In Reply to: A couple of questions.... posted by Stephen (Smurf) on March 01, 1999 at 01:35:56
As a rule (with exceptions) European engines favor a shorter rod length and stroke for any given displacement. The longer the rod and/or stroke the higher the torque. Think of it as though the piston has a longer lever arm to push on the crank with, hense more torque. Small bore/long stroke equals more torque and large bore/short stroke equals more rpm/horsepower. All depends on the desired goal of the manufacturer. Usually sports cars go for the revs trucks/suv go for the torque.
There are exceptions and sometimes reasons are lost without inside knowlege IE: planning on using existing motor parts/trannies from other models, homelegation into racing rules, etc, etc.
Hope this helps
John