Top 5 Underappreciated Motors

In the automotive world, we have our favorite motors. Legends of iron and aluminum whose names elicit memories of tire smoke and law-breaking speeds. Legends like the Mopar 440ci Hemi, the Chevy L-88, the Toyota 2JZ-GTE, and the BMW S54B32. We focus so much conjecture and conversation on the great motors in history that we often overlook some of the perfectly impressive powerplants that have made their way under the hoods of the cars around us, and this article is dedicated to those hidden gems.

5. Volkswagen/Audi (VAG) EA888 2.0T Inline-4

Let's be honest, VAG puts this little motor in everything, and has for quite some time. Debuting in 2008, the EA888 2.0L turbocharged motor features 4 valves per cylinder (16 total), direct injection, an iron block and forged internals. Those latter bits mean strength, and strength means more boost, which we'll get to in a moment. Hanging off the side is a tiny little turbocharger, giving this car low lag times, and nice low-end grunt. Ranging in output, depending on application, from 168hp/207tq up to an impressive 296hp/280tq, this sweet little four-pot is generally hearty enough to deliver a pleasantly surprising amount of performance from the cars it powers. You're already sold on this motor aren't you? Well hold on to your butts, because the best part of this tiny two liter is once you slap a tune on the car. Turbocharged cars in general mean easy power; turn up the boost, make more of it, done and done. Some motors respond better than others to this type of tuning, and few as well as the EA888. Throw a tune and a downpipe by APR on an EA888 and you're good for 336hp/404tq, which starts to enter the realm of serious power. Add in this mix some amazing fuel economy and a great baritone exhaust note, and this miniscule monster is a winner.

4. Mercedes Benz M104 DOHC 3.2L  Inline-6

Here's an example of a motor that is more about the potential it has, as a platform, than what it delivers on its own. In fact, the stock numbers and performance are likely why it's so often overlooked, especially in the United States. A constant fan of the minimalist mystique, smooth operation, and forced induction capabilities of Inline-6 motors, this particular beauty has always intrigued me. Most fun, in my opinion, is the 3.2L DOHC variant of the M104 with a respectable 220hp/229tq, also the most powerful version from the factory. While a sweetheart of a motor on it's own, the real fun comes by way of now prevalent aftermarket turbocharging kits. What Mercedes may not have planned, and we still don't seem to recognize in the US, is that this platform makes an amazing foundation for big turbo builds. What was once a budget-minded alternative to V8 options in Benz sports cars can be boosted to insane levels, from milder 400hp kits, all the way to outputs near 1,000hp. These motors, especially in the case of the more extreme turbo kits, also make a hellacious sound, somewhere between orchestra brass section, and jet-liner takeoff. The M104 is a gem, slowly fading into history, with production having ended just before the year 2000. Worth considering for your next build.

3. Ford DOHC 32V Modular 4.6L (Naturally Aspirated) V8

Only produced for a short few years, and placed in a small handful of cars, primarily the SVT Cobra of 1999 and 2001, this all aluminum screamer is one of the great V8s of the modern era. Unfortunately, the naturally aspirated DOHC 4.6 was quickly overshadowed by the supercharged version debuting for the 2003/2004 SVT Cobra. Still, the earlier motor features several excellent specifications making it worthy of much more praise and attention than it generally receives. Unlike the later motors, the early naturally aspirated 32V utilized an aluminum block, resulting in a far lighter motor overall, and better weight distribution in the cars it powered. That said, the majority of the blocks produced up through the beginning of 2001 were manufactured by Teksid in Italy. These blocks are capable, in their stock form, of handling up to a reported 900hp despite their minimal weight. These motors are also top end terrors, power peaking near their 7,000RPM redline, allowing a skilled driver to wring out each gear on a track. While doing so, the driver is also treated to one of the most melodious yet ferocious exhaust notes produced by a V8, unmistakable to previous owners, and enough of a reason alone to own one. Putting out 320hp/317tq in the Cobra, this motor was plenty to tackle the competition at the time, and responded very well to modification. It also served as the basis of the motor in Koenigsegg's absolutely ballistic CCR V8 where it produced 806hp/680tq. Aside from all that, these are big beautiful motors, with monster heads, aluminum intake manifolds, and nicely contoured valve covers. Those later supercharged models may be beasts, but this earlier iteration is a real treat.

