Summary

• Inline-four engines dominate automobiles immediately resulting from simplicity and cost-efficiency, making V-4 engines a rarity on the highway.
• V-4 engines are compact however complicated, resulting in restricted use in automobiles, regardless of being widespread in high-end bikes.
• Porsche’s 919 Hybrid V-4 engine showcased the potential of V-4 design, reaching 900+ horsepower with a hybrid system.

Inline-four engines are the preferred engines present in automobiles since their utilization in passenger automobiles which began with the Ford Model T from 1908-1941. This is without doubt one of the most generally produced engines on the planet and in current instances they’ve continued to develop in reputation. However, in recent times, the recognition of inline-four engines has grown much more.

But there’s a lesser-known variant of four-cylinder engines that’s non-existent in highway automobiles immediately. This is named the V-4 engine which many individuals might not even know ever existed. V-4 engines are quite common in high-end motorcycles which is a really area of interest market. The final time a V-4 engine discovered its manner right into a highway automobile was in 1994 in a Ukrainian metropolis automobile. So we would like to try why these engines are so unusual in passenger automobiles and why Porsche featured it of their race automobile.

In order to provide the most recent and correct info doable, the information used to compile this text was sourced from numerous producer web sites and different authoritative sources, together with Hemmings and Porsche.

Why V-4 Engines Are Uncommon In Cars

The foremost purpose V-4 engines are unusual in automobiles is as a result of the inline-four engine exists. Inline engines are a lot easier to fabricate than their V-engine counterparts. It’s a lot simpler to provide an inline 4, 5, and 6 engines than it’s to provide a V-4 engine. With an inline engine, everything is arranged in a single line which reduces complexity and manufacturing price.

When it involves the V-4 engine, it is a way more compact engine than the inline-four and may match right into a a lot smaller house. Compared to different engine layouts, the V-4 is far shorter however can also be wider than its inline-four counterparts. Despite its measurement benefit, the V-layout provides quite a lot of complexity to what’s speculated to be a fundamental engine because you want twin cylinder heads, exhaust manifolds, and valvetrains.

Brief History Of The V-4 Engine

V-4 engines were first employed in early Grand Prix racing. The engines had been constructed by Mors Automobile which was one of many first firms to participate in Automobile racing in 1897. The first Grand Prix automobile to function a Mors 9.2-liter V-4 engine which made simply 60 horsepower. This was an enormous quantity when you think about that highway automobiles like the Ford Model T made solely 20 horsepower in 1908.

The first production V-4 featured in road cars was made by Lancia in 1923 and was discovered within the Lancia Lambda and would proceed to make V-4 engines till 1976. In the early 60s, AMC made a V-4 engine primarily for software in army automobiles.

In the identical interval, Ford’s Europe division made a V-4 engine that powered numerous Ford and Saab fashions on the time. Ford remained the final main car producer that may proceed making the V-4 engine till 1981. However, the final car producer to pack a V-4 engine was a Ukrainian metropolis automobile generally known as the ZAZ-968M in 1994.

V-4 Engines Are Common In High-Performance Bikes

V-4 engines are fairly widespread in efficiency highway bikes even immediately with producers like Honda, Ducati, and Yamaha. One of the primary bikes to pack a V-4 engine was Matchless Silver Hawk in 1931. This was a luxurious bike that got here with a really slim 18-degree V-4 engine that was similar to an inline-four engine. Honda grew to become the primary main producer to make use of V-4 engines in a lot of its motorcycles in the 1980s and ’90s.

In current instances, V-4 engines have primarily been featured in sports activities and high-performance bikes for packaging causes. Most of those engines are a lot smaller than their automotive counterparts with most of them having a displacement of lower than 1,000 cc with a 90-degree angle. This makes these engines far more compact, smaller, and lighter than their automotive counterparts. Since these bikes are very small with a lot smaller engines than automobiles, it makes them a lot simpler to fabricate in comparison with common automobiles.

Modern Bikes That Employ A V-4 Engines

Honda has been one of many main motorbike producers that got here with V-4 engines of their sports activities bikes and luxurious bikes because the Eighties. V-4 engines are still employed in bikes today, and these are a number of the bikes which you could purchase immediately with V-4 engines:

• Ariel Ace
• Aprilia RSV4
• Ducati Panigale V4
• Honda VFR800
• Yamaha V-Max

V4 Engines Are Expensive And Complicated

V-4 engines have some unique advantages. Their compact nature makes them very gentle and leaves a lot of room in an engine bay. But this sensible engine design is the principle purpose why it isn’t in style immediately. The manufacturing strategy of a V-4 engine is sort of much like making a V-6 engine. Most V-4 engines have a 90-degree V-angle, with a brief crankshaft which provides this engine nice main stability. This routinely reduces engine vibrations and will increase stiffness.

