The flat-four was utilised by Porsche GmbH in 1948 to create the 356—its first ever manufacturing car. Subaru debuted its first boxer engine in the tiny Subaru 1000 in 1966, and it has been in use ever since. Subaru and Porsche are now the only automakers using the style.
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What does the Boxer engine have in common with Subaru and Porsche vehicles?
At CTR, we adore cool automobiles, especially ones that move quickly and steadily, but we adore their cool technological underpinnings even more. In addition to enhanced aerodynamics and electronic stability controls, Porsche and Subaru, located in Germany and Japan, respectively, have both been developing engines that are a little bit (okay, a lot!) different from the rest of the world to help cars go a little bit more steadily.
Because the pistons on a “Boxer engine” are situated horizontally on either side of the crankshaft, it is sometimes referred to as a “flat engine” or a “horizontally-opposed engine.” similar to the image below
And the reason it is dubbed a “boxer” is that, when you only see one side of the pistons, the motion of two pistons moving in and out one after the other closely resembles a boxer punching.
If you didn’t know, the popular “V engine” (you probably usually hear people talking about a V8) or the less-popular “In-line engine” that are employed by automobile manufacturers around the rest of the world are substantially different from this design.
Here is a picture of a real Subaru boxer engine. It is the largest engine they have, a 3.6-liter 6-cylinder with 247 lb.-ft. of torque and 256 horsepower. It is significantly broader and has a lower center of gravity (physics 101!) than a V8, making it more stable for cornering, as opposed to seeming like a round block like a V8.
The more specific explanation for its stability is that the car spins with more traction from the tires because of the decreased roll angle caused by the lower center of gravity, which is a compelling enough argument for every automobile manufacturer in the world to adopt this design. Why then do they not? It takes twice as long to construct and is more difficult to mass produce than a standard V engine because positioning pistons horizontally requires more steps and requires more parts. In addition, who really needs so much traction for a trip to McDonald’s?
In any case, we are grateful to Porsche and Subaru for continuing to use this technology. And perhaps because of this, Porsche produces such excellent sports cars and roadsters as the 911 Carrera GTS and Boxster, respectively. Not to add, Subaru is well-known for its rally vehicles, particularly the WRX series or “Subaru Impreza,” which has competed in rallies since the early 1990s.
Thank you and let us (the CTR team) know what additional great technology you’d like us to review by leaving a comment or question below.
Here’s How Subaru And Porsche Improved The Boxer Engine
The arrangement has advantages and limitations that occur naturally, but Porsche and Subaru have managed to get around these drawbacks.
It’s not surprising that the final mass-production boxer engine users are Porsche and Subaru. Interestingly, the way a professional boxer strikes is where the idea of a boxer engine comes from. The community refers to these as “Flat engines” because of the horizontal movement and flattened pistons.
The arrangement has advantages and limitations that occur naturally, but Porsche and Subaru have managed to get around these drawbacks. Subaru is more of an approachable vehicle, whereas Porsche caters to a distinct audience.
Both of them face difficulties; one is a brand that focuses on volume, and the other is a luxury sports car manufacturer. Despite their differences, we’ll talk about how Porsche and Subaru were able to overcome several obstacles to develop the boxer engine. Until both automakers switch to totally electric vehicles, which won’t be long from now, both will use these engines.
August 2022 update: The two automakers that have persisted the longest in producing the prestigious boxer engine are also two of the most entertaining. More details about Porsche and Subaru’s dedication to improving this engine design are now included in this article’s update.
What kind of engine do the Subaru and Porsche use?
Porsche and Subaru continue to be the two major manufacturers using boxer engines today. Before World War II, the Tatra 97 used the earliest of today’s flat engines just a few years before Volkswagen unveiled the Beetle. The R32 from BMW Motorrad was one of the first bikes to use a flat engine in 1923.
Honda started using a flat-four engine for the Goldwing in 1974 after this, and a flat-six engine was added in 1987. Many automakers began to exhibit interest after World War II, including with Porsche, which unveiled the 356 with an air-cooler flat-four.
Among many others, other noteworthy references are the Alfa Romeo Alfasud (1971-1989), Citroen GS (1970-1986), and Chevrolet Corvair (1959-1969). Naturally, the well-known Ferrari Boxer and Testarossa also had a flat-twelve configuration, albeit they weren’t quite boxers since they were 180-degree V-12s.
Is the Subaru Outback’s engine a Porsche?
That includes all models, including the flagship Impreza, WRX/STI, Legacy, and BRZ as well as the Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek. Porsche is the only other carmaker whose plans include using boxer engines, albeit not all of its vehicles do so.
Which motors does Subaru employ?
Subaru is the only automaker in the world to equip every one of its models with a boxer engine. It is available in the Forester, Impreza, Crosstrek, Outback, WRX/STI, Legacy, and BRZ. The apartment The 2.0-liter turboboxer WRX from Subaru has earned the Wards 10 Best Engines award for the second consecutive year. Since Subaru began using the Boxer engine in 1966, it has continued to advance. According to Subaru, nothing would change in the future. The engine will still be used to power their automobiles. For three reasons, Subaru is devoted to the powertrain.
Is the boxer engine still in use at Porsche?
These engines are technically known as horizontally opposed, but people often refer to them as “boxer” engines because of how closely the horizontal movement of the pistons mimics a boxer’s fists.
Because they are shorter in height than inline and V-type engines, they are sometimes known as “flat” or “pancake” engines. Engineers claim that by lowering the center of gravity of boxer engines, a vehicle’s handling is enhanced. One disadvantage of boxer engines is that, in contrast to, say, an inline four-cylinder that is more upright, access to some components for mechanics may be limited.
