The 86 is not on sale yet, and people are already swapping engines. In a virtual way at least. In hachi-roku forums people are discussing the merits of more horsepower than the stock 200hp. They also wonder aloud how much additional power the hachi-roku can safely take. “Go for it,” says hachi-roku Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada:
“Some Americans already put a 5 liter engine in a Mazda roadster. There are fanclubs who want to do the same with our car. There is no rule to limit that. As manufacturers, we can’t do that. We have to give guarantees. We need to build cars that last. Tuners can try. We welcome that.”
“As it is, only highly skilled drivers can make full use of the stock engine. Some people may like to have a higher speed in the straightaway, but there are lots of other cars they can choose.”
Nevertheless, Tada leaves the door open to more factory power, with interesting partners:
“For our current engine, we cooperated with Subaru. Maybe we cooperate with Porsche or someone else next time. You can partner with anybody in the world these days.”
Maybe we cooperate with Porsche or someone else next time. You can partner with anybody in the world these days.
As Suzuki how that went for the Verona…
Edit: Checking Wikipedia they claim that the engine was a Daewoo design but I’d swear that C&D said that Porsche at least “consulted” on the engine, but when was the last time either of those sources got anything wrong?
Bueller, Bueller… anyone?
The engine was the inline six co-developed with Porsche. I see lots of iffy stuff, nothing concrete but I remember reading the same.
He’s being somewhat…I don’t want to say disingenuous…but incomplete.
What’s the genuine difficulty with strapping an BorgWarner or Eaton turbo (or both) on the stock motor, which would probably give it a 50 to 60 hp boost?
Even 50 additional horsepower would dramatically alter the hp/weight ratio of this light vehicle and reap dividends.
Would he respond that it would make it delicate?
What’s the intended purpose of this car that forced induction would run contrary too, again?
“What’s the intended purpose of this car that forced induction would run contrary too, again?”
Balance.
My point was the resulting engine with Porsche’s assistance was nothing to write home about. It only made 155hp and because it was an inline 6 oriented in the typical FWD fashion it gave the car a horrendous turning circle. Very smooth though as typical of I6 designs.
It would be a little like bragging your car had a “Lotus Tuned Suspension” and then having it ride as softly as an early 70s GM barge with the floppy base model suspension.
The FT86 engine wouldn’t be a bad replacement mill for all the IMS-afflicted Porsches out there.
Would Porsche’s soon to be owners, VW, allow that tie up to happen?
I doubt it. I suspect that Tada-san’s comment was just a quip referencing the fact that Subaru and Porsche are the 2 major current proponents of “flat”, or horizontally-opposed engines.
Subaru has a NA 3.6L flat six that’s long in the tooth, needs an upgrade, and makes 260-ish hp in its present form. With the same sort of technology updates and sports car tuning this engine got, it could make 300+hp and compete with the Z at the top end of its lineup.
And this thing has a nice long hood, there’s surely room for it.
I thought the 2zz would be the engine for this car. No power, really, but fun to rev.
If anyone puts a new engine into their Roku, could I have the ‘Rokus old engine?
Wouldn’t mind dropping that 200hp engine into a Tercel, or an old Celica.
I don’t see how an engine from a maker with few cost constraints makes much sense in a car built to very tight budget limits. Something about the balance is just off.
For track junkies, perhaps swapping a dry sump P boxer in for the stock engine could make some sort of sick sense, I guess, but not for a production car.
All it needs is a turbo… and Subbie knows how to do that pretty well I’d say.
Some people think there isn’t enough space for all the necessary plumbing in there.
These images are begging for a Demotivational caption.
Maybe Toyota could help Porsche develop an engine that doesn’t self destruct.
Goatse-roku?
(For those not familiar, DO NOT GOOGLE GOATSE. You have been warned.)
I think Tada is a great dude since he seems passionate about making motorsports available to all, I was a little put off by his implication that Subaru only provided an engine. It is my understanding that Subaru in fact did most of the engineering (steering, suspension, engine, drivetrain, etc), and Toyota did the exterior design. Am I wrong?
No, you’re not wrong at all, although Toyota also provided the D4S direct+port injection technology that helped the new Hachi-Roku achieve 100 hp-per-liter.