4.6 liters is 280.7 cubic inches (4,600 cc) by straight math. Makers round, so the engines sold as 4.6 L measure from 277.8 to 283.0 cubic inches.
The most common: 283.0 ci (Chevrolet 283); 280.8 ci (Ford 281 (Modular)); 281.2 ci (Lexus 281 (UR)); 278.6 ci (Cadillac 281 (Northstar)); 277.8 ci (Land Rover 278); 283.0 ci (Studebaker 283).
| Engine | Codes | Years | Bore × stroke | Cubic inches | cc | Cylinders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chevrolet 283 | 469C, 579D, 4-bbl, RPO 410 | 1957–1967 | 3.875" × 3.000" | 283.0 | 4,638 | 8 |
| Studebaker 283 | — | 1965 | 3.875" × 3.000" | 283.0 | 4,638 | 8 |
| GMC 283 (Small Block Chevy) | — | 1967 | 3.875" × 3.000" | 283.0 | 4,638 | 8 |
| Ford 281 (Modular) | 4.6 DOHC, 4.6 SOHC, 4.6L DOHC, 4.6L SOHC | 1991–2014 | 3.551" × 3.543" | 280.8 | 4,601 | 8 |
| Cadillac 281 (Northstar) | LD8, L37 | 1993–2005 | 3.661" × 3.307" | 278.6 | 4,565 | 8 |
| Land Rover 278 | — | 1996–2004 | 3.701" × 3.228" | 277.8 | 4,552 | 8 |
| BMW 282 | M62B46 | 2002–2003 | 3.661" × 3.346" | 281.9 | 4,619 | 8 |
| Lexus 281 (UR) | 1UR-FSE, 1UR-FE | 2007–2023 | 3.701" × 3.268" | 281.2 | 4,608 | 8 |
Cubic inches and cc are worked out from each engine's bore and stroke. Years are the model years of the factory cars on this site that list the engine.
Start with the engine code: on 1981-and-later cars and trucks it is a character of the VIN (the 8th on most American makes), and most blocks carry a code stamp. Each engine's page lists its codes and the cars it came in. See the VIN engine code lists by make.
280.7 cubic inches by straight conversion (1 liter = 61.024 cubic inches). Real 4.6 L engines measure 277.8 to 283.0 cubic inches; the table above lists each one.
4,600 cc by definition. The engines sold as 4.6 L range from 4,552 to 4,638 cc.
Makers name engines by rounded sizes. The real size comes from bore × bore × stroke × 0.7854 × cylinders, so two engines sold as the same size are often a few cubic inches apart.