Boxer engine11/2/2022 A Dynamic Duo: The Boxer Engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive With all of these tasks within the wheelhouse of a popular adventurer like the Subaru Outback, it’s easy to see why the boxer engine is a significant selling point for Subaru’s top seller. In addition, its lower center of gravity enhances stability, especially when cornering, traveling at high speeds, or navigating technical terrain. As a result, the weight is evenly distributed as the components move, which translates to more predictive handling. The boxer engine’s compact design also allows automakers like Subaru to position the engine lower in the vehicle. This direct transfer means fewer transmission components and less work for the engine, ultimately increasing power and reducing fuel consumption. Its compactness also reduces its efforts, especially since the force of the piston is directly transferred to the crankshaft, gearbox, and wheels. By positioning the cylinders horizontally, the boxer engine reduces its size and evenly distributes its weight. The horizontally opposed layout gives the boxer engine several advantages over other internal combustion engines with a V-like or I-like design. This counterbalance has more advantages than you might imagine. This flat layout allows the opposing pistons to move inward and outward simultaneously, mimicking the one-two punch of a boxer in the ring. Rather than aligning the cylinders in a V shape like a standard V6 or V8 engine, a boxer engine takes a different approach and positions the cylinders on each side of the rotating crankshaft. Internal combustion engines may all operate the same, but how you align their cylinders and how the components work together dramatically impact the engine’s performance and capability. Subaru hasn’t looked back since, outfitting every vehicle in its fleet with the reliable, responsive, and capable powerplant. Subaru was soon to follow, debuting the FF-1 with its 61-horsepower boxer engine. Ferry Porsche outfitted his 356-01 with a 35-horsepower four-cylinder boxer. Coincidentally, BMW adopted the boxer engine for its motorcycle lineup, a feature that distinguishes BMW bikes even today.Īs the boxer engine continuously evolved and steadily delivered more power, it was picked up by automakers like Porsche. Before long, the boxer gained a prominent spot in the Mercedes-Benz lineup and later inspired Volkswagen to add a 1.1L boxer engine to its Type 1 Beetle. The engine produced five horsepower and earned widespread praise for its smooth handling and capability. His first twin-engine design debuted in 1897, forever changing the automotive industry.Īfter two years of fine tuning the engine, Benz debuted the boxer or “contra” engine in 1899 on the Mercedes-Benz Dos-à-Dos. While automobiles were a rarity in Germany in the late 1890s, Benz dedicated a team to developing a multi-cylinder engine that would compete against rival manufacturers. Instead, that credit belongs to German inventor Karl Benz. While Subaru and Porsche are renowned for using the boxer engine, the automakers can’t take credit for inventing the design. For example, a V8 engine gets its name from the V-shape of its cylinders, whereas the boxer engine gets its name from how its horizontally opposed cylinders lay flat. However, how these components are designed and configured dramatically impacts a vehicle’s performance and capability. The basic machinations of every internal combustion engine are the same. Going Against the Grain: The Contra Engine So, what makes the boxer engine one of the industry’s not-so-hidden gems? How does it manage to fit in with the pragmatic Subaru lineup and the speed-hungry and luxurious Porsche fleet? How does Subaru enhance the boxer engine’s capability with its Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system? Answering these questions starts with an age-old practice of bucking tradition and going against the grain to deliver more power and capability at a time when automobiles were still relatively new. It’s the power of the boxer engine and its predominant role in the capability of models like the used Subaru Outback. #Boxer engine driversHowever, many drivers are arguably in on a secret that the rest of America has yet to discover or continues to ignore. Americans are passionate about their vehicles, with some of the grandest rivalries slating Chevrolet loyalists against Ford fans.
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