These included the underrated Alfa 90, as well as the elegant 164, urgent 75, distinctive SZ/RZ, the Pininfarina-styled GTV/Spider, plus the sublime 147 GTA 3.2, the 156, 166 and GT coupe, ranging from 132PS, right up to 240PS. We recently compiled a list of our favorite V8 engines, but V6 engines have become just as important, if not more so than the big V8. With the 1950 debut of its advanced new Aurelia – initially in four-door Berlina guise only, but soon joined by the now-legendary Pininfarina GT Coupe and Spider – Lancia launched the first mass-produced V6 motor ever seen. 2021 BMW 8 Series Gran Coupe Review: Four-Door Bliss, 2021 Audi S7 Sportback Review: Almost Perfect, 2021 Porsche 718 Boxster Review: It Doesn't Get Much Better, © 2010-2020 CarBuzz Inc. All Rights Reserved. During the Aurelia’s eight-year production run, the capacity of its all-alloy pushrod V6 (with a hemispherical combustion chamber and inline valves) grew from its initial 76PS, 1.8-litre motor, through to a more torquey 113PS in its final 2.5-litre incarnation of 1957. Other engines are known for their poor performance and unreliability due to bad designs, inferior material or production issues. To work with Citroën’s favoured front-wheel-drive layout, this new V6 needed to be compact and light.
The most powerful Panamera models still use turbocharged V8 engines, but Porsche has shown that a V6 can offer incredible performance and impressive hybrid fuel economy. Just over 70 years ago (10th May 1950 to be precise) one of motoring history’s most important and influential car makers – Lancia – introduced the world’s very first series production engine in a V6 configuration. On a brighter note, here are six of the very best other V6 motors that have graced the tarmac over the past 70 years since Lancia first introduced the engine format. Enthusiasts love a big V8 engine, but it's time for the V6 to shine. The Nissan 370Z uses an enlarged version of the 3.5L V6 (3.7L).
The more powerful V6 is actually smaller at 2.9-liters, still with two turbochargers. Following a trio of 60-degree Ferrari V6 motors in the 196 S/SP, 246 S and 260PS, 2.5-litre 286 S – all used in competition forms only between 1959-62 – the 65-degree Dino V6 engine continued to be run for racing through to the late-60s, with the motor also finding its way into production road car use in the Dino 206GT of 1967, with Enzo’s first ‘official’ mid-engined model (this following the earlier Fiat Dino V6 Coupe and Spider models of 1966; sharing the same engine and built to help satisfy contemporary competition homologation requirements). Join the GRRC Fellowship to access year-round exclusive videos, live streaming from events and more. Toyota's 3.5L V6 comes in the Toyota Camry, Avalon, RAV4 and Highlander, although several of the vehicles come with four-cylinders in base form. The BMW M5 went from a V10 to a V8 and the M3 went from a V8 to an inline-six. 553452, By clicking submit you are accepting the terms of Goodwood’s, The six best V6 engines of all time – Axon's Automotive Anorak, Alfa Romeo has had a history of producing great motor cars, Why the Brussels Motor Show isn’t dead – Axon’s Automotive Anorak, Axon's Automotive Anorak: Attack of the vans, GRR Garage: Nissan X‑Trail – The road home via Reims, Axon's Automotive Anorak: Brussels, a motor show that works, Message from The Duke of Richmond and Gordon. Alfieri was given six months to come up with the first Indy V8-based V6 prototype, but he achieved the task in just three weeks. This engine produces a whopping 434 hp in the Panamera 4S and 456 hp in the Panamera 4 hybrid. Later use of the Douvrin PRV engine included the infamous gullwinged De Lorean DMC-12, as well as the Peugeot 505 and 605 V6 models, the Renault 25, Safrane and Espace, the A310-replacing Alpine GTA, the Talbot Tagora SX 2.6, the capable but forgotten sporting Venturi, the Volvo 760, 780 and 960, the American Dodge Monaco and Eagle Premier, plus the V6 Citroën XM, Lancia Thema and others, with production of the PRV V6 continuing for almost a quarter of a century, until 1998. Maserati’s Chief Engineer, Ing. These include its wonderous pre-war Jano-developed 6C and 8C in-line motors, the celebrated Twin Cam that enjoyed a 40-year production run from 1954, plus the lively Boxer units that first found fame in the game-changing Alfasud of 1971. PRV use increased for 1976 with introduction of Renault’s Alpine A310 V6 – which replaced that model’s previous four-cylinder Renault 16 powerplant – plus the laughable chop-top Volvo 262C coupe. The base 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 produces 330 hp, which is a healthy amount. It also produces between 270 and 273 foot-pounds of torque, depending on its application. V6 motors remained a key part of Lancia’s engine option family for many decades to follow, with other performance car makers inevitably trailing Lancia’s lead and developing V6 motors and models of their own over the years.
These weren't true AMG cars, so we took issue with the AMG badging being used on them. To submit your questions or ideas, or to simply learn more about It Still Works, contact us. Some modern V6 engines are turned for high performance, particularly when compared to some older V6 engines. A mid-life refresh retains the Panamera's competitive edge. ©2020 The Goodwood Estate Company Limited.