Some of these type were used in the Pacific Theater in WW2 against the Japanese, but the more modern V motors such as the Allison V-12 used by the P-51 Mustang performed better.
Junkers, a German engine and plane builder, had horizontally opposed (boxer) engines in their aircraft in WW2. A variation of those opposed design is what went into the VW Beetle and the Porsche. This engine was later adapted with water cooling and went into the Subaru, which around here is the single most common vehicle. Subarus all have 4WD, so they're grippy front and rear and can deal with light snow and some ice on the roads. The downside is they're heavier, making them slow the rest of the year and also poorer fuel economy. They also sound like tractors and the extra weight makes them accelerate slower, making them feel even more tractor-like, even slower. I don't know many people with a Subaru who would actually call one a sports car, if they've driven a real sports car to compare. And many haven't, instead convincing themselves that the WRX Rally Car is what they're driving on the highway at 21-25 MPG and a 400 pound weight penalty for all wheel drive they use once or twice a year. Because light snow? It often turns into heavy snow or just plain melts in which case its an all or nothing kind of problem. Its reasonably rare to drive in light snow, and if you've got black ice, you're dealing with ice on the roads and should be using studded tires or stay home because damage from slipping? That's out of pocket.
The reason that Subarus and Porsches and VW's all use horizontally opposed engines is they can be setup to double your torque, and usually are. More torque at low RPMs mean more power starting out at a stoplight or climbing a hill slowly or dealing with crap road surfaces. V and straight engines have a smoother power curve that winds up with RPMs, not so much at the lower end. Torque is what you need around town. You can have a smaller engine, half as big with twice the fuel economy, giving you either a lot more power or a lot more efficiency depending on your vehicle weight and how its geared. This is a big reason why a Porsche is FAST, and a VW is cheap and a Subaru can go all over the place on gravel and dirt roads. That and ground clearance. I've driven a Subaru Impreza on all sorts of ridiculous fire roads in the summertime, way out of our way to some pretty loony destinations just to verify they went through like we thought. And they did. And those roads got used last summer during our nasty fire season. So go me, I guess? Anyway, Subaru is interesting and I'd totally have one if they would just release the turbo diesel they're selling everywhere but here. I'm a slow driver most of the time. I'm very cautious. I know about expensive repairs and broken engine mounts and blown head gaskets and shattered valves. Those are all very expensive and debilitating and you never quite trust a car after that happens. I hate being in that position.
The fear of a breakdown in the boonies, and getting stuck, solo, is pretty scary. I already have to carry extra food to deal with my Diabetes, just in case. Imagine getting stuck and having to walk out due to no cellphone signal to call for help. There are deep canyons here. I'm at 2600 feet elevation, 400 below the standard Snow Line (3000 feet). It gets cold at night. The canyons are deep, and that's where most of the water is. We also have deer, which means we have cougars that eat deer and cougars sometimes eat people, meaning if you're in canyon country, outside your car, you really should be carrying a loaded firearm. So try not to get stuck, and make sure your car is in good shape before you venture into interesting places. I'm a big fan of proper maintenance and the ground clearance on a Subaru is NOT just for show, though their All Wheel Drive hasn't impressed me much in the real world of dirt roads. The differential doesn't lock and wheel spin can apparently break them. They're also a bit heavy. If the Subaru were lighter or I could see some mechanical proof they can deal I'd feel a lot more comfortable taking them into the boonies. And I still prefer solo; sorry if that offends.
Horizontally opposed engines are not just for cars. A two cylinder model used by BMW in WW2 continues to be made today. The BMW Nazi scout sidecar was also captured and adapted by the Russians into the Ural sidecar model, popular with hipsters because it is clunky, easy to fix, and cute. Sadly, they're expensive and slow so not truly safe at freeway speeds, but great on secondary roads and a wonderful way to date or carry around children with cute goggles in places where sanity is still permitted.
A shrunk down and overlapping boxster design was invented by EcoMotors in Detroit for diesel powered 2-strokes, based on a hundred year old Junkers aircraft motor. These engines were originally for replacement motors for Cheap Chinese Scooters but later dropped for the more profitable truck engines, which are a tiny fraction of the pollution in China compared to a quarter billion scooters, and the origin of that company's funding appeal. But they're building big expensive truck motors and boat engines rather than scooter engines. All about the profit, nothing about the pollution they got all their kudos (and investors and grants) for. Meh. Typical. Not to say a small 100cc overlapping opposed diesel isn't a really good idea. So is the clutch idea so you can link in additional modules for power. Maybe even a 200cc so you have sufficient torque to pull some weight in an ultralight car or tuktuk. Laugh, but in Japan Tuktuks deliver food, medicine, the plumber, because they're a wheelbarrow with a motor. Around town, they beat walking. Despite flipping over if you brake too hard.
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