Flaming Hearts: Can You Correctly Guess The Engines Of These Cars?
Written by Vasilii Kulev
Last updated · 9 min play time
The engine is the heart of every car. Whether it's a tiny economical diesel, a powerful performance V8, or an electric motor, it's what gives every car its distinct purpose and character. How well do you know your engines? Take our quiz to find out!
In most cases, it is the engine that defines a car, and not the design or the number of doors.
It's hard to imagine a full-size luxury sedan without a fittingly big engine, or a city hatchback without a smaller, economical power plant.
However, engines and the cars they're put in are not always obvious. Jump right into our quiz to find out how well you know your engines!
Quiz written by
Vasilii KulevVasilii Kulev is a digital marketing specialist during business hours and a trivia writer in his spare time. His areas of interest range from cars and music to science, history, and food. Whenever he's not busy writing quizzes, you can catch him at the local used records store or the newest craft beer bar. He also wrote this entire bio himself in third person.
Engines Quiz Questions
20 Questions · 296 Plays · No comments
Question 1
The Mazda RX-8, one of the most loved sports cars, released in 2002, features one of the most innovative engines. Although it sucks a lot of fuel, it's still one of the most efficient engines out there. Can you guess its name?
-
AWankel Rotary
-
BEisenhuth Compound
-
CKnight Sleeve Valve
-
DFlathead V8
Wankel Rotary
The Wankel Rotary engine was introduced in 1957 by Mazda. It's a three-pointed piston spinning around inside a round box. It looks like a ball of fire in a cage, but it's still in production.
Question 2
De Tomaso Pantera, one of the most iconic cars of the '70s, although Italian, was powered by an American engine. Can you name that engine?
-
A5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8
-
B8.4-liter V10
-
C7.0-liter Hemi V8
-
D3.8-liter Ford Essex V6
5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8
De Tomaso Pantera was powered by the famous 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8 engine. Not only its engine was American, but so was its designer Tom Tjaarda.
Question 3
The 1987 Buick GNX is the perfect definition of a sleeper. Under the humble, unassuming looks of a regular Buick Regal hides supercar-shattering performance, all thanks to the GNX's innovative power plant. Can you guess its engine?
-
A3.8-liter turbocharged V6
-
B4.2-liter supercharged V8
-
C6.8-liter V8
-
D2.2-liter twin-turbocharged inline-four
3.8-liter turbocharged V6
Developed in collaboration with McLaren, the GNX was the fastest American car one could buy and the second-fastest car in the world at the time after the Porsche 911 Turbo. Its incredible 0-60 time of only 4.7 seconds was achieved thanks to the 3.8-liter turbocharged and intercooled V6, rated for 300 horsepower.
Question 4
The 1985 Lamborghini Countach LP500QV is a true supercar classic. What engine does it have?
-
A4.8-liter V12
-
B5.0-liter V8
-
C5.2-liter V12
-
D4.0-liter inline-six
5.2-liter V12
The Countach's engine was a highly modified version of the famed Lamborghini V12, designed by Giotto Bizzarrini in 1963. With 5.2 liters of displacement and four valves per cylinder, it made 449 hp, allowing the Countach to accelerate from 0 to 60 in only 4.8 seconds.
Question 5
Nissan, one of Japan's most famous car companies, is known for its efficient and easy-to-fix engines. What engine is used on base Nissan models?
-
A1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder
-
B2.0-liter inline-four with VVT
-
C2.5-liter Direct Injection Gasoline (DIG) DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder
-
DAll of the above
All of the above
All of the engines above are used in more recent Nissan models, starting from the 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve 4-cylinder, to the DIG one.
Question 6
The 2020 Audi RS3 sedan is a wonderful everyday performance car. It also has a rather unique engine - can you guess which one?
