Subaru
cars are some of the most stable vehicles on the road. Many owe it to
the car's state-of-the-art stability control systems, which
automatically senses driving inputs to account for a car's overall
control. However, technology is only one of several key players in
Subaru's impressive stability, be it a sleek WRX or family-friendly
Outback.
Subaru's
engine design is a deviant. Its BOXER® engine, a variant of the flat
engine, allows an equal weight distribution and a lower center of
gravity compared with other engines. This allows a Subaru to turn
those tight corners perfectly without rolling. The BOXER® engine
takes a car's symmetry into account.
However, a
flat engine means the pistons must be arranged in an accommodating
way. Vertical pistons will shift the car's weight to one side, a
major flaw of inline (shift left) and V-type (shift right) engines.
In light of this, a flat engine has its pistons placed horizontally.
Not only does it fit a reduced cross-section, it also solves a common
problem among engines: vibration.
With
inline and V-type engines, the vibrations they emit don't cancel each
other out, requiring designers to add more components, which only
increases maintenance costs. Subaru's engine are arranged in a way
that vibrations from one piston are canceled out by vibrations from
the opposing piston. This eliminates the need for specialized
components, cutting repair costs.
In fact,
this is the rationale behind the BOXER® name. It's like the punches
and counterpunches of a boxer.
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