Only Porsche, Subaru, and Toyota currently sell “boxers” in their vehicles. Boxer engines have been standard in Porsche 911s since the beginning, and the current lineup includes several six-cylinder variations. Four-cylinder boxers are included in the Porsche 718 Boxster, 718 Cayman, and 718 Spyder.
All of the contemporary Subaru engines have four cylinders and are horizontally opposed. A flat-four Subaru engine is also used by the Toyota 86, a mechanical twin of the Subaru BRZ.
Regardless of whether a boxer engine has four or six cylinders, each piston moves simultaneously inward and outward with half of them facing one way and the other.
The Subaru engine’s manufacturer.
Subaru, a branch of Fuji Heavy Industries, produces a line of flat-6 engines called the Subaru six-cylinder engines. There are three different generations of these engines. The premium model Subaru Alcyone VX’s single engine option from 1988 to 1991 was the ER27, which was derived from the first-generation flat-4 Subaru EA. The successor Subaru Alcyone SVX, which was sold from 1991 to 1996, used the EG33, which was derived from the Subaru EJ second-generation flat-4 and was again its sole engine option. The EZ30 and EZ36 models in the EZ series were created to be virtually as small as the EJ25 flat-4. The EZ30/36 was the first Subaru six-cylinder engine offered outside of the sport coupes, and it was utilized as the top-tier option for the Subaru Legacy (2002–19), Outback/Lancaster (2001–19), and Subaru Tribeca (as well as the only choice).
Porsche uses boxer engines for what reason?
The Boxer engine has a shorter center of gravity than other engines because of its compact length. With a lower center of gravity, the car is more stable and has better traction on the road since the tires are more firmly planted.
The Boxer engine’s distinctive configuration gives the driver smoother, sportier cornering experiences. The vehicle’s body roll when cornering is further lessened by the lower COG.
As sports cars frequently need to make sharp turns at high speeds, this is ideal for them. When turning, cars with more body roll will flip, which can result in accidents.
Is Porsche responsible for the boxer engine?
The Porsche flat-six engine series is a line of mechanically comparable flat-sixboxer engines that have been produced by Porsche since 1963 for almost 60 years without interruption. The flat-fourboxer utilized in the first Volkswagen Beetle has been evolved into the current engine.
The 911 model, Porsche’s flagship rear-engined sports car that has only employed flat-six engines since 1963, is most frequently associated with the flat-six engine. Up until 1999, when Porsche began using water-cooled engines, the engines were air-cooled.
Porsche unveiled the third iteration of the 997 GT3 RS in April 2011 with a larger 4.0-liter engine that produces 500 PS. With their 911 (997) GT3 RS 4.0, which debuted in 2011, they debuted the naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six engine, the largest engine available in a street-legal 911. The engine itself makes use of an RSR crankshaft with larger stroke specifications. A power-to-weight ratio of 365 horsepower per ton was achieved thanks to this modification, which increased the output to 500 PS (368 kW; 493 hp) at 8,250 rpm and 460 Nm (339 lbft) of torque at 5,750 rpm. There were just 600 automobiles made. The engine’s 493 horsepower (368 kW) and 123.25 horsepower (92 kW) per liter output make it one of the most potent six-cylinder naturally aspirated engines in a production vehicle.
The 1970–1972 Porsche 914/6 (mid-engine), the 1986–1993 Porsche 959 (rear-engine), and the 1996–2021 Porsche Boxster/Cayman are further Porsche models powered by flat–six engines.
Where are Subaru motors made?
Subaru is having a wonderful decade so far; its sales in the United States have doubled, and they are having difficulties meeting demand. While that’s fantastic news for Subaru, a thorough investigation by Reuters reveals that in order to keep the Foresters coming off the assembly line, Subaru and its suppliers have used some dubious but legal labor methods.
You should read the complete report from Reuters, which includes video interviews with employees and a graphic showing which companies supply certain pieces of a Forester.
- Since 2011, Subaru’s sales in the US have doubled; the Forester SUV crossover is particularly well-liked here. Its advertisement portrays loving families, attractive dogs, and extraordinarily long-lasting cars, all with the slightly perplexing phrase, “Love. It distinguishes a Subaru as a Subaru.”
- North of Tokyo in the Japanese city of Ota, there is a Subaru production facility. While some automobiles marketed in the United States are put together in an Indiana factory, Ota, Japan, is where Subaru and its suppliers source their parts.
- Workers from the poor world, some of whom are in Japan seeking asylum, are employed by Subaru and its suppliers. Reuters spoke with employees who were from 22 different Asian and African nations.
- A third or more of their wages may be paid to labor brokers, who are also utilized by Subaru’s suppliers in the garment and textile industries.
- Some employees join Subaru through traineeship programs, which ostensibly aim to teach trainees skills they can use when they return to their native nation. Once in Japan, trainees are unable to change employers, and according to the United Nations and the U.S. State Department, trainee conditions might resemble forced labor.
- According to the pay stubs that Reuters examined, Chinese trainees made around half as much money as a Japanese temporary worker would have for the same position.
- Because Japan is unique in that it needs workers but also has immigration restrictions, Subaru reportedly extensively relies on temporary employees and trainees. According to Reuters, 30% of the workers in the Ota factories are foreigners.
- The same factories that produce parts for Subaru also produce parts for Honda, Toyota, and Nissan, three other Japanese manufacturers.
- A reform in the law that allows foreigners seeking asylum to work on renewable six-month permits coincided with Subaru’s growth in sales. Subaru manufactures around 80% of its automobiles in Japan.
- Subaru claims that its suppliers must follow the law when it comes to the employment and treatment of their employees and that the business is ill-equipped to monitor all of its suppliers’ labor policies.