-
A3.2-liter VR6
-
B1.8-liter inline-three
-
C2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five
-
D2.8-liter supercharged V6
2.5-liter turbocharged inline-five
Audi is one of the few mainstream car manufacturers known for building inline-five engines. And the unit in the 2020 RS3 is nothing but glorious - 394 horsepower, 354 lb-ft of torque, with a fantastic exhaust note.
Question 7
Bentley is known for having an engine with the second-longest production in history, right after the Chevy small-block. What engine is that?
-
A6.75-liter V8
-
B5.5-liter V10
-
C2.2-liter straight-four
-
D3.6-liter V6
6.75-liter V8
The Bentley 6.75-liter V8 is considered an immortal engine, first appearing in 1959. Today it develops 200% more power, although it's very low on torque.
Question 8
The Bugatti Veyron, an iconic French supercar, was released in 2005. It features one of the craziest and most complicated engines in the history of the car industry. Do you know which one?
-
A8.0-liter W12
-
B8.0-liter W16
-
C5.5-liter V12
-
D6.0-liter turbocharged V8
8.0-liter W16
The Veyron's 8.0-liter W16 with over 1000hp is one of the most complicated engines in the world. It has 64 valves, four turbochargers, and plenty of torque. It's W-shaped and it's what makes the Veyron so eccentric and legendary.
Question 9
The 1968 Plymouth Road Runner is a true icon of the American car industry as one of the original muscle cars. Its success is largely due to one famed Chrysler engine. Can you identify it?
-
A7.0-liter V8
-
B6.5-liter supercharged V8
-
C4.2-liter inline-six
-
D5.9-liter V8
7.0-liter V8
The engine behind the Road Runner's success is, of course, the 426 cu in (7.0-liter) Hemi V8. Equipped with dual four-barrel carburetors, it was a real beast with 425 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque.
Question 10
One of the most misunderstood and underrated cars, the Dyna Panhard was a small, front-wheel drive French automobile. It featured one of the oddest engines that ever notched class wins at the 24 Hours of the Le Mans. Can you identify it?
-
A3.4-liter V6
-
B2.0-liter flat-four
-
C2.2-liter flat-twin
-
D0.8-liter two-cylinder boxer motor
0.8-liter two-cylinder boxer motor
The 0.8 liter two-cylinder boxer motor or also known as the Panhard flat twin engine is one of the most underrated and forgotten engines. It was a unique engine, having the block and the cylinder head at one casting.
Question 11
Back in the 1930s, the Duesenberg Model J was, arguably, the finest automobile money could buy. It was also one of the fastest, thanks to its impressive engine. Which one of these units powered the Model J?
-
A6.5-liter supercharged straight-six
-
B6.9-liter V12
-
C7.0-liter supercharged straight-six
-
D7.2-liter V8
7.0-liter supercharged straight-six
Duesenberg famously proclaimed that "The only car that could pass a Duesenberg was another Duesenberg—and that was with the first owner's consent." That doesn't seem like an overstatement, considering that Duesenberg's supercharged 8-cylinder engine made as much as 400 hp.
Question 12
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is one of the most powerful sports sedans in the industry. It features one of the most powerful engines to come from Alfa Romeo. Can you guess it?
-
A6.2-liter V8
-
B3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six
-
C4.4-liter V8
-
D2.9-liter twin-turbo V6
2.9-liter twin-turbo V6
The Quadrifoglio's engine, a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6, produces around 505 horsepower at 6500 rpm. This engine has been around since 2017 and is inspired by the Ferrari twin-turbo V8.
Question 13
The 2000 BMW M3, known to the enthusiasts as the E46, is not only considered to be the best incarnation of the model but one of the best sports cars ever. Its styling is as iconic and timeless as its engine. What engine will you find under its hood?
-
A3.8-liter V8
-
B3.0-liter V6
-
C2.8-liter straight-six
-
D3.2-liter straight-six
3.2-liter straight-six
To some enthusiasts, M3's S54 straight-six is the pinnacle of engineering. Naturally balanced as all inline-sixes and naturally aspirated, it delivers its 338 horsepower with unparalleled smoothness.
