AnalogKid is looking at a new (to him) set of wheels. Apparently he's a fan of high-winding, small-displacement, powerful motors. There's certainly no shortage of 'em coming out of Japan.
Rivrdog disagrees, via comments, advocating in favor of low-rpm grunt engines that don't have to wrap their elbows around their assholes to get something done (my interpretation).
Well, in fact, they're both mostly right. Thing is, the Kid's talking apples, and Rivrdog's talking oranges.
AnalogKid likes to go FAST. Rivrdog likes to go ANYWHERE. Since we're talking about four-wheeled passenger vehicles, not helicopters, the two are pretty much mutually exclusive.
NOTE: I'm staying out of the diesel end of things here - that's not an area I know enough to talk about. I've heard wonderful things, but I don't have enough understanding to comment with much intelligence, much less any authority.
Something to remember: T=T, and H=H. As in Torque=Tugging, and Horsepower=HaulingCookies. Two very different requirements.
Something else to remember: Horsepower=(Torque*RPM)/5250. Yes, this means Torque=Horsepower at 5250 rpm, always. It also means that high horsepower usually comes at higher rpm. This is variable, based on many different engine design decisions.
It also means different engines are made for different purposes.
But, something is
ALMOST univerally true, that AK either doesn't understand, or doesn't believe:
There really IS no replacement for displacement.
I admit, I loves me some big fat V8s. But I also love the little 1600cc aircooled engine in my 1970 Beetle, and no, it ain't no "flower power" Bug; it's built to run autocross, and run it hard.
The Japanese did some REALLY cool things with small engines, cranking out almost unbelievable horsepower/cu.in ratios... thing is, those developments usually scale pretty well.
If you figure out what makes a 2.5L V6 run so hard, and do the same thing, but tack another two cylinders on the front of it, you're going to have a winner. The V8 WILL produce more power, every time.
Comparing old-tech V8s to new-tech I4s or V6s is comparing apples to oranges.
Engines are, basically, just big air pumps. The more air you can move through them, the more power they can make. Efficiency does play a big part here, but you can make big engines work about as efficiently as small ones, and the big ones can move more air, thus making more power (given approximately equal volumetric efficiencies).
Of course, there's also the question of application. Rivrdog wants a grunt motor. AK wants a fast screamer. There's places for both, just like there's places for a snubnosed .38 Special, and places for a .308 boltie. They're meant for different jobs, and neither can do the other's job well.
For example: I've got a '79 GMC 2wd 3/4 ton pickup, with a 454 in it. This truck is NOT fast, even with a Gear Vendors overdrive in it. The overdrive means I'm not dangerously slow on the interstate, that's about it. But... I'd be whatever amount of money AnalogKid wanted to bet, that we could tie that truck and his choice of ANY Toyota (4wd and AWD included) back-to-back, with any (Toyota-based) engine he can imagine, and I'd drag it backwards through a cloud of its own tire smoke. More than likely, I'd never go over 1500 rpm doing so.
On the other hand, take that same fasty-fast Toyota of The Kid's, put it on a road-race course with the old GMC, and if it's more than a mile-long circuit, I'm quite sure he'd do two laps before I finished one.
Difference in purpose, difference in results.
When you're buying a new car, or a daily driver in general, you have to think about what you want to do. Compromises MUST be made, even if you're building your own engine - no one engine will do EVERYTHING well.
Thus, we have guys like me, who have vehicles specialty-tuned to particular endeavors, just as avid shooters have specific guns tuned to specialty shooting scenarios.
