IF you believe the romantic notion that cars have soul, then the engine is the hearbeat and the epicentre of a car's character.

A great car can be ruined by a characterless power unit, while a merely average one can be elevated to an object of worship. Here we list some great engines and the cars they starred in.

Austin A-Series

The A-Series was a tough little cookie, and saw service in the Austin A30 and A40, Minor, Allegro, Maestro, Metro and even Montego. Torquey and responsive, it made its name in the Mini, especially when tweaked for the Cooper versions. It lasted almost 50 years, but there will be plenty around for the next 50.

Spiritual home - Mini Cooper S

Rolls Royce V8

Another golden oldie, the Rolls V8 was a silken if relatively simple unit that provided the discreet oomph that a Rolls should have. It was even better with a turbocharger strapped to it, and when Bentley offered the choice of a modern BMW V8 or a twin-turbocharged version of the old engine, they chose the latter.

Spiritual home - Bentley Turbo R

BMW V12

Not just any BMW 12-banger, this is the bespoke 6.1-litre V12 designed by the Motorsport division to go into the McLaren F1 supercar. The McLaren designers asked for proposals from a number of firms, but it was the M-Sport team that got the nod. 621bhp means in excess of 100bhp per litre without a turbo or supercharger, electrifying performance and spine-tingling sound effects. Once heard, never forgotten.

Spiritual home - McLaren F1

Alfa Romeo boxer

Dubbed boxer due to the fact that its pistons are horizontally opposed, like a boxer's fists, this Alfa engine is recognised as one of the most characterful ever made.

Debuting in the Alfasud, it also appeared in the Sprint and the Arna, and stuck around long enough to appear in the 33 and briefly the 145.

The earlier carburettor versions were praised for their snappy response, keenness to rev and a glorious exhaust note.

Spiritual home - Alfasud

Porsche flat six

Born in 1964 in 2.0-litre form, the Porsche six debuted in air-cooled form in the then-new 911. It grew with the car, reaching 3.6-litres with the 1993 model year. A water-cooled version arrived in 1998, but even the latest 3.8-litre version is imbued with character, an incredible soundtrack and superb performance.

Spiritual home - 911

Lamborghini V12

The Lamborghini V12 began in 3.5-litre form in the 350GT back in 1964, then appeared in legends like the Miura, Countach and Diablo, growing in size and output all the time. A highly developed version is still playing a starring role for Lamborghini: the latest Murcielago LP640 uses a 6.5-litre version delivering a manic 631bhp at 8,000rpm, with a howling sound track to match.

Spiritual home - Miura

Chevrolet V8

There have been a number of Chevrolet V8 engines, but the small block Chevy unit is the daddy. Although now only available in crate form, 90 million have been produced since 1955. It was also very tuneable, producing as much as 370bhp in stock trim but twice as much with serious work.

Spiritual home - Corvette

Honda V-TEC

With heavy taxes on large capacity engines, Honda went about getting a quart of power from a pint pot. Hence the creation of V-TEC variable valve timing. Two sets of cam lobes, one for smooth low speed running and another for high rev power means the best of both worlds.

Spiritual home - Civic Type-R

Ford Cosworth

Although based on the humble Pinto, the addition of a 16 valve head and a turbocharger created a late 20th century icon. Not exactly smooth or refined, but brutally powerful and raw even in standard form.

Spiritual homes - Ford Sierra Cosworth