What's The Best Engine Configuration?

[@AUMINER1]

sand = rod knock

[@d4a]

Congratulations, the mini V12 is yours. There were answers before yours, but they had some incorrect and out of order info, so I'll take this as the first complete and correct answer. There is an email in the channel about section, please get in touch with me there and send me a photo of this username logged into KZbin as proof it's you. You can hide any sensitive/personal info you wish, although I will need your full name, address and phone number to ship 😀

[@revstreak]

Congratulations 👏👏👏👏👏 i was 8 mins late, enjoy it ❤

[@car1916]

Nice work! I was thinking while looking at it that it looks like the coolest thing ever to own, hope your neighbours don't live too close

[@gutbut]

Winner winner. Chicken dinner

[@kantanoexil]

how can i contact you?

[@ericsson_motorsports]

Personally I would say that the inline 6 is the best engine configuration, so long as the application has enough space for one. The reason I say this is that it's the lowest cylinder count that achieves perfect primary and secondary engine balance. They make good, smooth power without being too expensive or hard to work on

[@gavinsmith28]

But only 1/2 a V12

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@gavinsmith28 Exactly! If we are talking the best engine, not the best overall for the car, you gotta have the 12 cylinders. If you are talking about what is best overall for a six-cylinder circuit racing car, a flat-six or V6 (or the now fashionable 120-degree V6) is almost going to be better than inline-six since it's a more compact and lower engine.

[@RePeteAndMe]

Inline 6 can be slanted or flat. A 5 or 10 degrees above flat inline 6...ahhh

[@pierro281279]

@@gavinsmith28 Is Inline 4 1/2 V8 to you ?

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@pierro281279 Yes, of course it is to me. That's exactly what it is after all. Inline-four = half V8, inline-five = half V10, inline-six = half V12. The Cosworth DFV is almost literally two Cosworth FVA engines joined together, it even has two water pumps and two oil pumps.

[@H3aven-v1n]

Congratulations for 10 Years on KZbin!!

[@fridaycaliforniaa236]

Gas turbine is the best : continuous combustion, no inbalance, very light engine, can burn almost anything that is a fuel Also, happy 10 years of this amazing channel =)

[@peterpetersen4747]

Of course you're right. But then why aren't they in all of our cars?

[@cbdp]

Not practical and smaller gas turbines have poor efficiency.

[@yessitsme6884]

​@@peterpetersen4747 Insanely loud and not good at varying its RPM quickly. There were some attempts at using them as generators for hybrid cars but... Sooooo loud.

[@old_toucs6283]

@@peterpetersen4747 Very poor response, they are basically ultra fast flywheels. Noise is controllable, think turbochargers.

[@johnferguson4869]

Some bus manufacturers have trialled them because they are good for emissions, but efficiency & performance are poor. Abrams tanks use them for high power to weight ratio & ability to use lots of fuel types, but again efficiency is not good.

[@grahamcifuentes4451]

For a bloke for whom English is not their first language, you are doing Fantastically!

[@jeffrandolf5673]

And his humor is ramping up. The beginning had me in stitches.

[@feedbackzaloop]

He's doing fantastic. Period.

[@Rob-rp3cw]

Maybe he could teach you some english grammar; punctuation; proper nouns; or possibly the definition of the word - whom. Good day to you.

[@giggiddy]

​@@Rob-rp3cwOr maybe you could simply enjoy the comments and not act like a raving azzhole. PS- Feel free to critique my sentence structure, clown.

[@JamesField]

@@Rob-rp3cw I'm pretty sure that's actually the correct usage of "whom" in this case. You wouldn't write "for who English is not their first language" but you might use "for someone who does not speak English as a first language." Regardless, please be nice.

[@georgech2362]

0:59 Come on, the correlation with the gestures, the timing, the loudly pronounced “P” and him successfully not breaking was just gold. Perfect.

[@akinozkan4496]

Man, i admire your poetic way of narration.

[@louisthibault555]

Yeah, bro is a natural-born storyteller.

[@calholli]

That's just his French German Muslim accent

[@Quell__]

@@calholli he is from neither countries but okay

[@giovanniquargentan6198]

He's a chill and cool guy 😎🤠

[@SirBalatro]

*Poetic mispronunciation of brand names :D

[@thealvaco]

I thought the miniature V 12 was stupid...till you fired it up. Now I want to V12 swap an E bike.

[@Todaviho]

This would be legendary

[@stevedymoke]

Do it!

[@gavinsmith28]

@@thealvaco Now that I would trade a body part for 🥳😉👍

[@rubberduck4966]

But only with Ethanol so that the E can stay

[@denmarktwp]

I think a V12 in a Yam YSR 50 would be a spectacular pit bike.

[@reggiedwayne1844]

I love the way you lay out the history of the subject matter. entertained & informed; works for me!

[@Steve-of1dy]

Don't forget the big v12 diesels that power some fo the most impressive industrial equipment humanity has produced.

[@-danR]

All the comments seem to be missing his opening point: there is no 'best' configuration. The best engine for wheel-driven land speed record would be a regeneratively cooled, propane+lox fueled, 8-rotor engine. It might manage to power the first prop-driven supersonic plane. But it would be useless for anything else.

[@Arexodius]

Imagine a 16 liter diesel V12 in a big rig truck 😄 I bet it would sound glorious Straight piped of course...

[@good4jg]

@@Arexodius Indeed! Search for "12V71 Detroit straight pipe" to hear one. It (at 14 liters) and the 18-liter 12V92 are two-stroke, so they sound as if they're turning faster than they are.

[@zdenekkindl2778]

@@Arexodius For pizza delivery?

