At the end of each year, we take a look back at the ten best-performing articles of the past 12 months. This year, there is quite a variety of articles, ranging from a couple of six cylinders, along with V8s, V10s, V12, and even an inline-seven cylinder! Crazy alternative combustion fuels, unconventional cylinder layouts, and non-standard engine configurations, along with our attempt to make 1,000 horsepower for less than $8,000 all graced the 2023 Top Ten list. So join us in looking back at our 10 best from 2023.

10. 1,000 Horsepower For Only $8,000 — The 1K For 8K Turbo LS Challenge

While this article might have come in at number ten on our top ten, it was definitely number one in our hearts. The project internally dubbed as “1K for 8K” attempted to have us build a 1,000-horsepower LS engine for the paltry budget of $8,000. By using a BoostLine crate short-block, and being extremely frugal with our parts selection, we came darn close to hitting the budget, while achieving our 1,000 horsepower goal. The best part of the whole project is that the engine is still alive as a project engine, under the project name “007”. You’ll see the engine making more power in the coming months.

9. Atkinson, Miller, or Otto: Internal Combustion Cycles Explained

While the four-stroke engine cycle is one that we are all familiar with, what most of us are actually familiar with is the Otto cycle, specifically. There are two other four-stroke engine operation cycles that are becoming more and more popular, relatively speaking, even though they’ve been around longer than anyone reading this (except maybe the Miller cycle of operation). We dive into the three cycles of operation, comparing and contrasting along the way.

8. Rolling a 7: Is It Possible To Have An Inline Seven-Cylinder Engine?

Number nine in the mix is an article that really got folks thinking. Usually, the only piston engines to have a seven-cylinder arrangement are radial engines, but this article showed not only that inline seven-cylinder engines exist in the world, but also dove into why they exist, as well as how they work (there is a lot of interesting engineering going on in a straight-seven engine). Just as interesting as their engineering is their sound, but don’t expect to hear any automotive inline-sevens anytime soon. As you’re more likely to find them powering different types of seafaring vessels, including submarines.

7. Hand-Drawn Dominance: Ford’s DFV Engine Is Still One of the Greatest

In number seven on the top ten, the Ford/Cosworth DFV engine can safely be called the winningest Formula 1 engine ever produced. Beyond its amazing performance and incredible longevity in one of, if not the most competitive and technologically advanced forms of motorsport on the planet, the DFV engine design is made infinitely more impressive when you realize it was designed before computers, instead drafted using slide rulers and T-squares. The story of the DFV’s development is genuinely interesting, beyond the fact that it turned out to be an absolute beast of an engine that withstood the test of time, along with the stresses of boost, once turbochargers were a part of the landscape. N/A or turbo, the DFV proved to be a king.

6. Is Thinner the Winner? Low Viscosity Engine Oil Runs the Gauntlet

With thin, zero-weight oils becoming more and more common on the shelf at parts stores, it’s no surprise that curiosity about what was once seen as crazy cheater oil in drag racing has increased dramatically. Luckily for us, Project Farm has that same curiosity, and he conducted a bunch of tests with his usual homespun, common-sense-based testing protocols. The results? Well, they are mostly what you would expect, with a few interesting outliers.

5. Angular Inclinations: The Rise And Fall Of The Mopar Slant Six

Looking back at one of the most commercially successful engines to ever hit a production line, Chrysler’s Slant-Six was, as the name implies, a straight six engine with a bit of a tilt to it — 30 degrees’ worth, to be exact. Ranging in displacement from 170 cubic inches to 225 cubic inches and power figures from a meager 117 horsepower and 155 lb-ft of torque to a still-not-great 145 horsepower and 215 lb-ft, the Slant-Six wasn’t a powerhouse, but man, did it last forever.

4. Corrosion Of Conformity: Toyota Takes Aim At EVs With Ammonia Engine

There has been a lot of discussion in the past few years about alternative fuels to replace gasoline in internal combustion engines. There have been a number of gasses put forward, with Hydrogen being the popular choice as of late. However, Toyota, who has been extremely active in the fight to keep internal combustion engines alive, has not only been a huge proponent of Hydrogen, but has also spearheaded research into far less apparent fuel options, like Ammonia. While it has some upsides, it still has quite a few downsides, which will likely keep it from ever becoming a mainstream fuel.

3. Mazda Really is Bringing Back the Wankel Rotary Engine

No, this isn’t clickbait. Mazda is, in fact, bringing back the Wankel rotary engine and this article slides into the third spot on our top ten list. Unfortunately, it’s not in the way that most enthusiasts hoped for. The engine will indeed reside under the hood, but it will be used simply as a hybrid solution to extend the range of the electric motor in Mazda’s new MX-30 SUV. Sorry, everyone. We are just as disappointed as you are.

2. Video: Revisiting Ford’s Venerable and Squandered Triton V10 Engine

In certain circles, you say “V10” and minds harken back to the heyday of open-wheel performance, with names like Schumacher, Irvine, and Villeneuve coming to mind. However, in other circles, “V10” elicits the negative emotions associated with an underpowered gasoline truck engine. And that’s exactly what this article addresses. Ford’s Triton V10 engine had so much potential for a performance application, yet, well…

1. Straightforward: Ford’s Indestructible Inline Six-Cylinder Explained

The number one article from 2023 (by a significant margin over number two) was a deep dive into the venerable, borderline iconic, Ford 300 inline-six-cylinder engine. While it’s not a glamourous performance engine, what it is, is an absolute workhorse that will burn anything you put in it, last for decades, and make enough power to get whatever job that is asked of it, done. Sometimes substance wins out over flash, and the Ford 300 proves that in more ways than one.