{"id":19991,"date":"2015-11-03T09:55:03","date_gmt":"2015-11-03T17:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/?p=19991"},"modified":"2015-11-11T16:35:57","modified_gmt":"2015-11-12T00:35:57","slug":"top-ten-influential-engines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/top-ten-influential-engines\/","title":{"rendered":"Top Ten Influential Engines"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"featuredimage\"<\/a><\/p>\n

1. Chrysler 426 Hemi<\/strong><\/p>\n

When the 426 Hemi was introduced to the racing world in Richard Petty’s stock car, everyone took notice. \u00a0The engine itself was so capable that at Daytona in 1964, it finished 1-2-3. \u00a0It was so powerful that the governing body changed legislation, forcing constructors to homologate their race car engines into road cars. \u00a0This didn’t stop Chrysler. The subsequent street version of this motor featured a lower, 10:25:1 compression ratio, milder timing and revised intake and exhaust manifolds. \u00a0This mild change allowed Chrysler\/MOPAR to return with the 426 to NASCAR and reeled in gobs of wins. \u00a0The 426 Hemi in street guise was released in most Dodge and Plymouth sports cars, but the racing version was available in the limited-edition 1968 Dodge Darts and Plymouth Barracudas. \u00a0Each of the aforementioned models received 75 race motors. \u00a0Chrysler offered cars with the 426 in different wheelbases, which incidentally led to the introduction of the Funny Car. \u00a0In fact, all Funny Cars run some variation of the 426 Hemi nowadways, even if it has been rebadged.<\/p>\n

\"Chrysler<\/a><\/p>\n

2. Ford 351 Windsor<\/strong><\/p>\n

The iconic 351 Windsor began production in 1969 and spanned three decades. \u00a0The engine was first fitted into the Mustang Mach I with two-barrel and four-barrel configurations, though the oil crisis of the 1970s relentlessly clipped its wings, feather-by-feather. \u00a0At the close of the seventies, the heads from the Ford 302 adorned the 351 Windsor, but there was promise in the following decades. \u00a0The eighties and nineties saw the motor come back, rebadged as the Ford 5.8. \u00a0The most powerful variant was found in the 1995 Cobra R, which produced an impressive 300 horsepower. \u00a0Though it was only a climb in 50 horsepower from the original two-barreled version, the huge aftermarket robustness made it a household name with so many muscle car aficionados.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/a><\/p>\n

3. General Motors LS1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Any enthusiast worth their salt has a precursory understanding of GM’s gen, the LS1. \u00a0Lightweight, potent, readily-available, torquey and willing to make modifications, the LS1 has kept GM relevant in so many different circles. \u00a0The motor first made its appearance in the C5 Corvette and later in the contemporary F-bodies, but over the years the LS platform has been revised and implemented into GTOs, Corvettes, and a host of other vehicles, including many trucks. \u00a0The aluminum composition made it a relatively light motor, and a coil-near-plug ignition improved spark delivery. \u00a0With their reasonable pricing, huge aftermarket, and wide powerband, they’ve made a hug impact on the drifting world, plus there’s a huge demand for them for drag racing. \u00a0No question, the LS1 is a powerhouse that appeals to all sorts of auto-junkies the world over.<\/p>\n

\"GM<\/a><\/p>\n

4. Toyota 2JZ-GTE<\/strong><\/p>\n

When money was abundant in the early 1990s, Toyota went to extreme lengths to design a motor capable of competing with Nissan, Porsche, and Chevrolet. \u00a0Their experience in the high-end performance car market had been limited prior to the release of the MKIV Supra Turbo, but with their over-engineered 3.0-liter twin turbocharged inline-six, they solidified their place in history. \u00a0The 2JZ-GTE, designed largely by Yamaha, made well-over 320 horsepower in stock guise, though with some minor tuning, the motor was capable of making 450. \u00a0This particular engine helped build the import craze in the states, making the Japanese turbo motors something relevant outside of the import tuner circles. \u00a0With a sturdy iron block, it was too heavy for professional road racing. \u00a0However, its willingness to take boost made it a major player in drag racing and drifting and caused lifetime Chevy and Ford fans to respect the potential of the robust little six-cylinder.<\/p>\n

\"Toyota<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Porsche’s Mezger Motor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Initially designed for the 911 GT1 racing car, the Mezger flat-six became synonymous with Porsche high-end performance. \u00a0The basic engine, sans turbochargers, was used in the road-going 911 GT3 and GT2 RS. \u00a0In addition to being one of the first water-cooled motors from Porsche, the Mezger also featured a true dry-sump oil system. \u00a0In order to avoid oil starvation, oil is harvested with two scavenge pumps from the GT1-derived crankcase. \u00a0Critically, it did not suffer from the IMS bearing failures like the standard 911 engines did, \u00a0and utilized more comprehensive oil gallery lines that enabled supreme lubrication in all sorts of conditions. \u00a0In its ultimate street-going configuration, the Mezger made 500 horsepower – something incredible from a four-liter, normally-aspirated engine. \u00a0This particular motor played a big part in making the GT3 one of the premier road-going sports cars.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Ford DFV<\/strong><\/p>\n

