too many cylinders?

[Kurtdg19]

BMW still uses the inline six, but it is also rwd. Its a lot harder to stuff a long inline 6 into a fwd car. A V6 (which is generally more complex with parts, lack of smoothness, more expensive) is more compact allowing to package easier which cut cost around other areas including using a fwd drivetrain.

Inline6's are actually very good engines. They are about the smoothest engines their are alongside the V12's and HO's.

[Adamsindrey]

My parents drive a 10 year old toyota with a 2 litre straight 4. i wouldnt notice anything smoother than it. i do notice however how jerky my mates mums 800cc 3 cylinder daewoo matiz is at idle. for the modern world, i think the 4 cylinder from about 1000cc to 2500cc is optimum. A modern day jap 2 litre puts out about 140+ hp thats enough to haul a 1200 kilo (theres 2.2 pound to kilo for you guys not in the modern world yet ) and 5 average adults 120 mph + easily. thats excessive enough, when you can only do 70 legaly. all this and returning good mpg. on a recent run to manchester from south wales (250 ish miles) my parents 10 year old carina E done 70-85mph (3000-3700 rpm in top gear) all the way and give us 39.5 mpg!

So I'd say yes and no, you can have too many cylinders, no doubt an engine could be made to take 4000 or so cylinders but what would you need it for? if you want it for a car and fuel economy means somethign to you a 4 cylinder fits the bill nicely.

[danny350]

ZO6's make 400hp and will haul 2 adults at 170Mph+ easily, and still get 28 mpg, not to shabby!

[Adamsindrey]

not as good as 40-50mpg that a 2 litre can get nowa days and the 175 mph thing, when or where the would you find out the if you or your cars capable of that kind of speed. I think that anythign that can do 110mph or more is fast enough.

[duplox]

If everyone just cared about fuel economy, we'd all be driving turbo diesels and hybrids. Obviously v6s/v8s/I6s etc serve another purpose... accelleration! Hell my car will never break the 20mpg barrier, but thats not what its meant for... its meant to haul ass!

[Adamsindrey]

Well wats the question then? too many cylinders for what?

[coop7295]

Detroit deisel engines are able to run either direction and they can be piggy backed together they do this mostly in commercial apps but you could run several of them in line. this makes lots of power and would be no more in efficient each engine draws some power from the next and carries its own load.

[Legionofone]

haha just make a bigger crank shaft make it out of some space age strong ass metal... lets see... if u put the cylinders in a X pattern and make them go in a W shape like ' . ' . ' . ' . u could probably cram 30ish cylinders into a car... but the walls of the cylinders would be hela small...