[@Steve-of1dy]

Look up the old 71 series Detroit Diesels. 👍​@@Arexodius

[@Where_is_Waldo]

When you reved that little V12 , it made my heart happy. I envy the winner.

[@JoaoZagoSJC]

Man, I am Brazilian. And you got me when you mentioned A. Senna. Today, I was remembering with my dad these glorious F1 days with McLaren/Honda V12 and Senna. It was hard to avoid the tears. Thank you!!!

[@mry82]

He was a machine. RIP.

[@kalle5548]

This is one of those channels that just keep on giving, Thank YOU for all the hard work and knowledge you provide for free here on KZbin 🥳

[@alrecks619]

Inline 6 and V12 are perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[@dman8951]

They are absolutely spiffing!

[@MultiMustafa7]

V10. Fite me.

[@stevend4544]

I'll fight you with your own parsitic balance shaft

[@EbenBransome]

Static balance only. Engines rotate.

[@stevend4544]

@@EbenBransome mine just sits in my car thats cool yours rotates

[@dominichayes9808]

Congratulations for ten years. I've only followed you for a few of those years, but your channel is one of my favourites with engaging and educational content presented enthusiastically with passion. Keep up the great work!

[@norbertperka9231]

After 22 years working with cars not engines but in bodyshop - paint sprayer , your Chanel made me more interested in the engine part of a car, nice work

[@SebastianBlix]

Personal opinion: 3~3.2 liter straight 6. Pros: balance, power, simplicity compared to V, efficiency, etc. Cons: length.

[@the80386]

All things considered, the 'best' config is 1.5-2.0L inline 4. yes it's 'boring' and _unpetrolheadly_ but it's also sensible, compelling engineers of most brands to use it as their default.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

With an inline 6, displacement doesn't matter. The most durable automotive engines in Detroit history are the Ford 300, the Chysler slant 6 and the AMC/Chrysler 4.0.

[@SebastianBlix]

@@nonyadamnbusiness9887 Engineers smarter than I found that 500cc +/- 100cc is the optimal cylinder size for balancing power with efficiency and low wear. Smaller can be more efficient but at the cost of power, larger can make more power but at the cost of wear/efficiency. That most auto makers stick pretty close to that lends credibility imo.

[@SebastianBlix]

@@the80386 inline 4 is the cheapest to mass produce and the easiest to package while also making enough power to satisfy the majority. In that sense yes it is the “best”.

[@blackmancer]

V12 preferably Ferrari

[@ericmondale3493]

Thanks!

[@chrissmith2114]

Who can forget the iconic war winning RR Merlin V12 - and the Griffon.. The very best sounding V12 ever, once heard, never forgotten

[@piedpiper1172]

I wouldn’t click literally any other channel that titled a video this, because it would be obvious click bait. D4A, however, was an instant click-I knew this video would be fascinating and that you’d done the work to prove your opinion would be well informed, nuanced, and interesting. I wasn’t disappointed!

[@zululeppard]

Here's what I appreciate about your channel - there is no begging to subscribe and hit the bell. You just concentrate on the subject, concise and to the point.

[@bastiangugu4083]

The intro alone has merited a thumbs up. 🙂 Your videos are always great. Informative without BS and humorous to boot. Thanks. Your German pronunciation is impressive.

[@AldenPez]

@1:25 ok ok you have convinced me to put a V12 in my next project

[@jordonjames7748]

This channel alone has taught me so much about automotive stuff, the day I discovered it was like finding gold and your presentation style is so encaptivating. Please Keep it up!

[@cyrilmeynier5688]

your life will be bliss if you find someone who loves you as much as this guy loves reciprocating engines

[@throwawaypt2throwawaypt2-xp8nx]

that's like asking for hell to freeze over

[@graniteamerican3547]

he said peak engine was this weird engine design based on a spinning pump. no reciprocation. see his two videos, "peak efficiency" and "rotary vane".

[@mihkelarold]

Still the best car channel on yt! Thank you for all the great work and informative and well written content! Greetings from Estonia!

[@IamGearboy]

Favorite and something that could fit anything 3 rotor 20B, or any rotor design as you can just add rotors and extend your eccentric shaft to fit bigger liters. Most practical and solid platform VR6. VR6 small enough to fit in any chassis, dual over head cam, single head design, best of inline 6 and v6 in one package. VR6 is stout and has many liter configurations. If you need more liters and pistons then W12 you get 2 inline 6 designs with a short length. A pretty impressive design.

[@7rahe13]

Congratulations on completing 10 years. I am a big fan of your content and I must say that it has been an incredible learning experience for me. More power to you!!

[@boorinyeung]

You have done a good job in running this channel, and educate all car enthusiasts with science and knowledge. High appreciation and respect. (from Hong Kong)

[@hlumelomgudlwa603]

Congrats on the 10 year period of existence, well done. I have enjoyed your videos for the past 5 years. I think you modified it and sort of upgraded it to make much more powerful with new pistons, rods, and you worked on the top as well. It has been great years for us to and you educated us throughout.

[@ActionPanda-g5n]

I have to say that it incredibly generous to provide the engine for a giveaway. Goodluch to whoever gets it!

[@NelsonKNelson]

Best thing EVER given away on ANY channel. And fun video! Bit of STRAIGHT-6 HISTORY: At the 1980 (or so) Chicago Auto Show I enjoyed Volvo's big display (with a see-thru acrylic-block "working" engine) on why the STRAIGHT-6 was the best, simplest, most reliable configuration, why every V8 was inferior and, not sure they said exactly this, but strongly implied Volvo would never use anything BUT a STRAIGHT-6 as its flagship engine. They covered primary and secondary balance advantages and commented negatively on the use of balance shafts without directly mentioning Mitsubishi who had started using them around that time. Then Volvo went on to offer 5 cylinder engines and even V8s within the decade, so that was a bummer for me after being so well educated about the STRAIGHT-6 from that wonderful display.