Originally this design, it could look like a no brainer to decide on a V-4 engine however as talked about earlier, it’s fairly much like making a V-6. This makes it wider than an everyday inline-four and provides the complexities of a V-6 or perhaps a V-8. In essence, having separate banks means creating parts for every one which will increase price and provides additional complexities when in comparison with the straightforward inline-four.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of V-4 Engines

Just like several engine configuration, there are many advantages and disadvantages of different engines. Depending on its software, the V-4 could possibly be the very best engine selection but it surely additionally has drawbacks that restrict its software within the automotive trade.

Advantages

1. The V-configuration makes it a lot shorter than an inline-four which makes it match simply into smaller areas.
2. It could also be wider than an inline-four however that can also be a bonus in sure conditions.
3. The compact measurement offers it higher stability and weight distribution
4. Fewer engine vibrations lead to a smoother experience.
5. Better optimized for gasoline effectivity particularly in smaller automobiles.
6. It has the aptitude of revving greater and making extra energy, particularly in efficiency purposes.

Disadvantages

1. The V-configuration makes this engine extra complicated to design and assemble which ends up in greater manufacturing prices in comparison with an inline-four.
2. The width of the V-4 could make it difficult to combine different elements into it since they had been already made for compact areas.
3. Parts aren’t available for such engines making it onerous to get replacements.
4. You might have an knowledgeable to maintain these engines
5. They are presently restricted to manufacturing sports activities bikes which limits their enchantment.

Cars That Featured V-4 Engines

The V-4 engine has been featured in cars from 1897 to 1996 however the checklist of automobiles that got here with one could be very brief. Ford and Lancia had been the one well-known firms that made V-4 engines for his or her manufacturing automobiles. The engine made by Ford had two variations and was present in numerous fashions. Saab additionally employed Ford’s V-4 engines presently.

Lancia V4 engine:

Lancia had a wide range of V4 engines on the time starting from 0.9 liters to 2.5 liters in displacement. These engines had been produced from 1922-1976. They are essentially the most compact V-engine ever produced with a max V-angle of simply 20 levels. These Lancia fashions included; Lambda, Artena, Augusta, Aprilia, Ardea, Appia, and Fulvia.

Ford Taunus V-4 engine:

From 1962-1981, Ford had 4 engines starting from 1.2 to 1.7 liters in displacement. It was a 60-degree V-4 engine which made it much more compact than common 90-degree engines. Many Ford automobiles that got here with this engine, included the Ford Taunus, Consul, Transit, and Capri. These engines had been additionally present in Saab fashions just like the 95, 96, and Sonett.

Ford Essex V4 engine:

Ford’s second V-4 engine was made between 1965 and 1977 and solely had two displacements. The 60-degree V-4 was solely obtainable as a 1.7 or 2.0-liter engine which was bigger than the earlier Taunus engine but it surely additionally had a shorter life span. This engine powered Ford fashions solely which included fashions just like the Corsair, Capri, Consul/Granada, Zephyr, and the Ford Transit van.

ZAZ Zaporozhets:

Unless you are a Ukrainian citizen, you in all probability by no means heard of this firm earlier than. This firm solely made commuter automobiles in Ukraine from 1960-1994. Every automobile made by this firm featured an air-cooled V-4 engine and was the final manufacturing automobile to return with a V-4 engine.

Porsche 919 Hybrid V-4

V-4 engines are primarily present in bikes immediately however the final V-4 engine made its manner right into a automobile. It shouldn’t be an enormous shock that the top of the V-4 engine can be made by Porsche however it’s a bit stunning since they do not make bikes.

To extract each ounce of efficiency, they paired it with a hybrid powertrain. It was a turbo 2.0 liter 90-degree V-4 that made 500 horsepower however paired with the hybrid system, it makes a mixed complete output of 900 horsepower. The Porsche 919 would race like this from 2015 to 2017 till the Evo model got here out with much more energy.

Engine Specifications

(Source: Porsche)

The Evo wasn’t meant for competitors so Porsche determined to unleash the engine’s full potential on the Nürburgring, smashing a 35-year-old report by getting around the Nordschleife in 5 minutes and 19.55 seconds. It now made 720 horsepower from its engine and 440 horsepower from the hybrid system, this offers it a complete mixed output of 1,160 horsepower making it essentially the most highly effective V-4-powered automobile on the planet. In comparability, essentially the most highly effective V-4 bike on the planet is the Ducati Panigale V4 R with 234 horsepower.