How do cars with a four cylinder engine go faster than a V8 engine?

Question

Like a Ford Crown Victoria vs a Honda Civic.

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Forced induction. An engine makes power by burning fuel. It can only suck as much air as the engines volume allows per revolution. Add boost (forced induction) and it can combine more air with more fuel and make more power. There are trade-offs such as less torque, less longevity, the need for higher octane fuel… but in a nutshell more air + fuel = more power.