All this is true. However, in the distant past (Pre-World War II) some companies build (large) cars with Inline-8 engines. Surely, then, an Inline-7 is possible, if not practical?
3-cylinder engines are very common among small cars in Europe and Japan.
We Americans don't encounter them very often because they're generally very
small and low-power, not suitable for the larger cars we Americans love. As
far as I know, the Geo/Chevy Metro was the last car sold here to have a
3-cylinder engine.
5-cylinders, on the other hand, aren't quite as rare, especially if you drive
a Volvo. Some other cars, like recent GM compact pickups (already mentioned)
have them. Of older cars, I remember the Acura Vigor (again already mentioned),
and some 1980s Audis had 5-cylinder engines.
What I'd really like to see is a 7-cylinder engine - no car I know has ever
had one;). Above 5 cylinders, all cars seem to have an even number of cylinders
- 6, 8, 10, 12, or (rarely) 16 or 18.
Slashdot Mirror
All this is true. However, in the distant past (Pre-World War II) some companies build (large) cars with Inline-8 engines. Surely, then, an Inline-7 is possible, if not practical?
3-cylinder engines are very common among small cars in Europe and Japan. We Americans don't encounter them very often because they're generally very small and low-power, not suitable for the larger cars we Americans love. As far as I know, the Geo/Chevy Metro was the last car sold here to have a 3-cylinder engine. 5-cylinders, on the other hand, aren't quite as rare, especially if you drive a Volvo. Some other cars, like recent GM compact pickups (already mentioned) have them. Of older cars, I remember the Acura Vigor (again already mentioned), and some 1980s Audis had 5-cylinder engines. What I'd really like to see is a 7-cylinder engine - no car I know has ever had one ;). Above 5 cylinders, all cars seem to have an even number of cylinders
- 6, 8, 10, 12, or (rarely) 16 or 18.