2. Toyota 1UZ-FE 4.0L V8

Potentially one of the greatest small displacement V8s developed, this motor truly deserves praise and recognition near the top of this list. Exhibiting trademark Toyota reliability, these V8's were all but indestructible. Carrying much of the technology the manufacturer developed for enduring the abuse of racing, they were equipped with forged internals and 6 bolt main bearings. This was in large part because the motor was genuinely developed to be a platform for Toyota's race motors at the time, and benefitted from some of the best and most performance oriented engineering the company had to offer at the time. In fact, it's reported that over $400M in research went into this exact motor. Rated at 300hp/310tq, they don't flaunt enormous power numbers by today's standards, but would have been a real contender in the mid-90's when primarily used. That said, these are phenomenal candidates for motor swaps, given their small size, light weight, solid output, minimal cost and not to mention glorious sound.

1. Buick/GM L67 3800 Series II Supercharged 3.8L V6

That's right, sitting at the top of the list is the same old V6 that powered countless ugly Buicks and Pontiacs down the boulevard in your grandma's retirement community. Cars like the Buick Park Avenue and Regal, the Chevrolet Impala, and the Pontiac Grand Prix in their late 90's glory. Cars that were envied by... well, nobody. These poor motors are generally found in heaps today, typically idling outside a convenience store while the owner buys a tall boy and a scratch off. Make no mistake, that V6 under the hood is a serious jewel of an engine. Perched atop all 3.8L is an Eaton Gen III M90 blower, upping output to 240hp/280tq, not bad at all for the day. Here again we see the glory isn't in the factory package, but what you can do with it. First, it's already a forced induction motor, meaning more boost is a pulley swap and tune away. Second, you simply can't kill a Series II V6. Third, torque... lots of torque across a wide band compared to turbocharged or naturally aspirated V6's, and only increasing with modification. Swap them in another platform for a fun sleeper (I say a light old Chevy S-10), or leave them in one of their original soap-bar looking abominations and mod to your hearts content. You'll smile when you surprise them at the green light, and when you open the hood.

I truly love an interesting motor, whether it came in the car from the factory, or was swapped in. When you're out browsing, remember that you can't go wrong with any of the mills on this list, and be sure to comment with your own!

See you on the road,

Alexander

What's Wrong on Wikipedia: Part One

The only thing automakers hate more than engineering flaws is having them revealed, along with cost cutting measures they tout as "improvements." While these were once easy to conceal, the advent of social media, and mass access to information has allowed a forum (or literally millions of forums online) for these findings to be discussed and analyzed. It's no surprise, then, that when you turn to one of the most widely used sources of fast information, Wikipedia, discrepancies arise. It seems that the closer you get to big auto industry names, and their related Wikipedia pages, the more "sanitized" the posts seem to get.

Take, for example, the post regarding the N55 motor, previously mentioned in my 335i review. As you scroll through, each section reads as a very dry, thoroughly Teutonic review of a fine piece of German engineering. Relatively short, there seems to be little of note, until you reach this last couple of paragraphs:

"The N55 is mated to ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission in most applications such as the 2011 535i and 2013 BMW 740i, and a 6-speed manual is usually available for sedans (excluding the 7-Series, and dropped for the 5 and 6 series for 2015), but not crossovers such as the X3, X5 and X6. The N55 engines in the 2011 BMW 135i and 2013 BMW 135is are mated to Getrag 7-speed Dual-clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission. 

While having the same displacement and peak power output as the N54, the N55 is 15% more fuel efficient, has lower emissions, less turbo lag and better low-rev torque."

