Five-cylinder engines are somewhat of a rarity in the car world. The middle child of the four- and six-cylinder powerplant gets a lot of love from enthusiasts, but car manufacturers tend to opt for its smaller sibling for most projects – the next step up often being seen as the larger six.
There are reasons for this, so don’t go thinking car makers dismiss this engine just to spite us or as a cruel joke. Cost is, obviously, a big one – a four-pot is cheaper to build. There are other mechanical disadvantages to the straight-five, such as not being inherently balanced like a straight-six, too.
That being said, a shorter length (than an inline-six) and increased smoothness (over an inline-four) are both examples of positive traits five-cylinder motors possess. Not to mention they sound like mini V10s. These characteristics have led to some cars, nowadays usually performance-oriented models, being fitted with a five-cylinder – the Audi RS3 and TT RS, for instance.
More cars could benefit from the addition of a five-pot version though, so here’s a list of five to get your imaginations into gear…
Continue reading “Five cars deserving of five-cylinder versions”
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