3-cylinder 12-valve engine technology
To meet the growing requirements in terms of reducing polluting emissions (C02 in particular), some manufacturers are acquiring a replacement family of engines. This new generation of naturally aspirated engines replaces certain 4-cylinder engines with the same level of power.
Its specifications are very ambitious with reference to the replaced engines:
»Reduction in C02 emissions: -25% compared to equivalent 4-cylinder engines.
»Acoustic improvement and vibration reduction
»Performance: torque at low revs and power at the simplest level.
»Weight optimization: -25 kg compared to equivalent 4-cylinder engines.
Driven by legislation restricting C02 emissions, manufacturers have accelerated all-out developments which can also benefit consumers by reducing fuel consumption at an equivalent time.
One of the foremost effective means of achieving this goal is to scale back the amount of cylinders. But 4 were so far considered as a minimum for an operation without an excessive amount of vibration or cyclic irregularities on an automobile deserve the name, the three cylinders being reserved for carts like those of Daihatsu, Suzuki, Smart or VW.
However, manufacturers like Ford, Peugeot -Citroën, Renault, Volkswagen or maybe ... BMW are now praising the merits of their new and comparatively powerful 3 cylinders, a configuration which is now adorned altogether the virtues.
Things have apparently changed, notably because of the turbo supercharging, dual-mass wheel and a few innovations.
Its specifications are very ambitious with reference to the replaced engines:
»Reduction in C02 emissions: -25% compared to equivalent 4-cylinder engines.
»Acoustic improvement and vibration reduction
»Performance: torque at low revs and power at the simplest level.
»Weight optimization: -25 kg compared to equivalent 4-cylinder engines.
Driven by legislation restricting C02 emissions, manufacturers have accelerated all-out developments which can also benefit consumers by reducing fuel consumption at an equivalent time.
One of the foremost effective means of achieving this goal is to scale back the amount of cylinders. But 4 were so far considered as a minimum for an operation without an excessive amount of vibration or cyclic irregularities on an automobile deserve the name, the three cylinders being reserved for carts like those of Daihatsu, Suzuki, Smart or VW.
However, manufacturers like Ford, Peugeot -Citroën, Renault, Volkswagen or maybe ... BMW are now praising the merits of their new and comparatively powerful 3 cylinders, a configuration which is now adorned altogether the virtues.
Things have apparently changed, notably because of the turbo supercharging, dual-mass wheel and a few innovations.