Boxer Vs. Flat Engines: Why They're Not The Same And Here's What Sets Them Apart - Storyboard

The flat engine dates back to 1897 and was originally patented by Karl Benz

Porsche is one of only two car manufacturers to still produce and develop boxer engine

The other car company is Subaru, which even had six-cylinder boxer engines at one point

Most prominently, the EG33 engine, featured in the Subaru SVX sports-luxury coupe

Subaru has decided to stick to flat-four engines for downsizing pruposes

Meanwhile, Hans Mezger was responsible for many of Porsche's greatest boxer engines

The Porsche 997 GT3 RS 4.0 was the last Porsche to feature a Mezger-designed engine

Boxer engines differ from other flat engines due to the number of crankshaft journals

Boxer engines have individual crank pins for each piston while traditional flat engines have one for each pair of pistons

In a boxer engines, every pair of opposing pistons mirror each other's movements, resulting in smoother operation

Boxer engines transmit power more directly to the transmission, making for less powertrain loss

They are also easier on fuel compared to a conventional design, making them perfect for hybrid setups

However, they are also more expensive to service due to often being a tight fit in the engine bay

In a crash, a flat/ boxer engine's lower center of gravity makes it safer as it is more likely to go under the passenger cabin

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