A
V4 engine is a
V form engineA V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
with four
cylinderA cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
s and three main bearings.
Automobile use
LanciaLancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
produced several
narrow-angle V4 enginesLancia pioneered the V engine design, producing the first V6 as well as the first V4s. Several different V4 families were produced from the 1920s through 1960s.-Lambda:...
from the 1920s through 1960s for cars like the
LambdaThe Lancia Lambda is an innovative automobile produced from 1922 through 1931. It was the first car to feature a load-bearing monocoque-type body, and it also pioneered the use of an independent suspension . Vincenzo Lancia even invented a shock absorber for the car and it had excellent four wheel...
,
AugustaThe Lancia Augusta was produced by Italian automanufacturer Lancia between 1933-1936. The car was powered by a 1196 cc Lancia V4 engine.During the 1920s, Lancia had been known as producers of sports cars and middle sized sedans: the smaller Augusta represented a departure from that tradition, and...
,
ArtenaThe Lancia Artena was produced between 1931 and 1936 by the Italian automanufacturer Lancia. The car was powered by a 2 litre Lancia V4 engine....
,
ApriliaLancia Aprilia is automobile manufactured by Lancia, one of the first designed using wind tunnel in collaboration with Battista Farina and Politecnico di Torino, achieving a record low drag coefficient of 0.47....
,
ArdeaThe Lancia Ardea was a small sedan produced by the Turin firm between 1939 and 1953. Its unusually short bonnet/hood reportedly contained the smallest V4 engine ever commercialized in an automobile....
,
AppiaThe Lancia Appia was a car introduced in 1953 as a replacement for the Ardea and in production for 10 years. The Appia was the last in a long line of Lancia production cars dating back to the Lancia Lambda to use the famous sliding pillar front suspension...
, and
FulviaThe Lancia Fulvia is an Italian car introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1963 by Lancia. It was produced by that company through 1976. Fulvias are notable for their role in automobile racing history, including winning the International Rally Championship in 1972...
.
FordFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
of Europe produced two totally different V4 engines with a
balance shaftIn piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...
, one in the UK and one in Germany:
- The British Ford Essex V4 engine
The Essex V4 was a V4 engine from Ford Motor Company made at the plant in Essex. The engine was available in two capacities, 1663 cc and 1996 cc, differing only in stroke. This engine was used on the Ford Corsair, Capri Mk I, Consul/Granada Mk I, Ford Zephyr 4 Mk IV and certain early models of the...
- The German Ford Taunus V4 engine
The Taunus V4 was a V4 piston engine with one balance shaft, introduced by Ford Motor Company in Germany in 1962. The German V4 was built in the Cologne plant and powered the Ford Taunus and German versions of the Granada, Capri and Transit...
(also used by SaabSaab Automobile AB, better known as Saab , is a Swedish car manufacturer owned by Dutch automobile manufacturer Swedish Automobile NV, formerly Spyker Cars NV. It is the exclusive automobile Royal Warrant holder as appointed by the King of Sweden...
)
The Ukrainian manufacturer
ZAZZAZ or Zaporizhia Automobile Building Plant is the main automobile-manufacturer of Ukraine, based in the south-eastern city of Zaporizhia. It is also known for its former mother company name, AvtoZAZ...
also used an air-cooled V4 with a
balance shaftIn piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...
, produced by
MeMZMeMZ is short for "Melitopol Engine Plant" . The factory was founded in 1908 by a Mennonite entrepreneur by the name of Zaferman. Until 1925 the factory focused mainly on diesel engines specifically for applications in agricultural machinery and fishing ships...
and used in
Zaporozhets cars.
The 1962 Ford "Mustang I" rear-engine concept roadster was powered by a German-made 1,500 cc V4 engine.
