The 10 Engines That Changed Automotive Industry

The internal combustion engine has been around, in different states of complexity and design, for nearly 150 years. Over the years, thousands of engine designs have come and gone, some offering a significant improvement in one or more areas, others peddling the same-old recipe, adding a different badge on the engine cover.

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Some engines, though, are more equal than others, changing the course of the business of the engine in some significant way.

10

Benz Patent-Motorwagen

Karl Benz’s 1-liter water-cooled engine, created in 1886, has a closer semblance to Noah’s Ark than a modern Mercedes-Benz engine. But this was the 0.9 hp engine that powered the Benz-Patent Motorwagen, the world’s first practical car.

By 1888, the Patent-Motorwagen went into production, and became the first commercially available car. The single-cylinder engine featured a large, horizontal flywheel, and a sleeve valve controls the power output and the vehicle’s speed. The throttle is adjusted by a dial by selecting an engine speed, and leaving it there. The engine turns over at only 300 rpm.

The first generation Patent-Motorwagen could reach a top speed of 10 mph. Benz’s third generation engine produced 2 hp – a 202% increase over the first engine. A total of 25 Patent-Motorwagens were built, paving the way for the car.

9

1932 Ford Flathead V8

Ford’s Flathead V8 engine made its debut in 1932, bringing affordable V8 power to the mass market. Designed for cars and trucks, the Flathead, also referred to as a side-valve engine, has its poppet valves located inside the engine block, instead of in the cylinder head. The engine was used in a variety of vehicles until 1953, and with a 21-year run, it even outlasted the Ford Model T’s 2.9-liter engine (19-year run). In France, Simca produced the engine under license until 1990 for use in a military truck.

The engine’s cast steel crankshaft was a pioneering piece of kit, with patented foundry processes, heat-treating and materials ensuring the new item was much less expensive to produce. Another innovation was the casting process of the eight-cylinder engine block, as one unit, further reducing costs. The Flathead soon became a hot-rod favorite, which led to a string of aftermarket go-faster parts – and the spawning of a new performance parts industry.

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8

2009 Chevrolet LS9 V8

When General Motors fitted its then new LS1 small block V8 to the Corvette C5 in 1997, it heralded a new era of high performance engine that became the staple power train for thousands of customized cars.

Then the LS9 version came along in 2009, and changed the LS game forever, turning the Corvette ZR1 into a super car that could outrun iconic machines like the Ferrari F430 and Lexus LFA. The 6.2-liter LS9 V8 breathed through an Eaton supercharger, revved to 6,600 r/min, and produced 638 hp. In 2009, it was the most powerful production engine ever made by General Motors.

The hand-built LS9 gave the ZR1 a top speed of 205 mph. The numbers only tell part of the story. The supercharger’s twin rotors had a unique four-lobe design that provided power at any engine speed. The engine, full of tricks and bespoke parts, soon became a popular option for custom car shops, offering strong performance in a reliable, compact package.

7

2024 Cummins ACE

The opposed piston (OP) engine concept has been around for nearly as long as the car itself, and has predominantly seen service in ships, submarines, trains and military vehicles. In this engine, two pistons are located inside one cylinder, with far less moving and fixed parts that are required. There are no camshafts, rocker arms, valves, valve springs and no cylinder head.

In 2015, Cummins and Achates Power were awarded a Department of Defense contract to create the next-generation, modular engine for ground fighting vehicles. The new 14.3-liter Cummins engine now powers several next-generation combat vehicles. It has effectively revolutionized combat vehicle power plants, offering much better fuel consumption than traditional ICE engines, and its compact size means it can be used in a variety of platforms.

So what? The technology is currently undergoing rigorous testing for use in passenger vehicles, with a 2.7-liter three-cylinder OP engine producing 270 hp and drinking up to 50% less fuel than a conventional ICE engine.

6

2003 Toyota Prius XW20

In 1997, Toyota’s Prius went on sale as the world’s first mass-produced hybrid drive vehicle. That first model was not particularly easy on the eye, but the technology under the skin was what really mattered. Technology has bagged the Prius more awards than the Patriots football team.

The Prius got off to a slow sales start, and it was only when the XW20 was unveiled in 2003 that things really started to kick off. It is powered by a 1.5-liter 1NZ-FXE internal combustion engine using the Atkinson cycle instead of the more commonly used Otto cycle – combined with an electric motor located inside the CVT gearbox as part of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy drive.

