alt Hacker NewsI don't think that lack of reliability is the key factor for why new motors are still being developed. Fuel efficiency or changing emission standards are two points that come to mind that drive further optimizations.
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What's tricky is that even tiny improvements in fuel economy or emissions can justify a redesign when you're building at scale
The engine series in this article (Honda K-series) has been redeveloped over its lifetime too. The original K20A was only produced for about a decade.
A bunch of engines (Toyota and Subaru come to mind) had oil sludge problems when CAFE standards changed (early 2000s) and they had to redesign.
Perhaps that's what's remarkable about these? They had architectures that could meet 2025 emissions standards, 25 years ago. That said the Honda "L" series engines are just as long-lived and are the even more efficient variety.
Yes, particularly for diesel engines.