Originally Posted by Webwombat
Interestingly, the inline four-cylinder engine exhibits almost motorcycle-like behaviour (in reference to Yamaha's two-wheeled origins) in the way it develops power and torque, with both attained high in the rev range.
The 1796cc engine, codenamed 2ZZ-GE, was the first naturally aspirated Toyota volume production engine to break the 100 horsepower per litre barrier. Corolla Sportivo is also the first Corolla in Australia in a decade to be fitted with a Toyota G-type engine - or rather, one with a wide included valve angle.
The fiery litte 1.8-litre mill delivers 141kW of power @ 7800rpm, and 180Nm of torque at 6800rpm, which leaves a fairly short powerband of 1000rpm.
The engine is quite a piece of work though, offering infinitely variable inlet timing across the revolution range and providing high-lift for both camshafts when engine revolutions exceed 6000rpm. It's also fitted with a fully balanced crankshaft and thin, lightweight, high-strength connecting rods to reduce reciprocating weight and friction.
Flat-topped pistons with valve clearance cut-outs help towards achieving an 11.5:1 compression ratio, but this also means owners will have to fill up with high-octane fuel, or at least add an octane booster to ULP in order to avoid knock.