[@old_toucs6283]

The claims you saw were made by engineers. What happened afterwards was due to a combination of marketing and most customers knowing nothing about engineering.

[@williammurray4584]

Thank you for all that you do for the community of like minded people for engines, cars, science and history! What a special gift! I have daughters and I make them watch your videos with me for years!!

[@Erik_Swiger]

I work at a private car collection, and we have some V-12s. We just finished driving the Cadillacs, including a V-12 (I believe it's a 1930 model). The smoothness and the torque are unbelievable.

[@codyaragon93]

Congrats on 10 years! I’ve been following you the last 5 years and you’ve helped me understand concepts I was convinced I needed a formal education in engineering to grasp and rediscover some old hobbies I put down years ago. Thanks for all the exceptional content. 🎉

[@deanbritton7436]

My favourite is the inline 6. Naturally aspirated, triple carbs and a nice cam. Smooth, free revving and super fun to drive.

[@panzermensch1577]

I appreciate that this guy looked into the languages of the people who made these engines and pronounced them in their respective tongues.

[@5naxalotl]

yeah, except lamborghini is hard G ... that's what the H is for. but i appreciate the effort

[@merkatorix]

@@5naxalotl He said Hörch instead of Horch. I mean the Name is like a verb, and the verb is not Hörch. That stroke me, because the other German names, which seemed more complicated, were perfect.

[@knurles]

@@5naxalotlthat’s what I was thinking nailed Ferrari but then Lambor j ne? Lambor gheee ne. Like the clarified butter ghee

[@5naxalotl]

to be fair, D4A likes playing with words and accents so he might just be having fun with his non-english background. some of the names are getting subtle foreign nuances that native english speakers mostly never notice ... while otoh italian might be the world's most regular and easy to pronounce language. it's pretty common knowledge that ge and gi are soft g unless you put _h_ in the middle to block the rule. [also a rule in english, but only half the time unlike italian.] and it's not like he hasn't heard _Lamborghini_ a million times. imo it's safer to assume he's trolling the language nerds

[@merkatorix]

@ Now, it sounds like a pattern. I guess, you are right.

[@itisflat1356]

:-/ I don't know but you're the best explainer of engines to laymen EVER ;-) thanks for all your hard work!

[@tobiasb6768]

I remember something about knock in that first engine, might be confusing it with the engine that ran too hot and got watercooled. Doesn't really matter though, I'm more thankful for all the accessible in-depth information you've gifted us over these years!

[@jannegrey]

Answer: I don't know and honestly I don't care. I wasn't here for long enough, but I still love your channel and your videos. Take care and I wish the best anyone that does win. Take care!

[@8lakk5unshine]

I believe you did a water methanol injection setup with the MR2 engine, to attempt to answer your question. I do love your videos and the way you teach.

[@Vanessinha91Pucca]

The best for sure is 4 Cylinder in line. Small, cheap, sturdy, reliable. it can be a small N/A for low fuel usage on a small shitbox, power a SUV and even a light trackday car. It can go low to high power with turbo and 2.0+l or low power to high efficiemcy with 1.0-1.6l. Fit any engine bay. Btw i did watch the video till the end ;) nice surprise haha

[@whiteprideisnotacrime1685]

Only for poors mate, keep your faggy boring shopping trolley engines

[@rogerwennstrom6677]

Yeah, from a pure practical allround car engine perspective, the inline 4 must be the winner? In the end, the best config should be the most versatile and therefore the most common: that is the engine that the industry and buyers have decided upon already :) It isn't my personal favourite at all, but objectively I can't see any other top it. Maybe in theory the inline six due to balance etc, but dimensions are too compromised for it to win IMO.

[@Vanessinha91Pucca]

@@rogerwennstrom6677 Same by far isn't my favorite :)

[@HajThere]

i personally love the V6, it is not the most efficient, not the most balanced, not the most powerful, but its existance proves that anuything is possible. D4A's video about the busso V6 perfectly ilustrates this, this engine needed a lot of engineering tricks to run smoothly and reliably, but that kind of makes it cool. Also you can own a V6 on a pretty cheep buget so thats a plus

[@wingracer1614]

If you want to show anything is possible, oddballs like V5s and V3s are even weirder.

[@jonathantatler]

But the Straight 6 sounds so perfect!

[@KamerKazanci-wj2ou]

Most compact engine

[@PSA78]

​@@wingracer1614Or BRM H16, that was an oddball. 😂

[@engineerisengihere44]

V6s are a very good "middle of the road" engine. You get respectable NA power, relatively good fuel economy (depending on the engine), and they can fit in tons of different applications

[@felixbgc]

Your first MR2 engine broke around 5700 rpm after a rebuilt, just revving it to full throttle in every gear.

[@nigelsmith7366]

I told him to build a Ge not the Fe 🤣

[@yama-fanboy]

@@nigelsmith7366 he explained why he did the FE build and I agree with his logic of blazing a new trail. I didn't remember the 1st engine broke though. Guess it has been a long time.

[@VarroTigurius-u1f]

Zonda is one of the best sounding vehicles IMHO. Music to my ears!

