Cookie Consent by Free Privacy Policy website The flat engine tradition
july 03, 2018 - Porsche

The flat engine tradition

The air-cooled flat engine has a special place in the hearts of its fans. But emotions only tell half the story. As well as revving its way into the affections of many, the flat engine has many interesting features that give it the edge from a design point of view. Its history dates back 122 years to 1896, when Carl Benz invented the flat engine. He called it the contra engine because its two cylinders worked in opposition to one another. This first boxer engine was intended to have a displacement of over 1.7 litres and deliver 5 hp. Its underlying design principle – both then and now – is that the cylinders should lie flat and slightly offset to each other, on opposite sides of the crankshaft.

The #porsche family tree of flat engines can be traced back to the VW Beetle. Its 1.1-litre, four-cylinder engine delivering 26 kW (35 hp) was installed by Ferry #porsche in his 356-001. Further engines followed, all of which were air-cooled until the 911 Type 993. In the top-of-the-range 911 Carrera RS, the 3.8-litre air-cooled flat engine achieved 221 kW (300 hp) without turbocharging. Two turbochargers boosted performance to 331 kW (450 hp).

The ideal choice for sports cars

The air-cooled flat engine is lightweight and flat, making it the ideal choice for sports cars, and particularly low designs are possible as the cylinders are lying flat. This lowers the centre of gravity, allowing for a sportier and more dynamic style of driving – and not just when cornering. If the flat engine is installed at the rear as in #porsche vehicles, traction is improved because the weight of the engine rests on the drive axle. Until all-wheel drive vehicles conquered the roads, Beetle and #porsche drivers agreed that a car with a rear-mounted engine was by far the best choice for winter conditions. The opposite is also true: When braking, the weight of a rear-mounted engine allows more braking force to be transferred to the rear wheels.

The flat engine – and especially its six-cylinder variant – is particularly smooth-running, with no free moments or free forces. The crank mechanism is ideally balanced, allowing short-stroke sports engines to cruise along at high speeds without excessive strain.

Related news

march 28, 2024
march 28, 2024
march 27, 2024

Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund have been given wild cards for the main draw of the world class tournament containing nine Top 1...

The Porsche 99X Electric driven by Pascal Wehrlein (GER) and António Félix da Costa (POR) tackle the Formula E debut in Japan deck...

Endurance test by Porsche Penske Motorsport in Aragón - Latest imagesFormula 1 champion with first race track kilometres in the Le...

You might be interested in

march 27, 2024
march 27, 2024
march 26, 2024

Analogue and digital methods go hand in handClassic tools such as sketches and clay models still in useState-of-the-art tools for ...

Porsche AG and Applied Intuition, a Silicon Valley-based vehicle software supplier, announced a strategic partnership today. The c...

Porsche will support the European Open in Germany as the Official Automotive Partner.Long-time successful cooperation with the tim...