Was the coupe engine (5 cylinder) designed exclusively for the Coupe? I am wondering how they decided to make such a strong engine and what car was it designed for?

Apart from it also being used in the Bravo and Marea not really sure

And some Lancias also, I think

It could make sense that Fiat designed it for the Coupe as a replacement for the Lancia 4 pot engine from the Delta and then used it for the Marea and Bravo as well?

It wasn't specifically designed for the coupe. It went into various Fiat and Lancia models as previously said.

It also powered petrol versions of Fiat, Citroen and Peugeot vans.

It was a second generation of the "FIRE" (Fully Integrated Roboticised Engine) engine which started off in the 1980's, the original ones powering such cars as Lancia Y10, Fiat Panda/Seat Marbella, Fiat UNO and Punto.

It was designed to be produced in 4 cylinder 1800cc unit as used in the Barchetta and 5 cylinder 2.0 and 2.4 litre form used in various Fiat Group cars. Also produced in diesel form.

Not an exclusive engine at all.

Think of the economics of producing an engine for a single niche market car!

I don't think the 5 cylinder block was intended to be exclusive to the coupe, although the coupe was the first to use it.

There's a little info. in the last press release here:

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/sinister/coupe/coupe.htm

The 20VT engine is used in Lancia Kappa/Thesis too, but as far as I know, the Coupe is the first car in which that engine was installed.

Any idea why Fiat ditched the original Lancia 4 pot in the Coupe, for their own 5 pot?

Not so sure of the Barchetta engine.
They are different.

20v engine is a son of the big family of the MODULAR engine produced by FIAT in Pratola Serra.
From the same "single cilinder block" of 400cc FIAT's engineer obtained different configurations:

1600cc TS
4pot x 400cc = 1600cc , with different cilinder head , was the known Alfa Romeo Twin Spark that equipped Alfa 147

1600cc
4pot x 400cc = 1600cc, that equipped FIAT Bravo and Brava

2000cc 20v/20vt
5pot x 400cc = 2000cc, our loved 20v Turbo, and VIS.

2400cc diesel
5pot x 400cc + revised head and crakshaft: the Alfa Romeo 2400cc diesel

1900cc diesel
4pot x 400cc + revised head and crankshaft: the alfa Romeo 1900cc diesel


This list can contain error, but I can ask to friends of mine for more detailed story of Pratola Serra.


Nota: the Lampredi 16v was abandonet because too old, and not upgradable to Euro1/2 rules for omologation, and was projected the all-new Pratola Serra MODULAR family.

Thank you Gimmo

It appears that the complete family of engines is even bigger with more than the basic 400 cc modules:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Pratola_Serra_modular_engines

Interesting that. I always suspected that the 2.4 diesel was based on the 2.4 petrol... which in turn was based on the 2.0 5 cyl petrol.

Turns out our JTDM 2.0 Giulietta is also in the same family..

The "original Lancia 4 pot" was actually a Fiat engine to start with, the classic Lampredi twin cam starting at 1438cc

Yes, in Italy some people obtained a 2400cc 20v Turbo, using Coupe' engine, 2.4cc diesel cranckshaft, and Stilo head
what a melting pot!

Thought as much.

I thinks that's what Audi did with the 5 cylinder Quattro engine. The bottom end being a diesel unit and that's why that engine could cope with 500+ bhp!