The car engine. Added in version 1.4 for users to build... you guessed it, cars. But how realistic is it?

Let's start with the visuals. It is 2x1x1 blocks in size, or 0.25 m^3. It's not too big compared to normal car engines. The displacement itself cannot be found as you can only see the outer part of the engine. The engines basically look like they are divided into 8 sections. They may be engine cylinders but the engine itself resembles more of a battery.

The engine has two tubes extending from the sides. They are more likely exhaust pipes. This is because the open side faces backwards when at default rotation (0,0,0). However, they are not actually used in the game. The high pitched sound it makes is likely due to a thin exhaust pipe.

Next, we will look at its requirements to work. It only uses fuel to work, consuming at a fairly quick rate. It doesn't seem to use any air (it will still work normally, regardless of the amount of air it gets; it also does not compete with jet engines for air). This is very inaccurate as fuel needs air (oxygen) to burn, thus there should be no power output.

Also, exhaust gases would remain in the engine's combustion chambers and may cause a lack of oxygen for combustion (the percentage of oxygen would be lower than that of normal air).

Finally, we look at its behavior. It can provide anywhere between 50 and 600 hp. This could be done with parts called "restrictor plates" that reduce the amount of air entering the engine, but as we discussed earlier, these engines do not need air to work. A fuel limiter may also be used, as the engine uses less fuel at a lower power setting. (Thanks marcox)

Also, the engine provides huge acceleration to wheels it is connected to. The engine also has no need for a transmission system, meaning no ability to change gears. It is also important to note that the forward and reverse speeds of the engine are the same.

We must not only look at the engine itself. One wheel can only connect to one engine. This is true for all mainstream vehicles. Engines use a driveline to transfer power to the wheels, but the power is able to reach wheels which are only connected to the body with a thin fuselage block. Enough facts for a final verdict? Maybe.

Based on how it performs, the engine is basically a BATTERY that somehow uses fuel. It powers motors that are in the wheels. This means that there is no need for a driveline or transmission. Wires do not need much space and can fit in thin or curved sections. Electric systems do not need air except for cooling. Like many electric vehicles, they accelerate very well, reaching top speed quickly.

But then, there is no need to design the engine in such a way. It is neither absolutely a combustion or electric engine. In fact, it is behaves like an electric system but consumes fuel and is incorrectly designed for visual purposes. Maybe, more facts will be uncovered in the future.

-AMC Research Team