The hybrid system has a combined 110 hp, and it is no rocketship. But it can comfortably do 40 mpg. The XW20 model really put the Prius, and hybrid technology for the people, on the map, and today nearly 10-million Prius models of all generations have been sold around the world.

5

2001 BMW M 3.2 S54

BMW’s famed S54 straight-six “M” engine has also raked in a trophy case of awards since its introduction in the E46 M3 in 2001. Engine of the Year. Best New Engine. World’s Best Engine in the three to four-liter category – for six consecutive years from 2001 onwards.

The S54 was not, like GM’s LS9, a high horsepower engine. It has 333 hp, revs to just over 8,000 rpm, and sounds like a million dollars when it chases the red line. It has individual throttle bodies for each cylinder, electronic throttle control and BMW’s VANOS variable camshaft timing system.

The S54 cemented BMW M’s place in the annals of performance car history. It also spawned a series of spectacular BMW performance engines to keep us entertained and grinning from ear-to-ear.

4

1975 Mercedes-Benz W114/115 300D

Rudolf Diesel ran the first successful diesel engine in 1897, changing the world of the combustion engine forever. But it was only in the 1970s that Merc’s five-cylinder OM617 engine transformed Diesel’s invention from a more commercial, niche application to a populist, mainstream passenger car one.

The OM617 engine is a three-liter straight-five diesel engine. The first versions were not particularly powerful, with 77 hp, but the engine had a handy amount of torque. More importantly at the time, the OM617 provided bulletproof service, often exceeding 630,000 miles without requiring a rebuild. The OM617, the first practical diesel engine used in a luxury passenger car, essentially made diesel a cool, reliable and viable option in the passenger car market.

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3

1974 Porsche 911 Turbo

Ferdinand Porsche was a serial inventor and the engineers at his company Porsche followed suite. Ventilated disc brakes, the dual clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive were invented in Porsche workshops. Porsche also successfully managed to integrate a turbocharger with a series production engine. That engine was the flat-six used in the 1974 Porsche 911 Turbo.

Porsche engineers had been experimenting with turbo technology since the ’60s (the turbo was invented in 1905). The first rudimentary exhaust gas turbines offered countless challenges, including turbo lag, and excess boost pressure. Through its motorsport programs, Porsche developed pressure regulators which managed the boost pressures, ensuring the 3.0-liter engine was not only powerful, but also reliable.

Today, every second modern car has a turbocharger, and Porsche continues to lead from the front with some spectacular turbocharged engines.

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2

Toyota 2JZ-GTE

Toyota unveiled its Toyota Supra Turbo in 1993. It was powered by the 2JZ-GTE. The straight-six engine would become the darling of big horsepower engine builders around the world. It also helped that a modified Supra Turbo featured in the original Fast and Furious movie, as driven by the late Paul Walker.

Why is the 2JZ-GTE so popular among engine builders to this day, more than 30 years down the road? And why is an original engine as rare as hen’s teeth? The secret, say the engine builders, is in the block. The inline-6 cylinder engine is renowned for its supreme balance. Combined with the super-strong, over-engineered block, the engine can easily handle double the stock engine’s conservative 320 hp without any need to update the innards. Some reckon it can be stretched as far as 2,000 hp with some upgrades.

The 2JZ-GTE has been at the forefront of the car modification scene for 30 years – and it is far from done.

1

2001 Ferrari-Maserati V8 F136

The F136 V8, developed by Ferrari and Maserati and produced by Ferrari, is a series of naturally aspirated, 90 degree V8 engines ranging in capacity from 4.2 to 4.7-liters.

For Ferrari duties, the engine came with a flat-plane crankshaft, allowing more revs and top-end power, while the Maserati version got a cross-plane crankshaft, for more torque. Used in the 458 Speciale, the engine produced up to 600 hp, and in the Maserati Gran Turismo Sport it made 460 hp. The engine revs up to 9,000 rpm, and is considered one of the best naturally aspirated V8 engines ever made. It was in service (with some updates over time) until 2020, and also used in special edition vehicles like the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione.

The F136 has also bagged a bookcase full of awards, including numerous Engine of the Year accolades. It also has an illustrious history in motorsport. A true performance legend that inspired the modern Corvette Z06, which is one of the few NA supercars left on the planet.

Sources: Mercedes-Benz; Ford; Chevrolet; Cummins, Achates Power; Toyota, BMW; Porsche; Toyota; Ferrari.