a two liter V8?

I was watching Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, the one with Steve Martin. They had an old 1954 Siata 8v. I'd never known there was a V8 that small put into a car. I did some research, and apparently it is a Fiat engine.

Earlier in the video, he tried to work a couple of switches and they just broke. I know Sienfeld is loaded, and can pay for repairs, but even still I'd be worried about even moving that car. I was also shocked at how much shake there appears to be in the wheel at about 6:38 in the video.

Not a car but Moto Guzzi built a 500cc DOHC V8 and put it in a motorcycle in 1955. It made 78hp at 12000RPM and hit 172mph, 20 years before the speed was hit again in motorcycle GP racing. However, they were absolute widowmakers (tire, brake, suspension tech wasn't up to speed) and broke frequently.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8TG7f2imRQo?feature=player_detailpage

Ford built their flathead V8 as small as 136 cubic inches (2.2 liters)

Brett_Murphy wrote: I was watching Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee, the one with Steve Martin. They had an old 1954 Siata 8v. I'd never known there was a V8 that small put into a car. I did some research, and apparently it is a Fiat engine. Earlier in the video, he tried to work a couple of switches and they just broke. I know Sienfeld is loaded, and can pay for repairs, but even still I'd be worried about even *moving* that car. I was also shocked at how much shake there appears to be in the wheel at about 6:38 in the video.

the 8V is interesting as Fiat thought that Ford had trademarked the "V8" name.. hence "8V"

mad_machine wrote: the 8V is interesting as Fiat thought that Ford had trademarked the "V8" name.. hence "8V"

"Its a little known fact, Norm..."

I was going to share that- You beat me to it.

Didn't know there was a production V8 that small. Today there are 2~2.6L sportbike-I4-based V8s made as purpose-built racing engines you can buy for very un-grassroots prices.

Alfa Romeo used a 2 liter V8 in the Stradale in '67. I want to say it was the fastest production car available that year.

I've always wanted do naughty things with the small Daimler V8.

Streetwiseguy wrote:

mad_machine wrote: the 8V is interesting as Fiat thought that Ford had trademarked the "V8" name.. hence "8V"

"Its a little known fact, Norm..." I was going to share that- You beat me to it.

...and they called it the Otto-Vu.

racerdave600 wrote: Alfa Romeo used a 2 liter V8 in the Stradale in '67. I want to say it was the fastest production car available that year.

And a year later, Ferrari used a 2 liter, flat 12 in the 212E for the Euro hillclimb championship.

Wikipedia claims the '68 Porsche Bergspyder used a 2 liter flat 8 for the same hillclimb series. I think that's true and I trust my memory more than some of the stuff found there.

It's funny this came up. My mind was wandering recently (possibly whilst out on a bike ride) and I thought "Honda and Toyota make rock-solid 1.5 liter 4-bangers--why did they never make a 3.0 liter V8 screamer?" It would be rad in an S2000-sized car.

I seem to recall several years back one of the land speed record motorcycle teams used very small V8s possibly as small as 125cc

Tom

In reply to gamby:

Toyota did have some small V8's, although I don't think they were really screamers, but then again maybe there were some racers back then that built them into something hot?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota_V_engine

Ferrari made a 2.0 liter version of the 308 for the Italian market and the tax break for cars under that displacement. Wikipedia says both the 308 GT4 and the 308 GTB/GTS got that treatment. The 208 GTB/GTS was later available with a turbo.

Ferrari also made 1.5l and 2.0l V12s.

I believe it was Drysdale?? That took 2 FZR 400 engines and made a 800cc V8 back in the late 80s or early 90s with a 18000 read line.

DWNSHFT wrote: Ferrari made a 2.0 liter version of the 308 for the Italian market and the tax break for cars under that displacement. Wikipedia says both the 308 GT4 and the 308 GTB/GTS got that treatment. The 208 GTB/GTS was later available with a turbo.

yes, whereas the brits taxed by bore.. the Italians taxed by overall displacement. Hence why so many really good under two litre engines and why so many British cars got saddled with low revving, long stroke, engines

Quite a few V8s in the 2-2.5 class. Daimler, Triumph, Ferrari, Lamborghini.

I watched that episode last night.

The Siata broke down. Imagine that! Hey! Let' take this one. The keys are in it!

There was a 1.8l v6 in some car( Asian I think) a while back. I forget tge brand bit it always interested me. I wanted to turbo it.

dean1484 wrote: There was a 1.8l v6 in some car( Asian I think) a while back. I forget tge brand bit it always interested me. I wanted to turbo it.

Mazda put a 1.8 V6 in the MX3

Great episode. Steve Martin comes off like such a real person, not fake at all and still funny as hell.

Since this thread is drifting towards being generally about small motors with more than 4 cylinders, I just wanted to say: "BRM 1.5 V16."

dean1484 wrote: There was a 1.8l v6 in some car( Asian I think) a while back. I forget tge brand bit it always interested me. I wanted to turbo it.

Triumph had a 1.6L straight six in its Vitesse (think Herald).

Storz wrote:

dean1484 wrote: There was a 1.8l v6 in some car( Asian I think) a while back. I forget tge brand bit it always interested me. I wanted to turbo it.

Mazda put a 1.8 V6 in the MX3

That's the one. It always interested me. I assume it is a one off or I it related to other Mazda motors. I seem to remember it had a impressive red line