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What that unusual thing of the Subaru Boxer's engine really is? How it differs from engines with more traditional arrangement. And are these distinctions so good?
The main Subaru engine's distinction is its horizontal-opposed arrangement of cylinders - that is not a secret actually. But let's investigate advantages of such construction.
First of all opposite buckets' position allows reciprocally neutralizing of vibration that provides an excellent functioning equilibration. Because of this, engine has a very smooth characteristic in all its range of operation. It is difficult to make a subjective evaluation of this effect, but let's appeal to the facts: Subaru engines never had balance shafts and other devices that damp vibration, although the mass of light aluminum cylinder barrel is evidently not enough for this purpose.
Other Subaru Boxer's advantages are its dimension and weight. Horizontal-opposed arrangement of buckets permits to make engine more compact, shorter and lighter. It's important that such engine can be placed on the chassis as low as possible. First of all this brings down car's centre of gravity as a whole, that reduces lurching and increases car's stability. And secondly this improves passive safety of the automobile - on accident body's deflection power pack goes down without inflicting traumas on driver or passenger.
Specially for skeptics I remind of the fact that in 2006 the international jury of the Engine of the Year competition declared Subaru 2.5 Turbo engine the best engine in the 2 - 2.5 liters category.
Before briefly enumerating the main Subaru engine's modifications I want to remind that in different countries are used different methods of power measuring. For American cars engine power measures in bhp (british horse power) 1 bhp = 0.956 l., that is in one and the same engine there will be more "british horses" than in Japanese one - in Japan other methods of measuring are used, using another petrol and so on. That is why it is not always possible to compare directly engine powers of cars from different markets.
So let's consider the main modifications of Subaru engines.
Four-Cylinder opposite engines:
1.5l - only Japanese Impreza, a little more than 100 jhp.
1.6l - Japanese and European Impreza, 90 hp (just so - less than in 1.5l)
1.8l - Impreza and Legacy, before the 1996-1997 year of manufacture.
2.0l (SOHC) - Japanese and European Impreza, Legacy and Forester, 125 hp.
2.0l (DOHC) - Japanese Legacy,150 - 155 jhp according to different sources.
2.2l (SOHC) - American Impreza, American, European and Japanese Legacy have 135-137 bhp. Unfortunately they are not manufacturing any more.
2.5l (DOHC) and (SOHC) - European, Japanese and American Legacy, including Outback, American Impreza (of 1998) and American and Japanese Forester have 156-157 hp (165 Outback). Starting with approximately 1999 instead of four-shafted was two-shafted.
2.0l (DOHC) of various kind of modifications - European Forester has 170 hp, Impreza GT and new European Impreza WRX have 211-218 hp, Japanese Forester - 250 hp, Impreza WRX STI have 280 hp and more.
2.5l (DOHC) Turbo - American Impreza WRX STI, Forester - 300 hp.
Six-cylinder opposite engines:
2.7l - 145 bhp - it's a great history, Subaru Alcyone/XT6, end of 80s, beginning of 90s.
3.3l - 230 hp - Subaru SVX till 1997.
3.0l - 212 bhp - new Outback, from the end of 2001.
3.0l (DOHC) - 245 hp - Subaru Tribeca.
Renovated Subaru Tribeca of the 2008 model year will be equipped with 3.6 litre engine that will develop power of 256 hp at 6000 RPM.
Note:
Japanese, American and European Subaru - is the identification code, and not the country of production.
