Engine Displacement Converter — cc, Liters & CID

Convert an engine’s size between the three units people quote it in. Enter the displacement in cubic centimeters (cc) to get liters and cubic inches.

How this calculator works

Displacement is a volume. There are 1,000 cubic centimeters in a liter, so cc ÷ 1,000 gives liters — which is why a 1,998 cc engine is sold as a “2.0L.” One cubic inch is 16.387 cc, so cc ÷ 16.387 gives cubic inches (CID), the unit used for classic American V8s.

What changes the number

Liters are usually rounded for marketing — a “2.0L” might actually be 1,984–1,998 cc.
CID (cubic inch displacement) is the classic American measure — a 350 small-block is about 5.7L.
Displacement is only one factor in power; turbocharging and tuning matter just as much.

Frequently asked questions

How many cc in a liter?

Exactly 1,000. So a 1,498 cc engine is 1.5L, and a 2,998 cc engine is 3.0L — manufacturers round to the nearest tenth for the badge.

What is CID?

Cubic inch displacement, the traditional US measure of engine size. One cubic inch ≈ 16.39 cc, so a 5.0L engine is about 305 cubic inches.

Does bigger displacement mean more power?

Generally more potential, but not always — a small turbocharged engine can out-power a larger naturally aspirated one. Displacement is just the volume the cylinders sweep.