With Formula one changing its focus towards aerodynamics in the mid-sixties, Ford cleverly introduced an affordable, reliable, and interchangeable motor with their DFV. \u00a0The 3-liter V8 produced somewhere around 400 horsepower and 280 lb\/gt of torque and over the three decades it was in use, went north of 500 horsepower and 11.200 revs. \u00a0It’s availability and general effectiveness meant it was used in Formula One, sports cars and Formula 3000. \u00a0It was also relatively cheap at $120,000 in modern money. \u00a0Considering how racing engines usually cost that just to have the heads redone, it was a bargain, and importantly, allowed privateers to enter the world of motor racing and be competitive. \u00a0Young upstarts with a bit of funding could take it to the big manufacturers and while it was never the most powerful engine out there, the DFV had the potential to win races. \u00a0And win it did. \u00a0As the dominant engine of the 1970s, the Ford had certified itself as more than just a budget motor. \u00a0The DFV (and the later DFY\/DFR) was incredibly well-balanced and reliable, provided enough power and could be replaced without much fuss. \u00a0By checking all the boxes and while not the best in any particular category but proficient in every one, it became immensely popular and most importantly, very successful. \u00a0Unfortunately, it’s reign in Formula One ended with the development of the turbocharged motor.<\/p>\n

\"Ford<\/a><\/p>\n

7. Renault EF1<\/strong><\/p>\n

Renault introduced the turbocharged engine to Formula One in the late seventies, only to be met with derision. \u00a0The EF1 was single-turbocharged V6 based off an engine had been used in some of their sports cars the year before. \u00a0With the addition of boost and a reduced (1.5 liters) capacity, the motor was, initially, near undriveable. It also got the nickname of “The Little Teapot” because of its tendency to explode and discharge white smoke out of the tailpipes. \u00a0However, Renault persisted and with the addition of smaller twin turbochargers, a pneumatic valve train and revised engine management, the power slowly climbed over the years. \u00a0Starting with somewhere around 500 horsepower, the motor became podium-worthy within a year after some revising, and won its first race at the 1979 French Grand Prix at Dijon. \u00a0As the eighties moved on, Renault had changed the minds of its detractors who had since been working frantically to build a competitive turbo motor of their own. \u00a0By 1986, the Renault Motor produced somewhere around 850 horsepower in race trim and 1,200 in qualifying. \u00a0Though it never won a championship, the Renault EF1 and all its evolutions were competitive, race winning and most importantly, revolutionary. \u00a0 Had it not been for Renault and its insistence on pushing new technology, Formula One of the 1980s would have been quite different.<\/p>\n

\"Renault<\/a><\/p>\n

8. Nissan RB26<\/strong><\/p>\n

Though Nissan’s inline-six\u00a0is famous for the road cars it powered, it was a controversial powerplant when first introduced into the race-bred Group A GT-Rs of the late eighties and early nineties. Though based roughly off a Nismo version of the engine of road-going R32 GT-R, the Group A GT-Rs used a strengthened block, revised turbochargers, improved water and oil channels and upgraded camshafts to make 600 horsepower at 30 pounds of boost. Coupled with the innovative ATTESA E-TS four wheel-drive system, the GT-R decimated its V8-powered rivals and won every race in the 1989 Group A season. In 1993, the Australian Touring Car Championship banned the use of turbos and four wheel-drive systems, citing costs were too high, but reputed rumors of GM threatening to leave if it wasn\u2019t done was the likely culprit. Nowadays, the turbochargers are no longer seen in the top tiers of Australian motorsport, but had it not been for the overwhelming dominance of the GT-R and its RB26 engine, it may have been different.<\/p>\n

\"Nissan<\/a><\/p>\n

9. Mazda R26B<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mazda\u2019s persistence with the rotary engine is nothing short of amazing. Despite its limitations, Mazda seems to value the lightweight, compact rotary and has thus developed it for racing, with its crowning achievement being the victory at Le Mans in 1991 with the 787B racing car. That year, the 787B embarrassed the 3.5-liter, piston-driven competition with its 4-rotor, 2.6-liter R26B motor. The R26B was built on the foundation of the 1.3-liter Wankel engine used in their RX cars but with peripheral intake ports, continuously variable geometry intakes and an additional (third) spark plug per rotor. This miniscule engine outputted somewhere around 930 horsepower, as claimed by Mazda, but was limited to 700 horsepower in race trim for reliability. The motor\u2019s dimensions and power output allowed it to win at Le Sarthe in 1991 and remains the only non-piston engine to have won the 24 hours of Le Mans. After decimating the competition, the Wankel engine was deemed illegal and the R26B continued to race with limited success, eventually getting phased out a couple years afterwards.<\/p>\n

\"Mazda<\/a><\/p>\n

10. Porsche TAG-Turbo P01<\/strong><\/p>\n

The turbo-era of Formula One was known for huge power outputs and escalating costs, but the real determinants of success were reliability, economy and tractability. The Porsche-TAG motor was never the most powerful engine in the field but it provided some of the best all-around performance in the field. It was groundbreaking amongst the turbo engines in that it was integrated into the chassis, making it a stressed member which bore some of the cornering loads. It was also aided by the addition of an Bosch Motronic engine management system and clever architecture which reduced frictional losses, crankcase vibrations and oil pressure. With only 1.5 liters, the diminutive engine could still produce upwards of 900 horsepower and stood to be one of the most reliable in the field. It\u2019s linear power delivery also made it good in the tire-conservation department. In an age where leaders would often retire due to engine failure, the Porsche-TAG\u2019s reliability made it outperform some of the more powerful competitors and ultimately racked up three drivers championships. If anything, the Porsche-TAG motor showed that there was more to winning than just engine output.<\/p>\n

\"Porsche<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Check out our list of the top ten most influential engines.<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":45,"featured_media":20002,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3697,17,3464,3698],"tags":[63,963,43,67,1214,1272,97,648,3650,516],"class_list":["post-19991","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-galleries","category-guest-column","category-junkyard-blog","category-tech","tag-chrysler","tag-engines","tag-ford","tag-gm","tag-junkyard-blog","tag-mazda","tag-nissan","tag-porsche","tag-renault","tag-toyota"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/featuredimage3.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p42YSK-5cr","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/45"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19991"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20003,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19991\/revisions\/20003"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19991"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.racingjunk.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}