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      09-16-2012, 12:49 PM   #20
bradleyland
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Diver View Post
Obviously the efficiency advantage of smaller engines with fewer cylinders derives from reduced internal friction. Turbochargers put the horsepower back. There is an AMG engine here or on the way that extracts 370 hp from a 2L four, so 220 should be easy to get to on 1.5L, and would be in the range of the outgoing NA I6. The real questions are about how it drives, starting torque and responsiveness. In the end, if it drives good, few will care about how many cylinders it has. Getting back to the electric side, this sort of pairing provides very good starting torque.

With the new US efficiency standards, it is going to be very interesting to see how the next 13 years play out. Hopefully, we will not have an automotive dark ages as the US experienced from 1967 until 1992 when computerized engine controls finally caught up with regulatory fiat. Cars drove so poorly in the 70's that removing pollution control parts was a national pastime.
Fortunately, current day automakers witnessed the "big three" almost go out of business while dragging their feet on regulatory requirements. A lot of the auto industry at the time believed that the government would let them slide if they saw a decline in economic performance. That didn't happen, and today, regulators have all the power they need to push the requirements forward. Automakers won't get so far behind that they'd be caught in that vice again.
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