More Pancakes Please!

The sweet syrupy smell of pancakes wafting through the morning air is a delightful scent. A truly American delight, yet pancakes aren't something you'd expect hearing about in a car! You especially won't find them in an American car. That's because when we're talking pancakes we're talking "Flat" motors.

Flat motor inside a Volkswagen

A Pancake under the hood

1886 - The first pancake/flat motor was debuted. An interesting year because it's noted as the first year that Karl Benz had produced something known as the "Motorwagen". This is what we regard as the first car. It futured a motor where the pistons were parallel to the ground. Prior to the 20th century many motors were horizonal to the ground. But in cars this design was impractical due to a need for oiling and cooling.

1931 - After a long time in the auto industry Ferdinand Porsche started his own company. Turning into what is today, Porsche. Beginning as a design consultant agency.

1934 - This prosperous consulting led to a government contract. The government of then Germany, reached out to Ferdinand to design a car for the people. This car needed to be simple, cheap, and easy to fix. Everyone in Germany needed to be able to afford one of these "People's Cars". Hence the people's car, translated to German as Volkswagen, was born. A car I can promise everyone knows is the Volkswagen beetle. It's bug-like headlights, arched bubble-shaped back. But most of all it's simple, air cooled, compact, and lightweight, pancake motor.

1936 -The beetle roared off the production line with a four-cylinder 1000 cubic centimeter motor which was "Flat". Meaning compared to other engines of the time it looked like it was turned on its side and compacted. It was small and light. It had no need for coolant lines as the air naturally cooled the motor. This engine was so reliable that it was produced from 1936 to 2003 in the beetle. Almost a full century this motor was considered economical and advanced enough to be put into brand new cars.

1948 - The Porsche 356 is the first car from the Porsche company. Its design is aerodynamic and low to the ground. Something Porsche would become renounced for. It features the flat motor Porsche had designed for the beetle. This motor allowed for superior handling and stability as it's flat designed caused a lower overall center of mass.

1966 - Subaru searching for ways to make a safe car, began producing flat pancake motors. The motor being lower and further away from the occupants in an event of a crash. The increased stability and traction also improved handling which made for a safer drive.

1970 - Porsche races it's flat 12 in the 24 hours of lemans, Winning the championship. The first of a long line of wins for Porsche's motorsports. Only capable due to the flat motor which Porsche sports cars still have a modern version of today.

1971 - Subaru offers AWD on its car with flat motors. Creating combination of traction and stability that made their cars handle better than almost all the competition.

1993- Subaru's Impreza wins against the competition in the World Rally Championship. A beginning of an Era for Subaru and it's Impreza.

A 2006-2007 Subaru Impreza Rally racing.

Where are they today?

Pancake motors are less common than they were in the past. While the beetle was the most iconic car of prior years, it is no longer produced. Volkswagen has discontinued its little friend. Yet the motor lives on in two amazing brands. Subaru and Porsche.

So, would we recommend them...? Absolutely. The Porsche and Subaru cars are amazing especially if looking for a sporty ride. While all Subarus retain them, the flat motors will only be found in Porsche's coupes and convertibles.

What to watch out for in flat motor cars.

These motors are prone to issues dealing with oiling. That's due to the horizontal design of the pistons. Normally an engines oil is pumped from the bottom to the top, then essentially it is "dropped" down the motor. But on flat motors the top of the motor is the sides of the motor. That means that instead of oil falling down into the motor, it has to be pumped through.

This makes low oil issues and any failures in the oil systems of these cars vital. Low oil can blow any engine but if there is found to be low oil in a pancake motor, it's probably best to stay away completely.

Another problem is maintenance. All the things which are easy to access on top of a motor, are now on the sides. They are squeezed into a small chassis where the frame blocks almost any part which should be regularly replaced. This has created a problem where maintenance is labor intensive. Meaning it often doesn't get done when it should. That being said if the car is properly maintained they are extremely good choices.

• Check for oiling issues such as change intervals, oil in cannisters in the trunk, oil leaks, or low fluid level. These are suggestive of the motor being low on oil.

• Listen to the engine for misfiring and see if there are sulfuric smells and oil burning smells. This can tell that it may be too late for a pancake motor.

Happy Motoring.