You can almost hear Hanz typing the article muttering "Ve did notzing wrong here unt ze motor is absolutely flawless unt zat is all." Sorry, Hanz, but that's not the case, and the world knows it. BMW, in developing this motor, did in fact improve on several elements which beget smoother operation, cleaner emissions, and better torque, but it did so while saving costs elsewhere. These latter changes ultimately limited what could be done with the motor; not of extreme concern to the everyday driver, but an issue with those that customize their cars. The new motor also failed to remedy many of the reliability issues found on the older motor, and introduced a new one of its own. New direct injection systems, while great for efficiency, create a carbon buildup in intake tracks that harms operation over time and must be cleaned.

Even simpler to spot is the opening regarding transmissions, in which they completely overlook that it wasn't until halfway through the N55's life that BMW started mating it to the superior and newer ZF 8-speed. Up to that point it was the same old ZF 6-speed they put in most cars, in one form or another, back since the early 2000s. Not the end of the world, the older trans is still great, but let's not open saying "The N55 is...most applications..." when the truth is more along the lines of "The N55 has been dropped in about everything we can afford to place it in, and we mate it to whatever we have a lot of at the time; recently it's been that great 8-speed." Also, don't you tell me that 6-speed manual is available in just about everything. Not here it's sure not, they don't offer it in the vast majority of models outside of specific configurations. Even then, good luck finding one at a dealer.

Hanz's conclusion should read more l like this:

"The N55 is mated to ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission in later applications such as the 2011 535i and 2013 BMW 740i, retaining the previous ZF 6-speed automatic transmission in earlier models. A 6-speed manual is usually available for sedans (excluding the 7-Series, and dropped for the 5 and 6 series for 2015), but not crossovers such as the X3, X5 and X6, and is of limited availability within the United States. The N55 engines in the 2011 BMW 135i and 2013 BMW 135is are mated to a Getrag 7-speed Dual-clutch transmission or a 6-speed manual transmission.

While having the same displacement and peak power output as the N54, the N55 is 15% more fuel efficient, has lower emissions, less turbo lag and better low-rev torque. That said, these changes are made at the sacrifice of the N54's higher power potential, forged internals and greater aftermarket support. Issues such as high pressure fuel pump (HPFP) failures have also carried over into the new model, as have problematic water pumps. Also of note is the new prevalence of issues stemming from carbon fouling from the direct injection used in N55 motors."

Ahh, the truth... MUCH better! Now you're probably wondering what you can do about updating the information online. Well, I'm such a good guy, I've gone ahead and done it for you! What you read above is exactly what I have since edited on Wikipedia itself. What we need to see is if it lasts, for how long, and if all of the changes are discarded. My guess is they'll take it back to the sunshine and rainbows that was there in the first place. Moral of the story is... don't believe everything you read on Wikipedia. There are far better sources out there, including the car community itself and the plethora of forums and blogs within it. You already know that though, you're one of the smart ones, because you're here.

See you on the road,

Alexander

The Starting Line

Friends, brothers and sisters, welcome to High Octane Opinions.

Have you ever stated that a car that costs as much as a small house was overrated?

Are you glad the "answer" to all car comparisons is no longer BMW?

Is your entire YouTube history car videos?

Has not one single vehicle you have owned remained stock?

If so, you have found a new home on High Octane Opinions; where love of all things automotive knows no bounds, and the opinions about them have no filters. Here, you will find reviews, editorials, and plenty of open debate all completely subjective, biased, and unapologetic.

As a "car guy" I have owned and driven everything from Corvettes to Jeep Wranglers, German sports cars to pickup trucks, and a few motorcycles for good measure. I breathe nitromethane, bleed motor oil, and when I hit the gym I measure my output in torque. I spend time every weekend available at some form of car event, meet, cruise, race or show where I enjoy a good cigar, better friends, and half decent coffee.

I hope to share some of what I see, think, and typically argue through text about, and hope to hear what you all have to say as well.


See you on the road, try and keep up.

-Alexander