EDITORIAL
D
o more cylinders equal a better engine? The general consensus says so. But I am about to fly in the face of public opinion and say that most people are wrong. You see, I love a fourcylinder. Nothing makes a noise like a high compression in-line four under load as it pulls from just above the mid-rev range to its limit. It has to be breathing through four individual chokes – ITBs or a pair of twin-choke carbs, both have their specific and lovable quirks – and if it’ s two or more litres in capacity, the better too. The reverberating induction noise of a four-cylinder somehow manages to feel big, smooth and tuneful. In a way that exhaust noise, no matter what it comes out of, cannot compare with. To me, anyway.
Take an average score for all fourpot motors, and I’ ll admit that it loses spectacularly. That’ s because most inline fourcylinder engines are pretty ordinary. Many are downright dull. It’ s an unfair comparison. No one makes a common-or-garden V10 or V12. What would be the point? There’ s a higher proportion of characterful engines with six and eight cylinders, too. If you go the other way, take a piston-less rotary engine, you get an even bigger personality. But I stand by the four, the hottest versions can more than take on eight, 12 and no cylinder engines when it comes to noise. Even if they can’ t really compete on power.
There’ s not one type of engine that has the monopoly on the best configuration. Take an engine, if it’ s been engineered with commitment, determination, purpose and intent, then it’ ll be scintillating. No matter the number of cylinders, four, eight or even none. Will Beaumont
WINTER 2025 THEENGINEREBUILDER. COM
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH FEDERATION OF ENGINE RE-MANUFACTURERS
President: Mike Knowles Vice president: Duncan Andrews Treasurer: Bruce McArthur
Board Members: John Dormer, David Eszenyi, Andrew MacLachlan, David Peel, Richard Quantrell, Kevin Scholey, Julian Thompson, Jonathan Weston-Taylor
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Winter 2025 The Engine Rebuilder
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