Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021. In response to the item immediately below, which kicked off this Thread, ...

Conventional wisdom suggests that our faithful internal combustion (IC) engines are heading the way of the buggy whip. The lithium-ion battery has arrived, emissions standards are tightening, and ...

Two-stroke engines used to be ubiquitous in dirt bike racing, thanks to their lightweight construction and horsepower. Packed in a dirt bike frame, they make a motorcycle playful in the corners and ...

The defining characteristic of a two-stroke engine is to fire (combust) every time the piston is at top dead center. This makes them highly power dense, but also notoriously makes two-stroke engines ...

Unless you're really into dirt bikes, you probably haven't touched a two-stroke engine in decades — if you ever have. These mechanically simple motors combine the four strokes we all know and love ...

Anyone who appreciates simplicity of design and efficiency of operation has to like small two-stroke-cycle engines that power construction tools such as cut-off saws, rammers and breakers. Producing ...

The 1958 DKW 3=6 looked like a modest family saloon, but its engineering was a quiet rebellion against four-stroke orthodoxy.

We love ourselves a good oddball engine, and tiny, scrappy Mazda certainly must be responsible for more such engine concept patents per market-capitalization dollar than any other. We just discovered ...

Dim’s fascination with cars began when he was just six. Born into a family of car enthusiasts and racing drivers, he started learning basic mechanics and driving from an early age. While he loves ...

Detroit Diesel doubled down on engine designs that struggled to keep up with regulations, and it was eventually acquired by ...