# Are there any cars with a transverse power dome? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [March 6, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236 "2018-03-06T13:53:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ben\_Rothfeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ben\_Rothfeld](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ben_Rothfeld)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/1 "2018-03-06T13:53:20Z")
Cars have had “power dome” hoods for ages. If you’re not familiar, they’re the, um, bulges, you see on a hood that suggest a powerful engine below. Every power dome I can think of goes fore-and-aft, or longitudinal in engine parlance. That’s fine, but many (most?) cars now have transverse engines. I’m racking my brains to think of what a transverse power dome would look like, but I can’t think of one. Can anyone in the community think of one? ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/2 "2018-03-06T13:55:20Z")
> [@Ben\_Rothfeld](#): > > Can anyone in the community think of one? Yes, ridiculous. I think the OP means the dome instead of front to back of hood one going from side to side. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/3 "2018-03-06T13:56:37Z")
They are a style element and have little to do with what’s under the hood. So if the designers think a longitudinal bulge looks good, and a transverse doesn’t, who are we to argue with them. After all, they are the people who brought us tail-fins, weird headlights, low profile tires, narrow rear windows, and other such great advances. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/4 "2018-03-06T14:08:23Z")
> [@Ben\_Rothfeld](#): > > bulges, you see on a hood that suggest a powerful engine below Often they are bulges required to clear the large engine underneath. As in supercharged V8’s in Shelby Mustangs, Chargers or Challengers or BMW M3’s with a V8. Not required in transverse engine applications. I can’t think of a single example. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/5 "2018-03-06T14:28:05Z")
The 2nd gen DSM cars had one ![talon](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/8/8df0ae846be504cf98bc66fed8aba9e13300096f.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/6 "2018-03-06T14:41:48Z")
That’s a good one, but it still runs front to back. I’m thinking the OP wants one that runs side to side. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Rothfeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ben\_Rothfeld](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ben_Rothfeld)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/7 "2018-03-06T14:44:20Z")
Funny you should respond first. I’m a proud V70 owner myself. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 2:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/8 "2018-03-06T14:51:44Z")
Yeah, that’s a tough one, I can’t think of a car with a hood like that. At first I thought to myself “That sounds like something Lancia would do”. But I couldn’t find anything close to what the OP is describing. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 3:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/9 "2018-03-06T15:51:15Z")
Subaru WRX sti ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/6/64ac2a77de5dc23d9a7dd5cd27d009dc39d17907.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/10 "2018-03-06T16:02:20Z")
…hood scoop? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/11 "2018-03-06T17:23:13Z")
Not a transverse engine. It is north-south. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/12 "2018-03-06T18:48:49Z")
First example, conventional RWD, “dome” I can think of was '57 Golden Hawk to clear the Paxton supercharger. ---
**Author:** ![Ben\_Rothfeld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b19c9b/32.png) [@Ben\_Rothfeld](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Ben_Rothfeld)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 7:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/13 "2018-03-06T19:03:08Z")
I appreciate all the suggestions, folks. This is a toughie. I don’t think there are any and, frankly, it would be pretty ugly if it existed. Still, keep 'em coming if you think of anything. Now, excuse me while I get some epoxy and PVC pipe to dress up the hood of my V70 wagon… ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 9:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/14 "2018-03-06T21:27:59Z")
The traditional bulge is too long to cover the part of the engine sticking up. It is long to reduce wind resistance. A transverse bulge would be a long wind barrier. The air would go over the bulge and get turbulent behind it and in front of the windshield. I think a transverse engine would have a traditional bulge to cover the high spot on the engine. I’m not sure why anyone would want to build a car with a big engine and supercharger that would require a bulge, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 9:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/15 "2018-03-06T21:34:16Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > not sure why anyone would want to build a car with a big engine and supercharger that would require a bulg Because they can? No seriously, it allows high performance engines to be added to 'normal" cars with little more than a hood change. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/16 "2018-03-06T21:41:59Z")
I meant a transverse bulge, not the situation you describe. I’m sure we both agree that if a Shelby Mustang needs a bulge to house a big supercharged engine, it’s the right thing to do. Looks great, too. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2018, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/are-there-any-cars-with-a-transverse-power-dome/113236/17 "2018-03-06T22:03:42Z")
Super chargers are added to gain power. When Studebaker did it they wanted more power from an existing engine. The '57 Hawk had the highest power to weight ratio of any domestic car. ![IMG_0754](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/c/ccf4d827d4214f8a23f0cf348ec88c3a90db51e4.JPG)