How an engine works is no more subject to opinions than any other natural law, which remain true regardless of how many people agree, or even whether they have been discovered yet.
The displacement is the total swept volume of the cylinders regardless of bore, stroke, number of cylinders, bore-stroke ratio, rod ratio, radial vs. V vs. L vs. boxer, blah.
The maximum power per cubic inch is heavily biased to an engine with the highest number of cylinders, biggest bore and shortest stroke (after Lanchester). The math:
HP ~ bore^1.65 × stroke^.5 × # of cylinders × a constant for fuel, quality of construction, etc.
Assuming 300" and the same bore/stroke ratio (to remove a variable), a V12 develops vastly more power than a 1-cylinder but only slightly more than a V8, etc.
i thought we were talking about low end torque.
