This past weekend I spent some time with family in Chicago and while looking at a photo of my Aunt and Uncle I noticed a very strange looking car in the background so I had to ask "what is that"?   My Uncle Kevin quickly chimed in "that was our very first Saab, it was a 3 cylinder, 2 stroke car",  "we had to add oil to the gas tank after we filled up gas" he also said it was all of 40 horse power which by today’s standards is less than most small motorcycles produce.  Now being a huge fan of dirt bikes I felt like I knew all about 2 stroke engines but was having a hard time imagining this tiny Saab running on premix and all that goes into owning, operating and maintaining a 2 stroke car.  My first thought was actually how cool would it be to own and drive a 2 stroke car?

2 stroke engines have many advantages but one critical downfall; they are HORRIBLE on the environment.  Some of the benefits are from the simplicity of the engine making repairs dirt cheap, the engines are light weight reducing the overall weight of the car and they can rev super high without many problems and finally they are POWERFULL for such a small engine.  But as stated before they pollute the environment so badly almost all engines manufactured today are 4 stroke simply because they burn the gas more effectively so the exhaust is much less toxic.  As an avid boater I started to remember that in a few years back BRP (Bombardier) subsidiary Evinrude came out with the E-Tec 2 stroke engine and it was not only the baddest motor of the time it also won the EPA Clean Air Award!  So how does a 2 stroke engine win an environmental award?  The answer is Direct Injection.

Direct Injection is very similar to fuel injection in modern cars but the process of adding direct injection into a 2 stroke engine significantly reduces the pollution from a traditional 2 stroke engine.  See in a traditional 2 stroke engine the intake and exhaust port are open at the same time at the bottom of the piston stroke so a good portion of the gas/oil mix gets spit out of the exhaust port sending a mess of unspent fuel into the air.  With direct injection the only air entering the chamber is from the crankcase and the fuel is not injected until both ports are closed and the piston is almost at the top of the stroke, so the fuel is burnt much more efficiently.

So with today’s environmental concerns and a desire for a better engine will we ever see another 2 stroke car on the roads?  Maybe, maybe not?  There are many proponents of advanced 2 stroke engines but with many manufacturers spending tons of money on electric, hybrid, solar and other fuels the chances of another 2 stroke Saab are pretty slim.  But there is one place we may see 4 wheels and a 2 stroke engine very soon and that is in Formula 1 Racing.  With changes for the 2013 season of Formula 1 Racing, one company, FERRARI has expressed interest in the potential of using direct injection engines in racing.  Will it happen?  Who knows but I don't think I am the only person who misses the smell of Castor Oil.

Saab 2 stroke car

Saab 2 stroke Engine

E-Tec 2 Stroke engine.

1994 Ferrari 3 cylinder 2 stroke Engine.  Sadly without direct injection.