Motorcycle use
V4 engines are mostly found nowadays in
motorcycleA motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s, typically transversely mounted. Models with V4 engines include:
- Aprilia RSV4
- Ducati Desmosedici
Ducati Desmosedici is the name of the series of four-stroke V4 Prototype Motorcycles developed by Ducati to compete in the MotoGP World Championship. GPx indicates the version of the bike, where x corresponds to the year the bike raced .- Background :Ducati abandoned the Grand Prix racing scene at...
- Honda Magna
The first generation 1982 V45 Magna had chrome headlight and fenders. The front disc brakes have straight grooves, dual piston calipers, and TRAC anti-dive. The speedometer reads 80 mph. The redline is 10,000 rpm. The engine is a 748 cc DOHC 16-valve liquid-cooled 90 degree V-4...
- Honda NR
Honda's NR V-four motorcycle engine series started in 1979 with the 500cc NR500 Grand Prix racer that used oval pistons. This was followed during the 1980s by a 750cc endurance racer version known as the NR750. The oval piston concept allowed for eight valves per cylinder which generated more...
- Honda RC212V
The Honda RC212V is a road racing motorcycle developed to race in the MotoGP series. Officially introduced on 30 October 2006 as the RC211V replacement in the MotoGP series, it was developed by Honda Racing Corporation throughout 2006 and began officially racing in the 2007 season.The model name...
- Honda ST1100
The Honda ST1100, also known as the Pan-European, is a sport touring motorcycle that was manufactured by Honda until 2002.- History :The ST1100 began its production in 1990 and ended in 2002, although the police variant, the ST1100P, was available for several more years.A revamped model, the...
and ST1300The Honda ST1300, also known as the Pan-European, is a sport touring motorcycle manufactured by Honda and introduced to Europe in 2002. The following year, it was released in North America as the ST1300....
(Pan-European) with longitudinally mounted V4 engine.
- Honda VF and VFR
The VF and VFR series was a motorcycle made by Honda and had a V4 engine. The bike was also the first to utilize a Sprag clutch.-V4 engine:...
- Suzuki Madura
The Madura was a cruiser motorcycle sold by Suzuki in 1985 and 1986. It was available with either 1200 cc or 700 cc V4 engines. It was created as a response to Honda's Magna V4 muscle cruiser and was a direct competitor with Yamaha's V-Max power cruiser, also released in 1985.Model designations:*...
- Yamaha Venture
The Yamaha Venture is a premier touring motorcycle manufactured in two forms by Yamaha from 1983–1993 and from 1999-2009.In 1983 Yamaha created a V4 power package that began the Yamaha Venture motorcycle series....
- Yamaha V-Max
The V-Max, called the VMAX since 2008, is a cruiser motorcycle made by Yamaha since 1985, known for its powerful V4 engine, shaft drive, and distinctive styling.-History:...
- Yamaha YZR500
The YZR500 was the Yamaha Motor Corporation’s entry for 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing between the years of 1973 and 2002.- Successes :...
Other uses
Another use of the V4 engine is in
outboard motorAn outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...
s. They are
two-stroke cycleA two-stroke engine is an internal combustion engine that completes the process cycle in one revolution of the crankshaft...
and generally
carburetedA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
. Some of the largest manufacturers are
JohnsonJohnson Outboards was a US based manufacturer of outboard motors. The original company to make Johnson inboard motors and outboard motors was the Johnson Bros. Motor Company of Terre Haute, Indiana, United States...
,
EvinrudeEvinrude Outboard Motors is a company that builds a major brand of outboard motors for boats. Founded by Ole Evinrude in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907, it was formerly owned by the publicly traded Outboard Marine Corporation , and is now owned by privately held Bombardier Recreational Products.-...
and
Yamaha, is a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company. Yamaha Motor is part of Yamaha Corporation and its headquarter is located in Iwata, Shizuoka. Along with expanding Yamaha Corporation into the world's biggest piano maker, then Yamaha CEO Genichi Kawakami took Yamaha into the field of motorized...
. This type of engine is popular because of its small size, while still producing 140 hp, or more.