several drawbacks. Mazda has tried for several years to offer us the rotary engine as a power plant for their RX series vehicles that are some of the most impressive sports cars that we’ve ever seen. Because of the power that can be pushed from these smaller engines we tend to love them at first, but once we experience any of the drawbacks the engines present, the romance is pretty much gone. Here are some reasons this engine might not be used ever again.
Is Diesel Heading Out the Door?
Diesel was never the preferred fuel for us here in America; it has always been in Europe for some odd reason. The oil crisis of the 1970s which saw gas prices skyrocket caused us to panic a bit and turn to diesel in order to fulfill our fuel needs, but once the gas prices were back in line we quickly came back around, why, because we love our gasoline. The sound and smell of a diesel engine was always a turn off and even though the sound has gotten better over the years, the smell is still apparent when you are near a diesel vehicle.