twin-cam

A form of twincam — A type of sports car engine that has two overhead camshafts within the cylinder head, resulting in more horsepower than a standard single cam engine.

Meanings

nountwin-cam (plural twin-cams)

plural twin-cams

  1. alternativeAlternative form of twincam.

    It isn't the cops, though, unless they're driving around undercover in souped-up Toyota twin-cams.

    2017, Ciaran McMenamin, Skintown, →ISBN
    3 more examples

    The Espada was a sporty 1.6 litre twin-cam car with 14-inch alloy wheels, sports seats, power steering (with the SR and GSR three-spoke steering wheel), white faced gauges (also employed on the high-performance Lancers), and a rear spoiler.

    2007 -, Brian Long, Mitsubishi Lancer EVO I to X: The Road Car and WRC Story, →ISBN

    Light and elegant, with a body style that echoed the far more pricey racing Bugattis, the Salmsons were powered by a beautiful and advanced twin-cam engine and put up remarkable performances at Le Mans and Brooklands where, in 1927, the works' supercharged car could lap at more than 100mph.

    2009, Design Museum Enterprise Limited, Fifty Cars that Changed the World: Design Museum Fifty, →ISBN

    Every bit a bargain-basement special, it missed out on the wonderful twin-cam 4A-GELU engine, instead using the mundane 1452cc 3A-LU single overhead cam 4-cylinder unit also found in Corolla and Carina saloons.

    2015, Nigel Burton, Toyota MR2: The Complete Story, →ISBN

Translations

Italian bialbero
  • bialberoDescribing an engine with a pair of overhead camshafts
Cite this entry
APA

twin-cam. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twin-cam

MLA

“twin-cam.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twin-cam. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “twin-cam,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/twin-cam.

Source: twin-cam on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.