[@projectv8542]

The pronunciation of the names is 🔛🔝

[@mmmdawe]

Lamborghini is wrong

[@aaronlarsen4674]

Lamborghini, fettuccine, zucchini… what’s the difference really

[@TkDesimon]

It's indeed too difficult to bring up Google and search "Lamborghini italian pronunciation"...

[@lilips127]

@@mmmdawe lamborjini lol

[@CallMeMrChainmail]

Each pronunciation carefully calibrated for maximum annoyance of each country's natives. Perfectly balanced, as all things should be.

[@tanelrebane]

Congratulations on 10 years! 🎉 There is no other YT-channel that gets me to watch almost every video. To understand something really well, I either have to watch one video of yours, or a half-assed mix of many other videoes. The V12 is nice, but you are the real king here. Thanks!

[@CarlosReguse]

I just love the reference to the McLaren MP4 Honda V12 with Ayrton Sennas behind the wheel...The perfect combination, the reference of an era that will never happen again...Thanks for your nice work on this channel..

[@calderniven8110]

@D4A I remember when I found this channel, maybe 3-5 years ago and just kept coming back to it. Thank you for many years of insights, spitballing, education and general engineering banter man! I think I can speak for most of the community when I say you've already given far more than a mini V12 (though I wouldn't turn it down XD). Great to see you still excited for the endeavour, here's to 10 years! And of course, all the best for whatever lies ahead with the channel!

[@Dirtyharry70585]

Eric over at ‘I do cars’ just disassemble a 2J from a Lexus with 415k miles that was still operational. Total agreement on that Honda V12 has the screaming Eagle

[@davidanderson215]

'I do cars' is my 2nd favorite channel, after this one. 'Crime pays botany doesn't' is also recommended.

[@TP-3000]

This is great, thanks. Love showing this to my son. The balance diagrams of different configurations were fantastic

[@Stuntman175]

One of the best engine configurations out there is probably the V8, but if there are no size constraints in the engine bay, the straight-6 is THE best engine configuration. It's almost perfectly balanced, the block is a single casting, you only use one head and one or two camshafts which makes it simple and economical to design and produce. Every single manufacturer out there that builds straight-6's makes one hell of an engine. Toyota has the 2JZ, Ford has the Barra, GM has the Atlas, BMW has their B/S/N series, Mercedes has their gasoline straight-6's and the legendary diesel OM606. Most of the trucks out there, whether they are from Scania, Fuso or Peterbilt, most of them use 6 pot diesels as their powertrain.

[@BrianSkinny-n5f]

Some of those big diesels use 2 sometimes 3 cylinder heads for an online 6 because they are SO DAMN HEAVY. When MACK trucks where still making their own engine (before the mp7) it used 2 cylinder heads and each one had to be put in using a forklift. Easily 250 pounds and the engine in the truck is sitting at shoulder height sometimes and I stand 6 foot 2 lol.

[@milithemuffin4534]

@@BrianSkinny-n5f Talking about individual, the Tatra T-930 diesel V12 used not only individual heads but also individual cylinders! At modell de there's a full scanned prospekt with historical part graphics and some diagrams Not exactly the most eco-friendly motor, but a true workhorse of the past and somehow present.

[@microTrash28]

Woke up at three in the morning to a D4A video dropping. Nice. And two out of the three comments are bots.

[@Lina_Antoniou]

I agree. If I had the chance to make one engine, it would be an oversquare dry-sump naturally aspirated V12. Not too much displacement, as I 'd try to strike a balance between enough power and limited engine height without sacrificing the rod ratio. Whatever application it would go into, it would have to be capable on b-roads.

[@MyRealName]

I think a lot of comments answer the question "What is my *favorite* engine configuration", not the best. The best one is the one that is cheaply manufactured and powers most vehicles today reliably and efficiently. It's the boring inline 4.

[@TassieLorenzo]

And the V8, which is two of those. So the answer is found in the Ford Model T and Ford Model 18?

[@srptr_w]

i was gonna say this. it also depends on what you count as best? Light/Compactness? Power output? Fuel efficiency? Ease of Manufacture? Ease of Maintenance? Reliability? Engine balance and smoothness? or something else? (i havent finishes watching the video dont attack me if the video answers this)

[@shred1894]

NA 2.4L I4 with VVL/VVT and relatively high compression.

[@m.b.82]

Agreed. And not just because they're cheap. It's packaging, and simplicity too

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@m.b.82 Yep, it's definitely not just because inline-fours are cheap. Going by the 'standard' of 500cc per cylinder, then most 1.5L car engines should be triples and most 1.0L car engines should be twins, yet most of them are still inline-fours despite the higher cost.

[@hamstirrer6882]

Happy 10 years d4a!

[@jackinreallife]

My all time favorite is the 5 cylinder - rare choice but i adore the sound, theyre relatively cheap, and they fit in most cars that can fit a 4 cylinder

[@veereshpm]

I have started watching this channel quite recently. But I must say, how ever wins it is fair and square!! You are one of the ‘hidden’ gem of a channel on youtube. Congratulations on 10 years anniversary! God speed 😊

[@joebaker5421]

The real question and answer: what sounds better than the V12 but is not as useful or wide spread introduction. Mazda 4 Congrats on the 10 years. Always been one of my top loved channels.

[@Josh9-b2y]

I have no idea, but I do like your content. In the past you showed some really good content about turbos, and as in this video, you seem to know what you are doing. So, the whole setup of how you do your videos is, for me, the point of always having you in my content on KZbin. Thanks for sharing this.

[@LamantinoElettronico]

If I was asked this I would answer both the inline 6 and the 90° crossplane v8. Both are refined and perfectly balanced, can make very good power, and are generally not as large and heavy as most v10s and v12s are

[@studenteeu7415]

even for chainsaw?

