What Would be the Better Engine Overall, I6 or V6?

What do you think is the better engine overall?

  • Total voters
    28
Grandea GTR

Grandea GTR

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United States
Fort Worth
That_sneaky_azN
Just a question of thought.

In my opinion, I feel that the Inline 6 configuration would be the better engine overall because it is more balanced than a V6. I also have heard that I6s are cheaper to produce, the downside for them would be length, though.

Anyone else?
 
Inline 6's tend to be torquier in my experience especially at lower RPM's than V6s. However both are decent configurations so I'm pretty indifferent on this one. Both do their job well in many different applications.
 
Zenith
Inline 6's are balanced motors, V6's are inherently imbalanced. Inline 6 motors have less frictional losses since they only have one valvetrain.
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Noob time:

I understand the bit about the loss due to having additional valvetrain, but why are I6s balanced as opposed to V6s being inherently imbalanced? Is it because a V6 behaves like two I3s inheriting their imbalance? But in that case, why doesn't the I6 suffer from the same thing?
 
CarBastard
Noob time:

I understand the bit about the loss due to having additional valvetrain, but why are I6s balanced as opposed to V6s being inherently imbalanced? Is it because a V6 behaves like two I3s inheriting their imbalance? But in that case, why doesn't the I6 suffer from the same thing?
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The pistons in the two banks move on different axis, whereas in a straight 6 they all move on the same axis and one piston moving up cancels out the inertia of another piston moving down better. So a V6 has an inherent side-to-side oscillation and in an I6 it's much lower.
 
If companies want a even shorter hood yet have a FR layout with a 4 cylinder why not have a V4?

Jet Badger
The pistons in the two banks move on different axis, whereas in a straight 6 they all move on the same axis and one piston moving up cancels out the inertia of another piston moving down better. So a V6 has an inherent side-to-side oscillation and in an I6 it's much lower.
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And why boxer engines are better since each side cancels the movement out or so says subaru
 
Grayfox
And why boxer engines are better since each side cancels the movement out or so says subaru
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To be honest, I think that's just fancy talk. Same mass moving in the same direction relative to each other just like in a regular I4/I6. If anything, it probably has more to do with the pistons moving on a horizontal plane rather than vertical and so on a different axis than the suspension. Still doubt it has a major effect though.
 
Something I've been meaning to ask for a while, why do they sound so different?

If it's because of the firing order then why can't they change it around to make a V6 sound like an I6 and vice versa?
 
Bopop4
Something I've been meaning to ask for a while, why do they sound so different?

If it's because of the firing order then why can't they change it around to make a V6 sound like an I6 and vice versa?
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Everything.

The layout, cam/s profile, firing order, exhaust setup, timing, head design, bore/stroke combo, rod ratio, different diameters of holes, valve clearances etc. It goes on an on. There's a million reasons why they don't sound the same. It's kinda like pointing out why a 2 stroke dirtbike doesn't sound the same as a 4 stroke one. There's a ton of differences.
 
Slash
Everything.

The layout, cam/s profile, firing order, exhaust setup, timing, head design, bore/stroke combo, rod ratio, different diameters of holes, valve clearances etc. It goes on an on. There's a million reasons why they don't sound the same. It's kinda like pointing out why a 2 stroke dirtbike doesn't sound the same as a 4 stroke one. There's a ton of differences.
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That's not what I mean, keeping all the variables like cams and exhausts the same, why can't they change the firing order on a V6 to give an I6 note.
 
Bopop4
That's not what I mean, keeping all the variables like cams and exhausts the same, why can't they change the firing order on a V6 to give an I6 note.
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The imbalance between both and layout will change it. Hence why old school I6's sound like V8's more so than V6's that were V8s with 2 cylinders chopped off.
 
Grayfox
If companies want a even shorter hood yet have a FR layout with a 4 cylinder why not have a V4?
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More complicated and therefore more costly than an inline four. Two cylinder banks means twice as much valve gear etc.

Having said that, Porsche have just developed a V4 for the 919 LMP1 racer. Wouldn't be surprised if a version of it ends up in a road car. It's compact dimensions leave you room to add hybrid gubbings too if so desired.
 
I6 all the way. After my dad got a '04 GS300 and started riding in it and then switching to like an ES300 or any other 6 cylinder its just not the same. Everything feels different, its really crazy how much of a difference there is.
 
Grandea GTR
Aren't V4 engines used on motorcycles?
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Yeah they are and quite big in racing which is basically where they were developed for Bikes. Though Ford for a long time has had a V4 though it's only been limited use if I remember correctly.

Though Porsche now has a V4 race engine in their lmp1 car and F1 had plans before the current engines were given the green light to go V4 as well, but Ferrari said no to that.
 
The Mustang was originally developed around a mid-engined V4. They had them for a while but as LMS said it was pretty limited.
 
I'm sure most of you know what I voted as I'm a bit biased :P
 
CK00WIv.jpg
 
I've always fancied the idea of a V3 with one cylinder possessing twice the volume of the opposing two...




Nobody else? Well you can all bite me.




:lol:
 
TexRex
I've always fancied the idea of a V3 with one cylinder possessing twice the volume of the opposing two...




Nobody else? Well you can all bite me.




:lol:
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I don't even think that would work.
 

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