So, we’ve discussed Subaru and its boxer engines at length, but what about other manufacturers? Porsche uses them in a few cars, and that’s really all you can find in modern automobiles. However, other automakers have used them in the past. Some examples include the Alfa Romeo Aflasud, Lancia Flavia, Toyota Publica, Citroen 2CV, and the Chevy Corvair. These were all experimental cars in their day, and their various makers didn’t opt to continue using the boxer engine. It makes sense, though, since other engines have their pros and cons and well, and those pros better suited the kinds of cars those automakers wanted to make.
Where the flat engine really lives, though, is in motorcycles. It’s one of the most popular motorcycle engine types, and you can find plenty of modern examples of flat engines there. Honda equips several of its motorcycles with flat-four and flat-six engines, including the GL 1500 and the GL 1800. BMW also uses it in its R-series of motorcycles. Like cars, there are more examples throughout history, but BMW and Honda carry the torch today.
There are other examples in other industries as well. Some of the oldest airplanes used flat engines, including the Pearse monoplane from 1902. However, examples outside of automobiles and motorcycles are rather rare and difficult to find. In any case, the boxer engine always seems to be hiding in the shadows of history books. The Volkswagen Beetle is an iconic car and has been for nearly a century, but most folks simply don’t think about boxer engines when they think about Beetles.
