Have you ever heard of the Cosworth DFV?
Absolutely one of the finest engines ever designed. There are quite a few flat-crank V8s in racing, as the NVH issues become unimportant if you're not talking about a road car.
Whoa there. Parent post is loaded with incorrect information:
I have never heard of a 90-degree V12. Most are at 60 degrees, with the notable exception of Ferrari's V12s (which have historically been at 65, or 180 in the case of the 365/512 engine series.)
A flat-plane crank V8 is essentially two inline-four engines. A cross-plane crank V8 uses an uneven firing order and is not the same.
With their crankshaft counterweights, cross-plane V8s have better dynamic balance than flat-crank V8s. There's a very good reason why flat-crank V8s aren't commonly used in road cars: unless you're able to make the engine internals very light, the noise/vibration/harshness (NVH) will be awful, and most consumers won't be interested in buying your car. The cross-crank V8 is not a "dirty kludge", and most people prefer the exhaust burble to the sharp bark of the flat-crank design.
Almost every major V8-making manufacturer produces exclusively cross-plane crank V8s. Ferrari, Lotus, and TVR are the only major exceptions. Saying that the only "real" V8 is a flat-crank is silly.
Yes they sound interesting but the only flat plane crank V8 I ever heard of is the old Nova made from two Offy's.
You've never heard of the Ferrari 308? (or 328, 348, 355, 360, or 430?) Or the Lotus Esprit V8? Or the TVR Cerbera?
Ok, I wouldn't be too surprised if you'd never heard of the Cerbera, but Ferrari has been using flat-crank V8s for a long time.
But GM couldn't change its mindset, and instead sat and twiddled their thumbs while the Japanese took away their business.
I'm pretty sure there aren't any Japanese 3/4 heavy trucks.
leaf springs work very well on trucks
like Corvette
Do you understand that the Hotchkiss rear suspension (which is what you're thinking of) involves a solid rear axle and is completely different from the transverse single composite monospring used by the Corvette (which uses IRS)? The Corvette has had fully independent suspension since 1963.
I'm a fan of Jeremy Clarkson and his wacky antics too, but when he talks about American cars he's often quite wrong.
Inline V-8
I am confuse.
60% of the population of the Netherlands live below sea level. Are they all stupid too?
And how often do major hurricanes tear through that area?
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