[@LamantinoElettronico]

@@studenteeu7415 Of course, just look up the video of two men lifting and using an LS powered chainsaw

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@studenteeu7415 😂 I lol-ed. With this logic, the good old single is the best piston engine as it is the workhorse! 😊

[@DB-fn3fz]

The crossplane V8 is not perfectly balanced for primary or secondary vibrations.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@DB-fn3fz I didn't know that! It's pretty good though, isn't it? Hence the Rolls Royce 6.75 L V8 and Cadillacs and so on?

[@bookofrevelation4924]

Depends on application. Many engines are the best one.

[@vasilispants8241]

Congratulations on the greatest automotive channel10 years anniversary! I too think the V12 is the most iconic engine ever! Now, I think your first engine had rod knock because there was sand blasting left-overs and you rebuilt it and put carbs from a bike

[@sorek__]

Ah yes, purchasing model V12 and then making video to make sure justify purchase for "content". Total respect :D Also nice you passing it on to your most devoted fans!

[@charlesjmouse]

It's going the be the i6, or maybe the i4 if our good hoast is very boring. Ahh... the v12. An engineer who thinks with his heart - marvellous! PS: Here's a thought - Is the v6 the poster child of compromise? And yet the Busso v6 is a sublime work of magic! (Yes, there's one in my GTV so I might be biassed)

[@GrumpyUnkMillions]

You seem to be having fun doing this, it shows through, and makes your videos very enjoyable to watch. They are also entertaining and educational. I have been flddling with engines since 1962 when a neighbor was trashing a continental single powered reel lawnmower. Me & dad (actually Dad) over rev'd the engine and it threw the connecting rod. I could not even buy a gallon of gas to get it running...

[@Excepticus]

Apart from the inline 6 which I thought would win I could've seen the 2 rotor rotary being a strong contender if it wasn't for it's problems shared with every other rotary engine

[@Aidan-gk6du]

I too have the V12 on the top of my list of best engine configurations, and the inline 6 too. Briefly with regard to the 6, with the engine firing every 120 degrees there is not enough torque overlap between firings to result in a total net positive torque being applied to the crank, you need to get to 8 cylinders firing every 90 degrees before there is no net negative force on the crank. Next issue is the big one for both the I6 and V12, the crank is long, and the crank at the end of the day is a spring and if not designed well or pushed beyond its design limits becomes a metal piece of wobbly spaghetti. You will note that most I6 engines are undersquare, this is to do with packaging of course, minimising the length of the engine but also reducing the length of the crank. The outcome being reduced valve area and thus reduced airflow and power potential. Another strategy is to strengthen the crank by using larger mains and rod journals to increase journal overlap but this increases bearing speed and introduces more friction and potential oil control issues at high rpm. None of this means you can't engineer an amazing I6 or V12, of course you can, but what it does mean is that it isn't trivial to scale the engine to larger capacities, and at the end of the day, NA or with boost, the larger the swept volume the more power you can make, within reason. (Yes I know engines like the Merlin were 27 Liters but they also don't rev like an automotive engine.) I think the cross-plane V8 deserves some love here, unlike a flat-plane V8 that really is two inline 4 bangers, the cross-plan can achieve perfect primary and secondary balance too. If you look at one bank, with number one piston at TDC, number 4 is at BDC so you would assume it is not in primary balance. However the large end counterweights mean that the piston at TDC at one end is balanced by the end counterweight at the other end of the crank. Of course counterweights rotate and pistons reciprocate, but now if you view the engine end on and look at the two end pistons on the one crank pin, one in each bank, with the banks separated by 90 degrees (natural firing separation for 8 cylinders that also achieves net positive torque), if one of these pistons is at TDC, the other is half way down its stroke and the counterweight is at 90 degrees to it and thus the forces balance out. The size of the counterweights reduces as you move towards the center of the engine since the separation of the pistons reduces and all said and done this configuration achieves perfect balance albeit with heavier counterweights compared to a flat-plane V8, but its worth a mention that an equivalent capacity I6 usually ends up with a heavier crank because of the length. Lastly the crank is only the width of one connecting rod longer than a I4 (everything else being equal) so that it far simpler to engineer a crankshaft stiff enough to handle high cylinder pressures without deflecting as well as high rpm. So you might argue the humble cross-plane V8 is the better configuration since it balances very well and unlike the I6 and V12 can scale, which is why you can buy a 10.3 Litre Big Block Chev off the shelf but wont find a V12 near that size.

[@earthtoimani]

Rolls-Royce Merlin(Jay Leno has one) is a 27 litre V12. You can get big V12 engines

[@Aidan-gk6du]

@@earthtoimani Thanks for that, very cool engine, and great vid that Jay Leno has of it too! There are even larger aero V12 engines. I actually mentioned the Merlin in my post. You are correct that clearly there are large V12s, but I think you will still find they have comparatively large crank journals, undersquare bore and stroke, and don't rev very high like we might expect in an automotive engine. Actually you can say the same for big diesel truck straight six's too. I guess if we're talking best configuration regardless of application, or if we're talking automotive, which is where my interest is personally. If I had the money to construct my own engine from scratch, it would be V12, I just love them. But if you asked me to pick a high performance automotive powerplant that's going to best suit an automotive application, keep the mass closer to the center of the chassis and down low in the chassis and make big power its damn hard not to pick a V8.

