In case you’ve wondered why modern engines are described in liters — even in America — the proper answer is sort of boring. Automakers construct engines for worldwide markets, and liters are the common units of measurement for engine displacement. Over time, even the U.S. auto industry has steadily aligned itself with metric standards, which makes “3.0” or “6.2” easier to market globally than “183” or “376.”
Despite the shift from imperial to metric over 40 years ago, cubic inches never truly died. They only moved to places where numbers are not any longer solely used for measurement but additionally marketing — crate engines, heritage badges and motorcycles still feature the identical “freedom units” of many years past.
Essentially the most outstanding modern automaker that also treats displacement like a nameplate is Stellantis. Mopar’s 6.4-liter crate Hemi is sold as a “392” and was fitted in Dodge’s Charger and Challenger Scat Pack for years. In case that won’t enough, Dodge’s Direct Connection factory-backed performance program sells the Hellephant A30 Supercharged Hemi 426 crate engine that leans into the 426 Hemi moniker, which became iconic through the ’60s and ’70s.
Freedom units are still going strong within the American muscle and motorcycle scenes
Ford plays the identical game in its performance catalog. Ford Performance’s crate engine listings prominently use cubic inches. 347 and 460 show up as headline displacements within the specs, because that is how the new rod world shops. Meanwhile, Chevrolet doesn’t just keep cubes alive; it organizes its entire crate engine universe around them. Chevy’s performance catalog still sells big-block offerings corresponding to the 621-horsepower 572 crate with the displacement baked into the product identity.
Even with its production cars, Chevrolet still sneaks cubic inches into the conversation when it suits the story. General Motors’ press release for the newly announced Corvette Grand Sport X refers to its 6.7-liter V8 as a 409. The “freedom unit” displacement is immediately legible to anyone who has ever frolicked around American performance lore.
It is not just cars. “Freedom units” also remained delightfully normal in motorcycles. Indian Motorcycle describes the Scout Sixty as having a “60 cu-in liquid-cooled engine” right there within the spec sheet. Similarly, Harley-Davidson lists their iconic Fat Boy cruiser with only its cubic inch displacement (“117 cu in.”)
Liters can have won the worldwide spec war, but cubic inches still thrive where engines are sold with a side of nostalgia — where displacements aren’t just numbers but additionally branding. And in a rustic that prides itself within the excessive size of its motors corresponding to America, “freedom units” aren’t going away anywhere soon.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
