Another Honda Lover's Myth: Hondas and Acuras Have "High Tech" engines, while American Cars are "Low Tech"
Honda lovers like tell you that their cars have engines with the ultimate in new high technology while
American cars are "low tech". This is not true. All the things that Honda and Acura lovers think of as "high tech" and "modern" actually are designs
that have been used in cars since the 1930's. In fact, the inline 4 cylinder is actually an older
design than the V-8. Things like DOHC and 4 valves per cylinder were used on cars in the '20s and '30s.
American cars had them, too, in Auburns and Dusenbergs, just to name two.
In the '70s, Americans could buy a compact car with an all-aluminum 16 valve DOHC, EFI engine that could turn 8,000 RPM.
Sound's like an Integra of today, doesn't it? Suprise! it was the
Chevy Cosworth Vega
Honda/Acura lovers are constantly critizing American performance cars
such as the Firebird, Camaro, & Corvette for having pushrod operated valves
instead of SOHC or DOHC. The truth is, the LS1 engine used in these cars makes
HORSEPOWER & TORQUE. Much more than any Honda or Acura engine, including the
NSX. And this engine is available in an $24,000 car, not just the top of the line flagship.
Pushrod engines work very well and make power,but since SOHC and DOHC
are latest fad these days, all the American manufacturers make them.
Ever hear of the:
These engines have all the so-called "high tech" parts. In fact, the Ford DOHC
V8 used in the Mustang Cobra was selected as one of Ward's Ten Best Automobile Engines in 1997. For those of you who don't know, Ward's publishes prestigious
journals of the automobile industry, both foriegn and domestic. There WERE NO HONDA
ENGINES ON THE LIST OF BEST ENGINES. Who's "low tech" now?
Go to Table of Contents
