What makes the Boxer engine so special

[steeloyangster]

It's flat so it's got a lower CoG, the pistons are opposed to each other so there's less material on the crank to balance engine vibration making the overall engine weight lighter and spins more freely because of less weight/material to move. Other than that I don't think there are many other benefits of a boxer. Versus an inline 4 I think there's a negative in that there are more moving parts such as the need for 4 CAMS vs just 2 if it were a DOHC configuration. There are always advantages vs disadvantages on motor designs. I used to be a big fan of the WANKEL because of it's only 3 major moving parts but the lack of torque, dependability, life expectancy, and gas mileage made me get rid of my second gen RX7.

[Dimman]

Problem is they're wide and can't be pushed back as far for balance when front mounted and interfere with more advanced suspension options in the front because of it.

[ZakD]

Is the WANKEL what is referred to as rotary engine? Those seem to really be out of the scene.

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk 2

[whaap]

Originally Posted by ZakD

Is the WANKEL what is referred to as rotary engine? Those seem to really be out of the scene.

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk 2

Yes, they are the same.

[Beyer Subaru]

The pistons are held together with a unicorn horn. Duh.

[Rayme]

It allows the shifter to be mounted right on the tranny instead of using cables

[DaJo]

The FA20 are special for throwing out the famous idle dip and CEL light from factory.

[fatoni]

Originally Posted by SuperDave

says the guy who drives an inline engine.

and that car with an inline engine has a lower cog than the frs.

Originally Posted by ottopilot

It allows the shifter to be mounted right on the tranny instead of using cables

that has nothing to do with it being a boxer motor as far as i know. im pretty sure thats a function of the engine being up front and the drive wheels out back

[Carban]

Originally Posted by fatoni

and that car with an inline engine has a lower cog than the frs.

LFA, Porsche 911 GT3, and Ferrari 360 are the only cars built w/ a lower CoG than the FRS. I like miatas, Yours may be modified lower, but who cares that wasnt the question.

Originally Posted by fatoni

that has nothing to do with it being a boxer motor as far as i know. im pretty sure thats a function of the engine being up front and the drive wheels out back

...oh ur so wrong

Boxer engine: flat design so its mounted lower, minimal vibrations, the square 86x86 bore and stroke provide wonderful balance throughout the engine and also reduces vibration, not to mention subaru has mastered the horizontally opposed.
"Using the boxer engine also allows it and other major components to be moved farther back toward the vehicle’s center point, resulting in an extremely neutral-handling chassis that laughs at the thought of understeer."

BADABING BADABOOM

[mattles]

Having owned one of the lowest stock Miata's ever produced, I think I am certified to add my two cents here.
If I recall correctly all miatas have a CoG height higher than even an s2000. I cant find the exact numbers right now, my google-fu is weak. The s2000 is higher still than a Porsche Cayman, and the FT86 cars are supposedly lower than all of the models mentioned above.

Now, obviously CoG height is not a 100% indication of overall performance, but I can safely say the FRS out-performs any miata I have ever owned -stock-.

EDIT: found some data finally

460mm for the FS is roughly 18.1in, whereas the Cayman is 482mm. Im having problems finding credible sources for s2k and mx5 though. Conjecture seems to indicate 20-22'' for the S2k which I have a hard time believing.

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by Carban

LFA, Porsche 911 GT3, and Ferrari 360 are the only cars built w/ a lower CoG than the FRS. I like miatas, Yours may be modified lower, but who cares that wasnt the question.

...oh ur so wrong

Boxer engine: flat design so its mounted lower, minimal vibrations, the square 86x86 bore and stroke provide wonderful balance throughout the engine and also reduces vibration, not to mention subaru has mastered the horizontally opposed.
"Using the boxer engine also allows it and other major components to be moved farther back toward the vehicle’s center point, resulting in an extremely neutral-handling chassis that laughs at the thought of understeer."

BADABING BADABOOM

Then why does it only have the same F:R balance as an iron-block, long inline-6 powered Supra?

Marketing hyperbole. Try again.

Edit: According to Keith Tanner (look him up), first gen Miatas' cogs was ~17" stock.

[Guff]

The fact that it's a boxer has no real correspondence with how it has a directly mounted shifter. Like fatoni said, that's because it's FR.


Honestly, what like about boxers is just the ridiculous noise they make. And fact that nobody knows what the hell they are.

It's unique. Not as unique as wankel-magic-pixie-unicorn-triangle engines, but unique nonetheless.

[Palmy]

If by "unique" you meant "mass produced" then yeah.
Are boxer engines rare in the US?

[Guff]

Originally Posted by Palmy

If by "unique" you meant "mass produced" then yeah.
Are boxer engines rare in the US?

Meaning they are not as common as inline or V-type engines.

Perhaps uncommon is a better word. Although as an FR Boxer, I suppose it is quite unique.