[@earthtoimani]

@@Aidan-gk6du V8 is tempting but the most they usually make as of 2024 without blowing into pieces is 1,619 PS on E85. Weight is not really a factor because there are ways to counter that like suspension and braking technology, the problem is legally most countries do not allow manufacturers to generate over 2G under braking hence why you can start feeling a weight of a car, the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo(not a V8 or V12) is heavier than an F1 car and back when it was doing laps in circuits it did beat F1 lap times, that in itself proved that weight is not really a factor not to mention things like Bloodhound LSR and Thrust SSC weigh tens of tonnes and can still stop and achieve insane speeds. So in summary humans have already proven to have the capabilities of countering weight. For power I'd say the electric cars are poised to generate the most only if they have supercapacitors instead of lithium-ion like Lamborghini Sian and Countach LPI 800-4 or a triple setup of lithium-ion, supercapacitors and an engine like on the AMG ONE. A triple setup of a V12, lithium-ion and supercapacitors would generate more power than a pure electric car and an ICE only car, think north of 5,000. V8 aren't smooth and aren't on the top 5 best sounding engines, the crank problem of the V12 was solved years ago and even today by both Colombo in Ferrari and the Cosworth in GMA. Just don't build the engine too big. Aston Martin still use that turbo charged V12 and still has the potential to make even more power. So 5.2 is the max for a V12 without having a crack and cam problem and V8 usually have a piston problem when increasing the power

[@Aidan-gk6du]

@@earthtoimani That is a very precise number before they blow to pieces! We agree V12's are great just don't build them too big. I can only assume you mean flat plane V8's aren't smooth, second order vibration issues like an I4, just not twice as much but multiplied by the square root of two, obviously, when the banks are separated by 90 degrees you can just see that's what the multiplication factor is. There's a lot to unpack there mate, and I don't have the time right now, but always great to see others interested.

[@earthtoimani]

@@Aidan-gk6du A 1:1 comparison of smoothness would be the 6.75L V8 on the Bentleys and some Rolls-Royces vs the BMW 6.6L and 6.75L V12s in the BMW Rolls-Royces. They both have cross plane yet the V12 is just smoother. Thank you for taking your time btw, I appreciate it.

[@serdarcam99]

Bro puts videos every few weeks but each one of them is gold 10 years of quality content

[@LasloPferg-ru2vt]

There was a study that used a supercomputer to analyze hundreds of variables such as displacement, bore and stroke dimensions and ration, number of cylinders and their configuration, rod length and ratio to stroke, surface area of the cylinder walls and it’s effect on cooling combustion and incomplete burn of the charge, internal losses to friction, swept area of the rings, flame front and combustion migration, on and on. The whole automobile engine design textbook and results of thousands of studies. Equal weights were given to power, gas economy, longevity . The end result was that a three liter V-6 with “square” bore and stroke dimensions was the optimum overall design.

[@vabels54]

My 6 Ve is only 2.5 liters. It works ok.

[@mattyb1624]

But... V12

[@r9bet]

VR30DDTT

[@michaelgideon8944]

Garbage in garbage out. Someone chose a set of parameters that generated that result. There are plenty of applications where a v-6 would fail miserably. There is no optimum, only compromises for an application.

[@mattyb1624]

@@michaelgideon8944 but... v12

[@justaguycalledjosh]

Honestly, it's the way you add in little nods to car culture, like jaaaag that show this channel's true appreciation of the industry. Congrats on your anniversary, and here's hoping for more!

[@jonfeuerborn5859]

Driving for Answers for a decade strong! Congrats, man! Love your work!

[@gavinsmith28]

As,you can see by my numerous comments while I watched, love videos, but others answered before me… At least my dad was financially irresponsible enough for me to enjoy the screaming 16V Cosworth headed Opel GSi he bought my for my 21st, to his Jag V12, BMW 6’s and my personal favourite sound, a big block International V8 he had and which I loved driving- even a Rolls tried dicing the 19year old me 😂

[@casemodder89]

those dads are the best ! 99% moms never approve things like these...

[@fullbadboycompany]

Inline 6 for sure.

[@erickuo6377]

the 4age blew up after going full throttle :) always love watching your videos as you make all the concepts easy to follow along and interesting. Everytime you post I get excited to learn new ideas and to widen my knowledge in mechanical ideas. congrats on the 10 years you're the best

[@user-ml2qf4qo2t]

It’s the inline 6. Simple, smooth, reliable, economical, powerful and compact enough for most cars. What more do you need?

[@TassieLorenzo]

"economical, powerful and compact enough for *most cars* " Yet probably 20x (or more) cars use inline-fours than inline-sixes, so something is not quite right with your analysis/conclusions! 🙂 Especially, a lot of 1.0-1.5L car engines still use four cylinders despite the extra cost over a parallel twin or triple, so the inline-four seems to be the sweet spot according to the industry not the inline-six.

[@user-ml2qf4qo2t]

@ the “industry standard” is inline 4 because of “global warming” and the government, not because it’s the best configuration. They are not as smooth and absolutely gutless out of boost. If you put them in bigger cars, the fuel economy is worse than an inline 6. On another note, most modern lorries and heavy duty vehicles have inline 6 engines and not inline 4 or V8 or V12s. Why is that?

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@user-ml2qf4qo2t I'm against downsize turbos too, but you didn't address my point of why inline-fours are most common in vehicles around 1000cc-1500cc (let's say they are naturally aspirated vehicles for simplicities sake and forget the downsize turbo stuff), even though twins and triples would be cheaper? E.g., the KIA Picanto comes with a NA 1.2L inline-four engine, even though a triple or twin would be cheaper. Honda Jazz/Fit was a 1.5L inline-four even though a 1.5L triple would be cheaper. And so on.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@user-ml2qf4qo2t "Why is that?" It's a good engine, especially in larger capacities! :) If we take smaller capacities like motorcycles, the BMW K1600 GT has a 1600cc inline-six but it's really the exception, there are very few motorcycles with inline-six (honestly people seem to forget about this current model BMW and only remember the Honda CBX1000 inline-six). A lot of other motorcycles have V-twin (even ones with larger capacities like 1800cc Harleys, which is wild!), flat-twin even in BMWs up to 1200cc, triple, inline-four, V4, flat-six etc engines, and the defacto standard engine for mid-size motorcycles seems to be a parallel twin.

