,## What do the technical specifications of your S8’s engine mean?,,Even though all engines are very similar when you look at them, there are many different types. We will now show you what the most usual technical specifications that you can find in thetechnical datasheetof yourS8mean.,• Gasoline or Diesel enginesThis is the main difference between engines. Engines that need Diesel have incandescent spark plugs that only work when the car starts. Once the engine is running, the fuel ignites by itself since it is compressed inside the cylinders thanks to the high temperature it reaches.On the other hand, gasoline engines work thanks to the spark constantly created by the spark plugs. This means that they work all the time the engine is running.Another difference between these two engines is that Diesel engines are generally heavier, and their structure is more robust.,• Number of cylindersIt is thenumberof cylinders inside the engine.The engine power is generatedin the cylinders because that is where the pistons are. For this reason, the more cylinders the engine has, the more its power will be. This also means that the engine will be bigger and heavier. It is also important to notice that if there are a lot of cylinders, the engine will consume more fuel.,• Bore/stroke ratioThese are the piston’s measurements,and they can be expressed in centimeters or inches. They indicate the cylinder diameter (bore) and the longitudinal displacement (stroke) that the piston does inside the cylinder when the engine is running. These measurements allow us to measure the “displaced volume” by the piston.If the diameter is wide and the piston has a short stroke, the engine will be fit for sports cars.In other words, the revolutions per minute (RPMs) will be high.,• Engine displacementIt is the total available volume in the engine cylinders. It is calculated by multiplying the stroke length, the bore, and the number of cylinders.Depending on the country, it may be expressed in liters (1.6 L, 2.0 L, 3.6 L), or in cubic inches (98, 110, 250, 510 CI).Generally,the higher the engine displacement is, the more power your car will have, but the higher its fuel consumption will be.,• Cylinder arrangementa) In-line arrangement: nowadays, it is hard to find engines with more than 6 in-line cylinders because they take up too much space under the hood.b) V-type arrangement: They are more compact and create fewer vibrations, but they can only be used with an even number of cylinders (V6, V8, V10, etc.).c) Opposed arrangement: they are flat and not frequently used because their manufacture and maintenance are very demanding. Moreover, like the V-type arrangement, they can only be used with an even number of cylinders.,• Valvetrain type: SOHC and DOHCa) SOHC (single overhead camshaft): It only has one camshaft placed in the cylinder head. Only one camshaft controls all the engine’s valves. They generally have more power if there are low RPMs. The camshaft is in charge of openin
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