Yes........

 

No.....

The rover K derived 1.8 liter in the caterham R500 superlite puts out 230hp.

127.7 hp/l.

 

until the RX-8 comes out

 

sorry but the 135hp per liter doesn't count being that it's produced under boost. the s2000 is the leader for 4 cylinder, 2.0, and n/a producing 100hp/liter. without boost the evo viii prolly only makes near 90 or so?

 

rotaries don't count.

 

That's like saying that a turbo engine isn't any good because if you took the turbo away, it wouldn't perform very well. Of course it won't make any power without the turbo - it was bloody well designed for a turbo!

Anyways, the Evo will have perhaps the highest hp/l for at least a month or more in the Northern Hemisphere. There are lots of cars in Europe and Asia that produced more than that.

Cheers

Paul Hansen

 

If my memory serves me correctly, the volume rating on a rotary engine (like the 1.3 l on the rx7's) is the maximum volume created on any given stroke. If you understand the rotary design, the rotor is essentially a triangle, meaning that at any given point, there are 3 combustion strokes at varying degrees of progress (ie. one at compression, one at combustion, one at exhaust). Remember, in a piston engine, not all cylinders are firing simultaneously, they are also offset.
So, if what i said first was true (that volume in rotary is rated at the maximum created in a stroke), that would me the theoretical maximum volume of a rotary engine is three times that, or rather 3.9l, as opposed to 1.3l. Note that one of the reasons why rotary engines have not become popular is due to their inability to effectively contain the combustion, and a lack of compression. This would hold true with the 3.9l arguemtn, that rotary engines are (as of yet), inefficient.

Maybe I am totally mistaken on this point, please correct me otherwise.

 

Remember the Mclaren F1?

 

Yes, quite a nice car. But not that great in terms of specific output - 627 hp from a 6.1L V12.

This is essentially a race engine, and I do not believe to be US emissions legal. As Paul said, there are a lot of extremely high output engines across the pond.

I'm not 100% sure, but I'm pretty certain that the 1.3L (in the case of the RX7/8) is the maximum volume. As for the lack of popularity, your first two points are spot on, while the 3rd is not. Any which why you fry it, the rotary is a very efficient engine - especially in space efficiency. The fully trimmed Renesis engine would fit in a large backpack.

 

Was the Bugatti EB110 ever street legal in the ? 560 hp from a 3.5L V12 = 160 hp/L

 

I think the S2K actually puts out 120hp/liter. Unfortunately the 153lbs of torque are one of many reasons that I am waiting on the EVO, like AWD, 4door, 275hp with the cheap and easy possiblilty of much more.

 

My only problem with rotaries is the way they are rated for capacity. Using the the same method for a 2.0 liter 4 cylinder would result in a rated capacity of 500cc.

 

correction: s2000 putting out 120hp/liter.

shirokuma, you're right. without the turbo it wouldn't perform as well.

 

Twin Turbo......not normally aspirated

 

The JDM S2000 makes 250HP, and it was rated highest hp/L N/A engine off the factory.
So that makes 125HP/L not the U.S S2000

By the way, Subaru Impreza S202 was rated highest torque for 2.0L engine.