In addition to motorcycles and pianos, Yamaha made these 10 engines for cars of other brands (+1 own supercar)

In addition to motorcycles and pianos, Yamaha made these 10 engines for cars of other brands (+1 own supercar)

In addition to motorcycles and pianos, Yamaha made these 10 engines for cars of other brands (+1 own supercar)

Industry TODAY WE TALK ABOUT 19 comments Jesús Martín@JesusMartin626

Yamaha is usually prey to the Motorpasión Moto hunting ground for being a brand mainly of motorcycles, but apart from motorcycles and musical instruments, the signature of tuning forks is an eminence at an industrial level, developing vehicles of more than two wheels or even without them.

Boats, pianos, jet skis or off-road vehicles are just a few examples of the power of the Japanese company, a power that also reaches cars as a designer and manufacturer of engines, especially for the Japanese industry but also for other brands throughout world level.

Toyota 2000GT

If there was a car that marked the future of Toyota, it was the 1967 Toyota 2000GT. That sports car with its slim silhouette and a certain British air was Toyota's first serious sports car and in its conception an external specialist was called upon to conceive it: Yamaha.

Yes, a motorcycle brand put the engine in a whole vintage car, but they were not only the creators of the engine, but of a large part of the car. It is said that the project initially developed by Albrecht von Goertz was developed in conjunction with Nissan, but this brand withdrew from the project and Yamaha awarded it to Toyota, which at that time was one of the most conservative brands and sought a more aspirational aura. . They stayed with the main idea but resorted to the exterior design of Satoru Nozaki.

Under the long, slender hood of the 2000GT was a 1,988cc inline-six engine, a technical marvel for the 1960s as the Japanese sought to rival other European brands, so they devised a machine capable of developing 150 CV and 175 Nm of torque for 1,120 kg of weight. Today, the Toyota 2000GT (and its engine) is a highly regarded and coveted classic.

Toyota 2ZZ-GE

The collaboration between Toyota and Yamaha has extended to the present day, and one of its most prolific fruits has been the 2ZZ-GE engine that is still used, although with variations . This engine was originally based on Toyota's 1ZZ block, to be modified, updated and fine-tuned by Yamaha with the premise of having a greater useful range of revolutions, greater power and without resorting to supercharging.

It is a 1.8-liter (1,796 cc) inline four-cylinder engine with multipoint injection and VVTL-i distribution with a standard power of around 180 HP. To get an idea of ​​the versatility of this engine, yes, it is the Toyota 1.8 engine that Lotus uses in its Elise and Exige: light, versatile and with character, carried in the Exige up to 240 CV with supercharging. The later 1.8 3ZZ and 4ZZ engines continued to be used in modern Corollas and Auris.

At Motorpasion MotoWe tested Yamaha's jet skis for 2019: from the accessible recreational one to the 1.8-liter turbo beast

Toyota 4A-GE

Surely the Toyota 4A-GE engine is one of the most powerful engines reputed among the fans of the Japanese manufacturer. This 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder engine has been postulated since its birth in 1983 as one of the most beloved thanks to its excellent performance. And it was completely Yamaha's doing.

In addition to motorcycles and pianos, Yamaha made these 10 engines for cars of other brands (+1 own supercar)

First conceived with a 16-valve cylinder head to later receive a Twin Cam 20-valve in 1987, but on top of that it has always been a light, compact engine and very suitable for tuning enthusiasts to get their hands on and they extracted powers far beyond the 114 CV and 131 Nm that the first versions developed.

Among the most renowned cars that used this engine we find the beloved Toyota AE-86, but also the small mid-engined sports car, the Toyota MR2.

Toyota 3S-GE and 3S-GTE

Toyota Celica GT-S ST165

Another of Toyota's most popular engines has been the 3S-GE whose first generation appeared in 1984. A four-cylinder engine in line designed by Yamaha of 1,998 cc with powers between 135 and 160 CV that moved cars like the Toyota Celica GT-S ST162. A reliable and powerful configuration that, thanks to Yamaha's touch, resulted in very light engines weighing less than 150 kg that evolved over five generations until the last one in 1998.

1990 Toyota MR2 W20

Somewhat later, in 1986, Toyota and Yamaha used the same 1998cc block, tucked oil injectors under the pistons and lowered the compression ratio to accommodate a turbo. An engine that started with the Toyota Celica ST165 with 190 CV and was applied until 2007 in some American models, going through the 1990 Toyota MR2.

In MotorpasiónYes, there was a mid-engine Dodge Viper, but they chickened out and it did not go on the market

Toyota 2UR-GSE

When Lexus, Toyota's luxury division, set out to break into the segment of cars with a sporty tinge and projected the 2006 Lexus IS-F. They saw that they had a saloon car that could be a candidate to become the donor, like the IS, but they didn't have an engine that lived up to expectations.

They had engines, but not one with enough character, so they enlisted the help of Yamaha to tune up the 2UR-FSE. The result was a 4,969 cc 90º V8 engine with 423 hp and 505 Nm of torque called 2UR-GSE, a beast capable of bringing smiles to the most bored driver thanks to a deep empowerment work focusing on the upper part of the engine. .

This magnanimous engine has reached our days, since it is the same base used by the Lexus LC 500, RC-F and GS-F, although with different modifications and updates, developing figures of around 500 CV.

