The LNF is a great motor. It is GM's greatest 4-cylinder monster, packing 260 hp in power and 260 ft-lbs in torque. It dominates in all current GM applications, and many automotive enthusiasts have expressed regret that GM has agreed to sell or close the only 2 brands to include LNF-powered roadsters, Saturn and Pontiac.
The K20A is Honda's glory motor, bringing 260 hp and 237 ft-lbs to the table, and finding itself in some high-quality beasts, like the Areil Atom, an American-made lightweight that accelerates to 60 in under 3 seconds. It represents another success in Honda's lineup of 4-cylinder motors. With consumers thinking about Honda as a company built on efficiency, Honda has done a good job of sticking to 4-cylinder performance and building great, little motors like the K20A.
I'm sure that someone will point out that the K20A is not the only Honda powerhouse. Be sure to line up each of
those engines against GM's LNF. I even provided you a link to get started discussing the K-series of engines.
Why did I bother bringing up this contest on a forum that tends to discuss an engine with triple the displacement of either 4-banger? It's a fair question, and I'm sure that you're all thinking that this thread is a little ridiculous, but someone needs to point out the obvious fact that these engines are a great example of direct competition. General Motors has produced an engine that outperforms the slightly larger Honda motor with matching displacement. To boot, the American motor maintains the tradition of accelerating faster with that additional 23 ft-lbs of torque that it brings to the ring. Consider that a fine hook by the great American automaker.
I'm sure a Honda advocate will cry me a river about how it is the great 4-cylinder automaker and will back it up with some great arguments. I am not here to dispute this fact. Honda has done very well on the efficiency side, and the brand has matched it with reliability when it comes to production. The point of this thread is not to dispute that Honda is a good brand.
Instead, the point of this brand is that our great American motor company, GM, can match or exceed anything that anyone throws at it. We've seen that proven with the great ZR1. You might also want to know that the SSC Ultimate Aero TT features a GM-sourced engine to power the car that beat the Veyron 16.4 in the top speed department and got there faster. Now, GM has learned that it must build the best of everything. As a consequence, GM has engaged itself in a multi-front war against great performance supercars, daily drivers, and now the increasingly popular 4-cylinder performance division.
GM is actively fighting the image that it can only build the world's best V8s. This is really a remarkable image to fight because it represents that best performance in a mainstream engine layout, but it prohibits cost-conscience buyers from realizing the quality of GM's other products. Not only can GM build the world's best V8s, but GM builds the world's best motors in the world. They can drive for 1,000,000 when treated right, and the performance ones are tested under grueling conditions.
Stop considering GM as a company that gave birth to some of the world's best muscle cars and trucks. That image is too limiting. GM simply makes the best cars across the automotive industry. That is why they are "General" Motors, not just "V8" Motors.