Question 14
Just like the Veyron, the limited-production and underrated supercar Cizeta Moroder is also defined by its engine. Can you guess it?
-
A6.0-liter two flat-plane V8
-
B5.5 liter V16
-
C8.2-liter W12
-
D5.4 liter V8
6.0-liter two flat-plane V8
The Cizeta Moroder engine was not actually a V16. In fact, the construction of the engine included only two flat-plane V8 in one single block. However, it was still an insane engine.
Question 15
The Toyota Corolla of 1985 features one of the most innovative engines of that time. This engine did wonders for Toyota's reputation, and is remembered even today. Do you know its name?
-
A0.8-liter 2U
-
B4 AGE Inline-4
-
C2.0 liter 3-Y
-
D2.3-liter straight-4
4 AGE Inline-4
Although the Lexus LFA V-10 engine is arguably Japan's most famous engine, the 4AGE Inline-4 fitted in the '85 Corolla was one of the most technologically advanced engines at the time.
Question 16
The BMW i8 is quite a beloved car all around the world. In 2008, its engine was crowned the International Engine of the Year. Can you guess it?
-
A3.2-liter straight five
-
B1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder hybrid
-
C2.0-liter four-cylinder electric hybrid
-
D4.0-liter straight-five
1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder hybrid
The BMW i8's engine is a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine combined with two electric motors. The three power sources make around 370 horsepower in all four wheels.
Question 17
Unveiled in 2016, the second-generation Ford GT is, once again, a spiritual successor to the Ford GT40 Le Mans racecar of the 1960s. What engine is it powered by?
-
A3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6
-
B5.4-liter supercharged V8
-
C4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8
-
D3.0-liter hybrid V6
3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6
The GT's engine is a true statement to the potential of Ford's EcoBoost engines. Although it shares some similarities to the 3.5-liter unit found in the F-150 truck, it also features larger turbochargers, an aluminum intake manifold, a custom dry sump lubrication system, and so on.
Question 18
Ferrari revealed Dino's engine in 1957, and since then it has become a legend. After Dino's success in racing, its engine found its way into the production road car, the Dino 206 GT/GTS. Do you know the name of its engine?
-
A2.4-liter V6
-
B2.2-liter inline-four
-
C5.2-liter V12
-
D4.0-liter V8
2.4-liter V6
The 2.4-liter V6 was fitted in the Dino 206GT/GTS, and later even in the Lancia Stratos for rallying purposes. In the '70s Ferrari abandoned the V6 for the V8 engine, found in the 308 Dino GT4.
Question 19
This is an internal combustion engine, introduced in 1868, that uses sleeve valves instead of the poppet valves. Later on it was used in many Mercedes cars, such as the 10/30 hp. Its influence in today's engines cannot be ignored, but can you guess its name?
-
ADuesenberg straight six
-
BEisenhuth Compound
-
CKnight Engine
-
DPanhard Flat-Twin
Knight Engine
The Knight engine was designed by Charles Yale Knight and later on bought by Mercedes. The sleeve valves offered low noise and efficiency, which was much needed at that time.
Question 20
The 2004 Porsche Carrera GT is widely considered to be one of the best supercars ever and the last truly analog performance car. It's the quintessence of everything Porsche stands for, and its mighty engine reflects that. What was the Carrera GT powered by?
-
A5.7-liter V10
-
B4.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six
-
C5.5-liter turbocharged V8
-
D6.0-liter V12
5.7-liter V10
Secretly built by Porsche for Formula 1 and Le Mans races, the Carrera GT's V10 engine is an engineering marvel. It puts out around 600 hp and revs up to 8,300 RPM - and sounds like a dream in the process.
Comments (0)
We want to hear your feedback! Share your scores and discuss the quiz, but keep it civil.