[@stevend4544]

​@@TassieLorenzo he did right in the beginning emitions and regulations

[@waldolemmer]

0:58 you knew exactly what you were doing

[@VarroTigurius-u1f]

Ok so I'll rephrase/reorient the question for you.. What is the most efficient engine as a measure of horsepower output versus fuel usage. I assume that there comes a point or measure of how much power is made in combustion from fuel and its a matter of which engine has the least amount of loss but I dont know so I ask you oh master of engine knowledge!

[@AD28197]

Inline 6, no question. Has both primary and secondary engine balances, heck its the most common configuration used in commercial trucks and earth moving equipment. Its also the easiest to maintain and do repairs on and has fewer moving parts. nuff said.

[@jaredmundi3599]

So... diesel?

[@AD28197]

@jaredmundi3599 ????

[@jcorkable]

@@jaredmundi3599or 2jz?

[@casemodder89]

the mercedes OM606 is THE straight six diesel. just the 2JZ counterpart running on heatingoil 😅

[@oikkuoek]

For atmospheric setup, V10. For boosted setup, V6. You can fit more displacement/ cylinder in the same space as V12, your torque produced vibration/fatigue is less, due to the crank configuration. The problem of V12 is the middle four pistons. Even though these aren't firing simultaneously, they are rotating in a group. In a V10 you don't have this kind of group, only individual masses around the engine delivering much smoother torque than V12. When the torque is created via turbo, V6 is the answer. 3 pulses/fan is enough to keep the setup within reasonable size, while having manageable progression in power output. In both cases you can spread the V wider, making more room for heat to dissipate and evaporate. V12 is the obvious answer. V10 is the engineer's answer. V10 is also the configuration that overthrew the V12 from the podium in Formula 1.

[@gavinsmith28]

@@oikkuoek that’s why I love straight 5

[@L3001USPSA]

Congrats on 10 years! I have only been aware of you for 2-3 years, but I very much appreciate your presentation and engineering prowess.

[@dsbcrypto938]

the first toyota engine you built blew up

[@popinjayjunior7698]

As someone who drives a subaru, i would vote for flat engines. Whether that would be 4, 6, 8, or 12 cylinders. They’re perfectly balanced. Although wider than Vees, they can be mounted lower.

[@autobootpiloot]

They are far from perfect from a engineering standpoint. They are lovely to drive but definitely not the best.

[@DB-fn3fz]

Boxers have poor secondary balancing but still great engines

[@יואברז-ו9ע]

@@DB-fn3fz yeah? and what about a flat 12

[@DB-fn3fz]

@@יואברז-ו9ע what kind of flat 12? A boxer or opposed?

[@יואברז-ו9ע]

@@DB-fn3fz boxer, also flat 6 most of porsche's engines what about that

[@capn_shawn]

Got to drive a V12 only once (and was permitted to absolutely blast it for a 12 mile full-speed run) I agree with your every word.

[@FardadSepehri]

I'm guessing inline 6

[@TassieLorenzo]

No, V12 surely! In an inline-six (while similar) half the engine is missing.

[@garen_4_life]

avg 2jz-gte fanboy

[@Rose_Butterfly98]

You're half right

[@player1GR]

​@@garen_4_lifeB58

[@countbaker5595]

Actually inline 12

[@davidblalock9945]

Inline 6 is the best engine configuration. Why else would the ground shipping predominantly use? The worst is obviously the v6. Every single aspect of the design is either a compromise for packaging or a compensation for a compromise.

[@TassieLorenzo]

That's really unfair, the V6 makes for a better racing car as it much shorter and lower. The now fashionable 120-degree V6 is nearly as balanced as flat-six, while allowing more space for manifolds under the engine when being dry-sumped in a racing car than a flat-six. The boss of Nissan Motorsport Australia was *very* surprised when they were given the R32 GT-R still with the front heavy RB inline-six engine, he was expecting a compact V6 that could be "tucked up against the firewall" like in the 300ZX as he considered the inline-six already old-fashioned way back in 1990. By all means where moment of inertia doesn't matter then use an inline-six -- that's great for big capacity trucking and marine engines as you say. But for a performance, if you want the ultimate high-revving piston engine irrespective of weight or packaging then why not 12 or 16 cylinders?

[@eirikaustad7580]

@@TassieLorenzo Nissan's V6s are very good, R35 GTR and 300ZX especially. However the entire BMW M team would disagree with Nissan Motorsport Australias boss I can tell you. A V6 has been tried multiple times at BMW M but has never ever met their standards. It of course is important to remember that BMWs have the engine in the front, I would except a V6 and a F6 to be way better for a rear engined cars making them shorter and lower as you say. As for the V6 I think the reason it is mostly so successful now is because of F1, and Ferrari's 499P from WEC. In both those series the engines are heavily assisted by hybrid systems too. And I'm sure if F1 didn't have a cylinder limit then most teams would be using V8 and V10, and with Ferrari probably going back to V12.

