3 Types of Car Engines Based on Their Configuration
The type of car engine is a very important aspect when talking about this four-wheeled transportation. When looking for the best car, one cannot overlook the type of engine. For instance, rotary, v8, inline-four, boxer, and many more.
Each type of engine in cars, including automatic car engines, certainly has different characteristics, and this brings different influences on the character of a car. The types of engines used in cars are actually quite numerous, ranging from petrol engines, diesel hybrid, hydrogen, or electric. The types of engines themselves are categorized based on their classification and configuration.
Types of Engines Based on Configuration:
Here are some types of engines categorized based on their configuration or layout.
1. Inline or Straight
This type of engine is the most common and widely used as a car engine. As the name suggests, this engine has a piston placement where the cylinders are in a line or parallel. Here are the configurations of the inline engine:
- Cylinders are arranged in a line or parallel
- Cylinders are located above the crankshaft
- Has a relatively simple construction compared to other car engines
- Fewer moving parts
- Mostly uses a single manifold
The advantage of this type of engine lies in its compactness and lightweight nature, which saves fuel. This is why more cars choose to use this type of engine.
The elongated layout limits the volume and the number of cylinders. The maximum volume for this engine is usually in the range of 2.5l to 3.0l. For the number of cylinders, it generally only goes up to 6.
The design of this engine has a relatively high center of gravity, even higher than other types. The center of gravity can affect the handling and stability of the car. The downside of this engine is also its configuration, which is only in a line. This means it requires a considerable amount of engine space, especially for inline-six.
The most popular examples of this type of engine are inline-four and inline-six. In fact, the inline-six itself is a type of engine configuration favored by various car manufacturers, especially in Europe, such as BMW.
2. V-engine
The V-engine is a type of engine configuration that is synonymous with speed. This is due to the number of cylinders present in the engine. Ranging from v6 to v12, the more cylinders used, the higher the power. The V engine configuration includes:
- Cylinders arranged in a V-shaped layout
- The angle of the layout can vary. This depends on the manufacturer's preference. However, generally, the performance angle for most racing is 90 degrees.
- The higher the performance level of the car, the more cylinders are used. For example, v10 or v12 cars can be classified as hypercars or supercars.
- This engine also has 2 exhaust manifolds.
This type of car engine is indeed one of the more compact configurations. The V engine has more compact dimensions, especially when compared to inline engines. With these dimensions, this engine can accommodate a larger number of cylinders. Not only in terms of quantity, but the volume of cylinders in the V engine can also be larger.
In this engine design, each pair of pistons can work on each side to produce torque, especially at lower RPMs. The advantages of the potential of this engine also produce torque and power, which is why many premium cars prefer to use this type of engine.
The downside of this engine is the number of moving parts, which can complicate maintenance and incur significant costs. Its configuration is also heavier, especially if the number or volume of cylinders used increases.
3. Flat or Boxer Engine
The configuration of this type of car engine is characterized by its horizontal cylinder position, unlike most engines that have vertical cylinder placements. Flat and boxer engines are often considered the same due to their similarities; however, these two engines have differences. In the boxer engine type, only one crank pin is used for each cylinder present. In contrast, the flat engine uses one crank pin for a pair of cylinders.
Despite this, both engines are often regarded as the same. Here are the configurations of flat and boxer engines:
- The main characteristic of both engines is the horizontal cylinder placement with pistons that are paired or facing each other.
- The dimensions of both types of engines can be very low or very wide.
The engine is indeed one of the heaviest components in a car. With this flat engine layout, its center of gravity becomes low, resulting in excellent handling and stability. This type of engine is also known for being very smooth due to its much lighter crankshaft.
The downside of this type of engine is that its maintenance can be quite complicated, especially if the engine space is considered cramped. The sound of this engine can also be considered noisier compared to inline engines. Another drawback of this car engine is its configuration, which is much more complex to maintain. The flat engine, particularly the flat twelve, is used in racing cars such as the Ferrari 1512 Formula 1.
