The Return of the Twin
The Return of the Twin! Fiat TwinAir Engine ! ! The twin cylinder engine that has prompted me to look into the history of the twin cylinder automobile engine is the Fiat TwinAir.! The Fiat TwinAir engine, available in some Fiat 500, Panda, and Alfa Romeo Miti's, uses an innovative valve gear technology to optimise performance and efficiency.! With only two cylinders with a total capacity of only 875 cc. and when turbocharged it produces 84 bhp.This in conjunction with an emission level of only 92g/Km, makes it outstanding and a pointer to future engine developments.! Its appropriate that the TwinAir, is produced by Fiat, as they had produced over four million twin cylinder engined cars since 1957.! The TwinAir is in no way related to those previous twins. These first of previous twins were produced for the rear engined 500 Nova, in 1957. An air-cooled parallel twin with a capacity of 479 cc, producing 17 bhp. In 1972 the 500, was joined by the 126, with a similar engine of 594 cc, reducing 23 bhp. This was produced until 1987, the 500, had been discontinued in 1977. The final Fiat twin, was 704 cc, water-cooled unit, producing 26 bhp. First fitted in the 126bis, produced from 1987 to 1992. This engine was available as an option in some markets in the Cinquecento 700, model, produced between 1992 and 1998.! ! ! The Return of the Twin Cylinder Engine into Mainstream Motoring.! ! Since 1998 until the advent of the TwinAir, the twin cylinder engined car has been missing from the mainstream manufacturers showrooms.
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