[@robinv2758]

Tbh there's a pretty easy way to look at which are objectively the worst engines just by looking at which ones are used the least, after all it can't be a good engine if nobody wants to make them and the V6 while being a compromise is still good enough to be used in countless vehicles. On the other hand you have the likes of your V10s or uneven cilinder engines, even worse when those are also in a V configuration, there are definitely examples in which these engines work the best but those are under very specific circumstances that make these types of engines the best compromise you can get between what you want to do and what you are able to do

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@robinv2758 Excellent way of looking at it! Americans seem to love their Buick 3800 V6s for instance, even though it was kind of a rough-running engine. GM must have sold millions of vehicles with that engine, it didn't bother buyers. 🙂 It was used in the rear wheel drive Holden Commodore in Australia too, even though that car could fit an inline-six and maybe Holden could have developed a stroked-out Opel inline-six if they wanted (to scale it up to the 3.8-4.0L capacity expected by buyers in Australia). Buyers didn't seem to mind that the Buick 3800 in the Holden Commodore wasn't as smooth as the 3.9L SOHC inline-six in the Ford Falcon -- sales were still neck-and-neck between the vehicles anyway.

[@damianoferro]

The V6 is just a compromise, it's incredibly compact and not terribly balanced. Maybe the v4 would be more stupid for a car. Also, aside from V12s and V10s, a well tuned V6 is the best sound in the world. Think of the Busso, a Lotus Evora or an NSX.

[@MrMiucaal]

Hi, looking for an answer to your question, i found out that "the first time you killed the engine" of your MR2 was when you sandblasted it. Really nice channel, and for a motorhead, full of very well explained science of engine innerworkings.

[@madlynxed]

Better keep it ! :) And happy birthday!

[@trevortrevortsr2]

Odd I have owned many cars and motorcycles - of all the engines I thought the 2CV was by far the cleverest - it's simplicity made it ultra-reliable - i wish they made a diesel version

[@airb1976]

2CV could be reliable, if it can show this.

[@TassieLorenzo]

Are the flat-twins in BMW motorcycles as reliable as the ones in 2CVs? 🙂

[@DesyncX]

That was a really well thought out homage to the V12. I never owned or drove one myself but it's mindboggling how much this thing impacted the world. Thank you for sharing your passion, literally! :)

[@danegalang8376]

IIRC, you blew that MR2 engine straight to Hades! You are THE best presenter of any engine related channel EVER!! True engineering science, great insights, and funny wit (I love that you showed yourself struggling with getting it out of the box!) Keep it up, and I'll keep watching!😂❤

[@shahabsandhu4034]

Timing-belt slipped a tooth. Crankshaft pully was wobbly so it was hard to use the timing gun to immediately catch the problem :). Very old video! can't believe time went by so fast.

[@fastinradfordable]

No timing light is going to tell you a camshaft is out of time. Unless the distributor runs off the camshaft itself

[@WomBatVIC]

Cool gift! :) and agreed, such a sweet sound! Good call on venting the fumes. They contain carbon monoxide which will stick to your red blood cells in preference to oxygen until the red cell dies (about 28 days from new). Always a good watch, thanks.

[@F3udF1st]

I think the I6 engine is the best, but the V12 is just two of those together... So the X24 engine should be even better right!

[@rottondog1473]

maintenance and cooling nightmare, it was tried back during during WWII. There was even a 36piston config. but same problems.

[@pierro281279]

Find a better stock engine than Honda K20 ? 100HP/L , bullet proof, requires no maintenance, can easy output 245HP only with externals mods / tune. It's pretty cheap, lightweight, well known, has a lot of aftermarket parts ... Higher price would be Porsche H6.

[@villekauppinen5598]

Requires no maintenance? Ooh, I wish I dont buy your old cars😂

[@pierro281279]

@@villekauppinen5598 by no maintenance I mean that you don't have to go to the most expensive dealers for a 2k maintenance ( oil change ) and you just learn that you have rod bearing failure , well known (s85) and costs 4k ... Etc etc ... With a k20 you go to Honda and it's so cheap. Plus it's really easy to do at home . Btw : I currently own 3 Subaru , 2 honda , I Always did it by myself , and NEVER had anything. ( I even do track day with one of them )

[@nickrider5220]

There's a number of NA motorcycle engines that develop over 200hp/litre, all but Ducati V4s only need straightforward servicing - the Ducati's desmodromic valve actuation means difficult valve clearance services. For output and compactness motorcycle engines are amazing.

[@bogosian.]

Engine: 1.6 16 valve 4AFE (F economy) with Turbo and stronger internals and rebuilt head. Big coils!, catch can, Audi 100 2.5 I5 diesel intercooler, beautiful manifolds!, auto bleeding (household) system, coolant overflow Renault Clio in the trunk, E51 transmission with custom works with quaife ATB torsen differential, battery in the frunk. Interior: steering, stereo playing: The Underdog Project - Summer Jam" lol, AEM digital dashboard, rotating boost/map switch, adding the snake's nest behind the seat lol. Impressive results from handling and power!!

[@Hostilenemy]

The best engine configuration is V69.

[@TassieLorenzo]

I see what you did there!

[@feedbackzaloop]

Not best, just nice

[@schakaljr]

Nice.

[@Lucas_McToucas]

before watching, inline 6 and it isnt even close

[@PavelMateev-n3q]

Best Giveaway ever - no nonsense, click bait and nuisance shouting! This is one of my Favourite channels! For the Yota engine - it didn't end up in my Vehicross's engine bay :D

[@revstreak]

Wankel swap the world 😂

[@CottonySoft]

That you Mr. Dahm?

[@mr2australia]

Barra says hi!

[@snowcrest7863]

Only if I get hearing protection.