Possible 5 cylinder swap for our audi's

[Andrew Buc]

** Reply to message from Todd Young <auditodd at comcast.net> on Thu, 10 Jul 2003
11:14:17 -0500

> Considering the design of these new in line
> GM engines, I would LOVE to have one in any car. The main crankshaft
> bearings aren't just caps, there is a "cradle" that includes the bearing
> caps and the entire bottom of the block. These are rock-solid engines.

When the original I6 came out, it occurred to me that it shared its
displacement and general configuration w/the classic W. H. Heynes-designed
Jaguar DOHC 6, w/the benefits of a modern engine management system. If I had a
classic Jag w/a tired engine and didn't care about keeping it original, the
little wheels in my head would be spinning VERY fast!

BTW, in the early '80s, GM built some experimental modular engines: an I3, a
V4, a V5, and a V6. The agenda was parts commonality: same bore/stroke, same
valves, only 2 different cylinder heads--one for 2 cyls, one for 3. While they
never showed up in a street-legal car, I thought the concept was interesting.