Why Are V4 Engines So Rare?

>>16764785
Because they are useless?

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>>16764805
>won lemans
>useless

>>16764785
No reason for a manufacturer to go through the trouble of making one balanced yet powerful and cheap when I4s exist. If you're really strained for length then you go boxer.

>>16764832
How'd they do that? Not very interested in motorsports so didn't know that.

>>16764832
>>won lemans
>>useless

V4-ness was not intrinsic to winning LeMans.

Because a straight four is almost as small and you'll only have to deal with one head and one head gasket and one fuel rail and so on. V-engines only save enough space to warrant their extra complexity when you go beyond five cylinders.

>>16764832
Tell that to the Corvette

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>>16764785
Pontiac did it best, and sold thousands i the early 60's.

>>16764897
That's not a V4.

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V4s are the tits and are quite common famalam

>>16764897
Is that seriously one side of a V8 block?

>>16764832
Your average driver doesn't need to win LeMans.

>>16764927
Yes, it was cash strapped engineering so they could continue using like half the parts from the 389 V8 and assemble it on the very same line. The 195 cu displacement actually makes it the largest displacement petrol I4 in a post-war production car. Horrid balancing issues though.

>>16764932
Now that's just not true at all.

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>>16764926
tfw when no NSR500

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>>16765368
I do like my VF tho

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>>16765373
Also, I've heard of people cutting SBC's in half to make V4s for sprint cars. And without googling it, I think old Saabs had Ford V4s in them. Saab 96 maybe?

As to why they are rare, I would imagine it's due to the fact that inline's are easier and cheaper to make. One head vs two, one exhaust mani vs two, makes sense. They seem to be more of a specialty choice for bikes, where the weight distribution has a great effect on handling. Inlines make for a "wider" handling bike when mounted transversely, while a V4 keeps the weight more inline with the frame, which makes for a more narrow, nimble feeling. That's why I like V4 bikes. I hate how transverse I4s feel - fat. I guess that's what growing up on skinny, tall MX bikes does.

In regards to older cars with V4s, I'm going to say it was just convenient and cheap to make them when you could just cut existing parts in half - so to speak. Pic is of half a SBC with subi heads.

>>16764785
Because they're fucking shit, that's why.

>>16764785
But they're literally everywhere now?????

>>16765665
>he doesn't know jack shit about engines or what he's talking about

they are rare, you're confusing them with straight 4 engines.

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>>16765368
>Tfw no 32 valve v4

>>16764785
>Why Are V4 Engines So Rare?
because inline-4s took it's place.

>>16765922
8 valves per cyl?
Why?

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>>16765956
Because they weren't allowed to make a v8

>>16765977
Absolutely retarded.
That bike was trash too

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>>16765980
True, but it's exclusive and expensive trash.

>>16765977
only honda

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>>167647859
Marginal performance increase, mostly better balance on a 90deg one, over an i4. Narrower which helped aerodynamics better before materials let cylinders get so close. Some sort of magic with how the 2 pistons are always moving when the other two are at tdc and bdc gives better stability/predicitibility in corners. That advantage is gone now with the new crossplane r1. And the sound can not be beat. V4s make the best noise, hands down