Gilmore On Draft

A Ferrari F430 has a V8 whereas a Porsche 911 has a flat-six engine. This is common knowledge. But what exactly do those letters and figures mean? The ‘V’ and ‘flat’ actually signify the layout of cylinders in the engine and the ‘8′ and ’six’ the no. of cylinders. There are three types of engine layouts: Inline, Horizontally Opposed (also called Flat or Boxer layout) and V. Each layout has its own advantages. The layout is largely governed by the type, size and the shape of the vehicle.

An Inline engine is the one in which all the cylinders are placed parallel in a line in one bank. In the horizontally opposed layout, there are two banks opposite to each other in which the cylinders are arranged. A ‘V’ layout like a compromise between the two with the cylinders placed in two banks that are est in an angle to each other.