Porsche and Subaru enthusiasts aside, your average driver is still mainly in the dark about just what a 'boxer' engine is. After all, most machines on the road have an 'inline' or 'V' engine bolted between the front wheels.
Inline engines typically have between 3 and 6 cylinders arranged ‘in a line’ with combustion chambers placed one directly beside (or behind) the other. In this setup, the cylinders exist within a single housing called a ‘bank’.
Most engines with 6 or more cylinders fall into the 'V' engine style, in which two ‘banks’ with an equal number of cylinders are arranged in a ‘V’ shape. In this setup, the two banks of cylinders share a common crankshaft located in the bottom.
So, what's a boxer engine? In effect, it’s little more than a ‘V’ engine that happens to have a 180-degree angle between its cylinder banks. This means the cylinders lay flat and point towards one another, and that the pistons and connecting rods fire back and forth like the gloves of a sparring pair of boxers-- hence the name.
The gist? With an inline engine, the pistons fire towards the hood. With a ‘V’ engine, they fire towards the upper edge of the fenders. With a boxer engine, they fire towards the tires.
Japanese Boxers for everyone
Subaru has used boxer engines exclusively for years, citing several benefits including safety and performance. The low, wide and flat engine design can easily shear out of the vehicle in an impact to absorb energy. Intact, its shape and placement lowers the vehicle’s centre of gravity for more stable and agile handling.
If you see a new Subaru Legacy driving down the road, chances are about two to one that it’s a four-cylinder powered unit with a 2.5 litre boxer engine under the hood. With 170 horsepower, this base engine handles the job of moving the now-larger sedan around with a focus on fuel-efficiency and refinement.
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| This new 3.6R gives Legacy owners a way to experience a higher level of performance alongside its more comfortable and refined driving experience. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |
Inline engines typically have between 3 and 6 cylinders arranged ‘in a line’ with combustion chambers placed one directly beside (or behind) the other. In this setup, the cylinders exist within a single housing called a ‘bank’.
Most engines with 6 or more cylinders fall into the 'V' engine style, in which two ‘banks’ with an equal number of cylinders are arranged in a ‘V’ shape. In this setup, the two banks of cylinders share a common crankshaft located in the bottom.
So, what's a boxer engine? In effect, it’s little more than a ‘V’ engine that happens to have a 180-degree angle between its cylinder banks. This means the cylinders lay flat and point towards one another, and that the pistons and connecting rods fire back and forth like the gloves of a sparring pair of boxers-- hence the name.
The gist? With an inline engine, the pistons fire towards the hood. With a ‘V’ engine, they fire towards the upper edge of the fenders. With a boxer engine, they fire towards the tires.
Japanese Boxers for everyone
Subaru has used boxer engines exclusively for years, citing several benefits including safety and performance. The low, wide and flat engine design can easily shear out of the vehicle in an impact to absorb energy. Intact, its shape and placement lowers the vehicle’s centre of gravity for more stable and agile handling.
If you see a new Subaru Legacy driving down the road, chances are about two to one that it’s a four-cylinder powered unit with a 2.5 litre boxer engine under the hood. With 170 horsepower, this base engine handles the job of moving the now-larger sedan around with a focus on fuel-efficiency and refinement.
 |
| If 170 horsepower doesn't cut it in your driveway, a turbocharged, 265-horsepower version of the four-cylinder engine is available. (Photo: Justin Pritchard/Auto123.com) |