I have pretty much wrenched on all the disputed best 4 cylinders motors. I've worked on a ton of B-series, a few K/H/F series (with the exception of the F20C/F22C1 from a S2k). I worked on a SR20DET at a EDM 200SX and a 3SGTE out of a MR2. Obviously I have extensive experience with the 4G63.


All-in-all. I would, subjectively say that 4G63 is the best 4-cylinder motor in the world. While weight may have a factor of the some peoples choices. The purpose of the engine itself is ultimately to produce power and/or torque. A well rounded engine can make power for as long as possible. There maybe engines that make more power by further the RPM band and with less torque. Other engines may make immediate power but loses it breath quickly as it's longer stroke increases piston speed, ultimately limiting it's RPM. I think the 4G63 motor has good power and still be able to rev pretty high. And from a factual point of few. The 4G63 is the highest horsepower producing production engine block.

Now with that said. I would NOT say the DSM (or even the EVO) is the best 4-cylinder powered cars in the world. Maybe, in the past, the EVO had a strong standing, but with the introduction of the Genesis and Toyotas/Subaru speculated introduction of a flat-four, RWD car. Those day are behind us.

91stocker said:

Doesnt the 4g still hold the horsepower record for 4 cylinders?

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Maybe the record for most HP on an OE block. But there are large displacement, billet block 4-cylinders making way more than a 4G ever has.

99gst_racer said:

Maybe the record for most HP on an OE block. But there are large displacement, billet block 4-cylinders making way more than a 4G ever has.

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I've been in this type of conversation many times before as one of my best friends is a diehard SR20 guy. I always reminded him that JUN's almighty 200sx could muster "only" an 8.88 ET with sequential gearbox and rear drive. And Sean at Extreme had gone 8.87.

If anyone questions the 3SGTE, and I know many of you are too young, but research IMSA racing in the 80's-90's. Dan Gurney's Toyota 4 cylinder powered Eagles were unstoppable back then.

With NA motors.......way different conversation. And, yes, we all know Hondas can make 200 HP. I say BFD. They still don't make any torque and as heavy as their cars are....it still doesn't translate into much speed. Hell, my EVO with a cat back put a 15 car hurtin on an S2000 with a vortech blower and full exhaust, on a 70-150 roll race. Not saying the S2000 isn't a super fun car to drive, but....whatever. SLOW in a straight line.

There's lots of killer motors out there. The GM Ecotec with factory backing in the drag racing world were making HP numbers approaching 2000.

SR20 has the beefiest crankshaft I've seen but it's truly overkill and just ads a crapload of weight to the assembly.

SR20 has a great head design, but then the engine is capped off with a distributor for spark and those PITA bicycle sprockets for cam gears.

If I was interested in an NA motor outside of the DSM world, I would choose an SR16VE or SR20VE over a Honda platform any day of the week.

All in all, the 4G is the ultimate, otherwise I'd be on SR20 forums. Honda, never. But, most of this is all opinion, and nut much fact. Who is it that could say," The Mitsu 4G63 is the best 4 cylinder ever built," that we would take as the WORD?


Last, we are forgetting about alot of motors from Europe from Vauxhaul and other companies such as Cosworth mentioned above. However, if there was a way to survey street cars running around our country, I bet that 4G63 powered cars would hold the highest average HP of any 4 cylinder cars out there. And before someone says it.........it's Honda's fault that they don't produce a turbo car right out of the factory. And then they decide to introduce it in an SUV.

sag1441 said:

13bs have the highest hp/liter of any production motor by the way.

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Your comparing apples and hand grenades here. The 13b is a twin rotor wankel. Yes you can get over 200 at the wheels from a 13b based renesis. But its also a cheater, and there is no definitive way to measure the displacement. Some measure it from 1 rotor face x the number of rotors. Some say its actually more than that. In motorsport world it is usually doubled for classing purpose. So your 1.3 13b/Renesis is classed as a 2.6 which puts it on par with v-6s.

Plus you have to look at it overall, not just power/litre. The 13b is a crap engine overall.

Its fragile
It costs to much to make power
It is drinks fuel.
No torque

laserspeeddemon said:

Now with that said. I would NOT say the DSM (or even the EVO) is the best 4-cylinder powered cars in the world. Maybe, in the past, the EVO had a strong standing, but with the introduction of the Genesis and Toyotas/Subaru speculated introduction of a flat-four, RWD car. Those day are behind us.

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The Genesis sucks all around, the 4 banger ones are especially pathetic. With the Subaru BRZ only producing 150lbs of torque i lost all interest in that car. If they make an STI version with 300hp and TQ and can keep it near 30K i'll probably buy one the week they hit dealer lots, but i have no interest in the current one. I might test drive one for laughs, but going from a 30R dsm to an anemic N/A motor will probably be an instant deal breaker, even if the handling is kart-like.

Evo IX >>>> Genesis and BRZ

this could go on and on and on argued for any manufacturer one favors, but who is to say (and who could say with deciding authority) what the "best 4 cylinder" actually is and also the standards the choice would be based around could be way different than those we are basing this conversation on.

Even if stated by a magazine it would only be the opinion of the colum/article writer and how much authority does that person really have.

Now when we get into the talk as it's been so far, i agree the 4g63 can be argued as one of the best and most relaible (when maintaned properly) out of all the 4 cyl's out there in this day and age, hell even other manufacturers bought and used them (hyundai anyway)

As for the rotory, love them in a way, hate them in others. I have a friend with an N/A unit (2 rotor only) that's been bridhe ported, running dual webber downdrafts In an early R100 chassis and the car runs 11.75 1/4 mile on 1.3 liters natural aspirated, but when turbo'd those things pop like orvel reddenbaucher endorsed the things

I would just like to see a better flowing head built for our cars (not bigger ports but more velocity in the exhaust flow especially) And also we're talking about the engines in the state at which we are acustomed to see them (BSE, ARP head studs etc..) How would the 4g stack up in 100% stock configuration against all other 4 bangers in their 100% stock config?

To be honest i'm a fan of the SR20 family as well as being a fan of a few honda engines (or at least their cylinder heads and the way they flow) but i've never really cared for their blocks. I've loved the 4g but have my complaints on those as well.. I think a criteria of what makes the "best 4 cylinder" would have to be defined before we can pick one or argue as to why a certain one should hold that titel

The biggest flaw in the SR20 IMO is that the sleeves don't go all the way to the deck, so if you get knock you can damage the block itself.

If honda made better blocks, or mitsu made better heads it would be the best of both worlds.