Cueyo
Senior Member
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I was looking at some type R videos and got curious when I saw that the lead engineer for the type R said (and don't quote me on this, think it was from a savagegeese video) that the team had extracted as much power from the k20c1 as they safely could. That makes sense for a 4 cylinder turbo, but when you start looking into how people have modded the vehicle and what they've reached presumably in a safe manner, the engine is stable into the 400s and even some into the 600s (HP). Yes, the cars running aftermarket turbos and 35lbs of boost with ethanol may not last at 600hp without building the engine - but that still doesn't change just how much more headroom there is on the k20c1 that the engineering team never wanted to push.
I remember reading this article a few years back about the limit being much lower, but in hindsight the article kind of reads like an advertisement for the shop. Forget the name exactly. Even if we conservatively cap the stock longblocks headroom at some lower torque number (say 400lb/ft) and max power at 500hp, it's still wildly different than comparable 4 cylinder turbo motors.
The Elantra N(2.0L), stock 276hp/289lbft of torque. The TCR engine variants here max out at 420hp and last about 25km (according to Hyundai) at these power levels. Most people never really safely push these past 350whp.
The VB WRX(2.4L), 271hp/258lbft of torque. Saw some people say 600hp, but this seems like a fluke. Overwhelmingly (since the rods and pistons are cast apparently) the top end is anywhere between 350-450hp, which is a really wide range. The general recommendation is no more than 350whp here as well.
Mercedes Benz A45S(2.0L), 416hp/500NM of torque. I believe this was the highest output stock 4 cylinder engine for a long time (might still be). Interestingly enough, the top end mechanically on these is a vague 1000+ (seems more like a tuning test by some company). Most seem to run these at a max of 600hp, but 500-550 seems to be the reliable upper end. Very vague here since I can't find a concrete answer.
Focus RS(2.3L), 350hp/350lbft of torque. People have pushed these to over 450hp, but seems like the consensus is 400hp safely.
Toyota's T24A-FTS would also be included, but thats not a performance engine.
I'm taking in pretty vague terms here since the only people who truly know the engines stock internal capacity are the manufacturers, but it doesn't change that it looks like honda left a lot on the table. Either that or they thought that nearly 200 HP of overhead was what they needed for longevity. To be fair, I haven't quoted the most reliable manufacturers and vehicles, but it's still an interesting thing of note. I also understand that boost, fuel, torque, and various other factors account for reliability and power.
What do y'all think? I would never actually want to push my car to its limits, but it's fun to see what the limits are and why the manufacturer made them so.
I remember reading this article a few years back about the limit being much lower, but in hindsight the article kind of reads like an advertisement for the shop. Forget the name exactly. Even if we conservatively cap the stock longblocks headroom at some lower torque number (say 400lb/ft) and max power at 500hp, it's still wildly different than comparable 4 cylinder turbo motors.
The Elantra N(2.0L), stock 276hp/289lbft of torque. The TCR engine variants here max out at 420hp and last about 25km (according to Hyundai) at these power levels. Most people never really safely push these past 350whp.
The VB WRX(2.4L), 271hp/258lbft of torque. Saw some people say 600hp, but this seems like a fluke. Overwhelmingly (since the rods and pistons are cast apparently) the top end is anywhere between 350-450hp, which is a really wide range. The general recommendation is no more than 350whp here as well.
Mercedes Benz A45S(2.0L), 416hp/500NM of torque. I believe this was the highest output stock 4 cylinder engine for a long time (might still be). Interestingly enough, the top end mechanically on these is a vague 1000+ (seems more like a tuning test by some company). Most seem to run these at a max of 600hp, but 500-550 seems to be the reliable upper end. Very vague here since I can't find a concrete answer.
Focus RS(2.3L), 350hp/350lbft of torque. People have pushed these to over 450hp, but seems like the consensus is 400hp safely.
Toyota's T24A-FTS would also be included, but thats not a performance engine.
I'm taking in pretty vague terms here since the only people who truly know the engines stock internal capacity are the manufacturers, but it doesn't change that it looks like honda left a lot on the table. Either that or they thought that nearly 200 HP of overhead was what they needed for longevity. To be fair, I haven't quoted the most reliable manufacturers and vehicles, but it's still an interesting thing of note. I also understand that boost, fuel, torque, and various other factors account for reliability and power.
What do y'all think? I would never actually want to push my car to its limits, but it's fun to see what the limits are and why the manufacturer made them so.
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