Powerful V 8 - the juice of two straight four.

Take two four cylinder engines and mount them on a crankcase at a right angle and this is a basic V 8 engine.

The crankshaft is driven by all eight cylinders.

However the basic fundamental structure of the V 8 engine where the juice of two straight fours powers a crankshaft is not commercially viable. Therefore automotive engineers have tweaked the V 8 engine in order to work proficiently after the motor is assembled to the cars chassis.

A straight four engine is also called an inline four engine. Four cylinders mounted on a single plane power an internal combustion engine. The cylinders or pistons work in unison and in cycles to drive a common crankshaft.

The single plane concept lends itself well to dynamics and the four stroke engine delivers perfect balance therefore it is a viable commercial concept and the V 4 is a popular engine found in economy cars.

The dynamic balance of a V 4 is not a perfect concept. Vibrations still occur in some cases.

Enter the V 8 with the juice of two straight fours.

The engineering tweaking involves adjustments that nullify enough vibrations in order for the V 8 to be commercially viable. Some of these adjustments have included making use of counterweights an the use of crossplane crankshafts.

V eight engines were highly prized for their power until they became the subject of toxic fuel emissions. Since then they continue to be used in luxury cars, SUVs, pick trucks, and sports cars albeit with a whole bunch of modifications that allow for better ozone friendly fuel emissions.

The juice of two straight four turned into a V8 engine was first patented in 1902 by Leon Levavasseur who adapted the motor to speedboats and aircrafts. As early as 1905 Rolls Royce was testing the V8 in it's designs. Serious problems forced them to revert back to the V6 which Rolls Royce was using prior to the invention of the V 8 engine.

By 1910 RR tried again and showed their product in the US and by 1914 V 8 engines were a staple in mass produced automobiles.

Cadillac of General Motors, Oldsmobile, Ford, and Chevrolet all jumped on the V 8 trend and the story of the V 8: the juice of two straight fours moved on from there.

The straight eight engine is a combination of eight cylinders mounted on a single plane along a crankshaft. The straight 8 internal combustion engine is also called an inline straight eight.

The straight eight has been produced in different configurations which work to tweak it best in different scenarios of vibration and dynamic harmony. Such straight 8 configs include side valve, overhead cam, and overhead valve. The length of the straight eight makes it less favorable as a design competitor that fits well in modern V8 vehicles.