A V4 engine features two banks of two cylinders sharing a common crankshaft, typically set at a 60- or 90-degree angle. While extremely common in high-performance motorcycles due to its compact width and excellent primary balance, it is rare in production automobiles because inline-four engines are cheaper to manufacture and easier to package in front-wheel-drive platforms.
Heard on the job
The Aprilia uses a narrow-angle V4 that sounds completely different from a standard inline four.
Also heard as
- V4 engine
Do not mix it up with
- V engine: V4 specifies exactly four cylinders, while V-engine is the broad category for any block with two angled cylinder banks.