Toyota 1LR-GUE

The union between Toyota and Yamaha has produced some of the best engines in history. Without going any further, it was the exotic Lexus LF-A, the most radical Lexus in history, one of the cars that received the Yamaha treatment for the design of its engine.

Both brands worked together to develop the V10 engine that has given life to one of the most charismatic supercars of recent years, a 3.8 V10 configuration at 72º built with aluminium, titanium and magnesium with figures of 560 CV and 480 Nm of torque. All with a sound more typical of Formula 1 than of a street car.

In MotorpasiónThis is how Polo Storico has restored this Minardi M191B, one of the few Formula 1 cars with a Lamborghini engine

Ford SHO V6 (KOA)

Ford Taurus SHO 1989

The Ford team responsible for creating the charismatic Ford Mustang Cobra SVT was also guilty of developing the Ford Taurus SHO, except for the engine. This six-cylinder V-shaped engine at 60º, 2,986 cc, 223 hp and 271 Nm of torque was the work entirely of Yamaha.

This engine from the late '80s was possibly one of the best engines that were assembled in Ford at least in the eyes of users thanks to a more than pleasant sound, very powerful for the time and quite easy to climb of turns that gave a touch of extra flavor to the American sedan.

Ford SHO V8

1996 Ford Taurus SHO V8

After phasing out the use of both generations of SHO V6 engines, Toyota and Yamaha sought a generational replacement for their powertrain scheme in the Ford Taurus , developing the 1996 Ford SHO V8. The engine block was handled by Cosworth while the cylinder heads, valves and timing were developed by Yamaha to ensure lively behavior above 7,000 rpm.

In this case, the vee configuration at 60º was maintained but two extra cylinders were added, the displacement was increased to 3,392 cc while the power and torque also increased slightly to 238 CV and 312 Nm respectively.

Ford Zetec-SE

But Ford and Yamaha didn't collaborate just to build great engines for the American market. Taking the Zetec inline four-cylinder engine born in 1991 as a starting point, Ford, Yamaha and Mazda joined forces to create a new engine under the name Sigma.

The product of this Japanese alliance was a range of engines between 1.25 liters and 1.7 liters with highly modified intakes, exhausts and cylinder heads. The exhaust and inlet ducts were rotated 180º and were the first engines to use plastic intake ports. One of the cars equipped with these Zetec-SE engines was the Ford Puma.

In MotorpassionWelcome to the culture of hot rod mowers, because if you have an engine and wheels you can be faster

Volvo B8444S

In addition to Japanese manufacturers, Yamaha has also worked for other world-class manufacturers. This is the case, for example, of Volvo, a Swedish manufacturer that resorted to the services of the tuning fork company to create an engine that moved its flagships.

Thus, after a development that was carried out exclusively by Yamaha, Volvo received the B8444S engine, a 60º V8 engine with 4,414 cc, 315 HP and 440 Nm of torque that has moved the Volvo S80 and XC90 ready in transverse position.

The narrow vee of its configuration was determined by the space in the compartment of the S80, initially designed for a five-cylinder inline engine. As a consequence of this configuration, a chain-driven balancer shaft had to be used, which caused a less smooth operating feel than that of an eight-cylinder vee at 90º.

Yamaha OX99-11

Yamaha OX99-11

If we leave aside the ATVs, side-by-sides and modern golf cars that the brand continues to manufacture, as well as the prototype cars that lean, in the not too distant past Yamaha also tried to make its first steps independently in the world of four wheels with the Yamaha OX99-11.

This concept was a direct consequence of the ambition of Yamaha, who tried in the early '90s to break Honda's hegemony in Formula 1 by developing their own engines with rather little luck. What they did achieve was to be clear about the purpose of launching a bodied F1 car for the street.

Yamaha OX99-11

To achieve this, they first allied themselves with a German company that did not understand their project to later join Milton Keynes IAD and the Mooncraft racing car manufacturer responsible for the Mazda 717C, with Takuya Yura, designer responsible for the exterior of the 717C. Yes, that's why the 717C and this OX99-11 look so similar.

This is how the Yamaha OX99-11 was made with a carbon and aramid fiber chassis, two seats in longitudinal position and a 3.5-liter V12 engine with a Genesis five-valve cylinder head of 400 CV with the red line beyond 10,000 rpm. Although the truth is that the engine was not entirely from Yamaha, but in their initiative to reach Formula 1 they bought the block from Judd, the engine used by Brabham in F1 in 1991 to which they introduced their own modifications.

Yamaha's collaboration with the automotive industry is very extensive, which is why many other engines that have also been its responsibility are surely left out of this article. If you can think of any more, leave it to us in the comments.

Share In addition to motorcycles and pianos, Yamaha made these 10 engines for cars of other brands (+1 own supercar)

Related Articles

The Complete Guide to Belly Button Piercings: Everything You Need to Know
The Complete Guide to Belly Button Piercings: Everything You Need to Know
How to Pierce Your Belly Button and Be Your True Self
How to Pierce Your Belly Button and Be Your True Self
Four Fun Hobbies for Girls
Four Fun Hobbies for Girls
TOP 30 TESTED AND RATED Elastic Sewing Band REVIEWS
TOP 30 TESTED AND RATED Elastic Sewing Band REVIEWS