10 of the Most Powerful Four-Cylinder Cars We’ve Ever Tested
We recently detailed the M139, Mercedes-AMG’s newest engine. It’s a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, a commonly used size and configuration these days, but what makes the M139 special is its astounding output: 416 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. Those are figures we’d expect from a V-8, and are among the highest specific outputs in horsepower per liter we could recall. That got us thinking: what are the most powerful four-cylinder vehicles we’d ever tested? We combed our testing archives and picked 10 cars from different manufacturers with remarkably high outputs.
Volvo S60 T8 Polestar
Volvo’s T6 engine is a 2.0-liter I-4 that’s turbocharged and supercharged. It’s the basis for the hotter T8 engine, but having both forms of forced induction wasn’t sufficient for the engineers at Polestar. They added two electric motors for total system output of 415 hp. Even more impressive is its 494 lb-ft of torque, much of which is owed to electron power. It looks good on paper, but in our 2019 Car of the Year testing found that those different methods of boosting power don’t feel particularly well integrated.
Porsche 718 Cayman GTS
The announcement that the Cayman would transition from having a naturally aspirated flat-six to a turbocharged flat-four engine for the 718 generation lost Porsche some fans. It earned a few of them back with the car’s performance. The new engine’s sound wasn’t as sweet, but it was hard to hear over the driver’s cackles when turbo boost hit. The 718 Cayman GTS is the most potent turbo-four Porsche, with a 365-hp, 317-lb-ft 2.5-liter mill delivering power fluidly to the rear wheels. Find out why it’s worth the upgrade over any other Cayman.
Ford Focus RS
Ford brought the fight to rally-car mainstays with the Focus RS. The car’s 350-hp, 350-lb-ft turbocharged 2.3-liter I-4 backs up aggressive styling that wouldn’t look out of place on a gravel stage. Enable launch control, select first gear, push the clutch, and floor the throttle—then enjoy the exhaust’s growl for a moment before you lift your left foot and shoot from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds. The Focus RS’ drift mode got a lot of hype when it was revealed, but we were slightly underwhelmed when we tried it on the track.
BMW 740e xDrive iPerformance
It’s hard to imagine a four-cylinder engine powering BMW’s flagship 7-Series, but thanks to electrification, it proves sufficient (and efficient). In the 740e xDrive iPerformance, a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4—the most powerful four-cylinder BMW has ever put in a production car—joins an electric motor for total output of 322 hp and 369 lb-ft. That enables a 0-60 time of 5.1 seconds, matching the I-6-powered 740i xDrive, and less than a second behind the V-8 equipped 750i xDrive. What the plug-in hybrid 7er offers over its counterparts is 14 miles of all-electric range, providing serenity becoming of the luxurious sedan.
Subaru WRX STI
Tune it if you want, but the Subaru WRX STI is a thrill right out of the boxer. Puns aside, the legendary super-Subie makes 310 hp and 290 lb-ft from its 2.5-liter flat-four. That engine, however, feels extremely turbocharged—when we tested it against two other pocket rockets on this list, the STI Type RA felt “lazier than The Dude at low end, but once boost hits at 3,000 rpm, it surges forward, only to be held back by its ridiculously short gear ratios.” Still, the electronically controlled center differential works wonders to keep the all-wheel-drive chassis glued to the road. For better or worse, “Lighting your hair on fire could not make this car any more exciting.”
Honda Civic Type R
We adore the Honda Civic Type R—so much, in fact, we put one in our long-term test fleet. As demonstrated by others on this list, turbocharging to extract high output from a small engine can make a car tricky to drive, with laggy, on-off-switch power delivery. That’s not the case with the Type R’s turbo- and VTEC-equipped 306-hp, 295-lb-ft 2.0-liter I-4. We found the car to be as docile of a commuter as a shredder of twisty roads. Whether eating up a 900-mile road trip or securing a Nürburgring lap record, the Civic Type R is “the best hot hatch in decades.” Any questions?
Ariel Atom
When it comes to making the Ariel Atom quick, there’s not much to it—literally. Lacking a windshield, doors, or bodywork, the things an Atom eschews to save weight make a Lotus look luxurious. What it has, however, is a 300-hp, 240-lb-ft supercharged 2.0-liter I-4. Respectable numbers regardless, but stunning when you consider that each of those ponies needs only to move 4.9 pounds. Our first test from way back in 2007 likened the Atom to race cars, sport motorcycles, and go-karts, and it’s clear why: no other car feels so much like it’s wired directly into the driver’s central nervous system.
Jaguar F-Pace 30t
Here we are in 2019—of course there’s a crossover on this list. It’s the Jaguar F-Pace 30t, with a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 that makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft. That engine presents a compelling option in the F-Pace range, matching the 22/27 mpg city/highway efficiency of the base engine with 49 less horsepower, and trailing the 80-hp stronger supercharged V-6 by only 0.7 second from 0-60. If you want a fun crossover, the F-Pace 30t is a good option—troublesome bugs aside, we enjoyed a year driving the F-Pace (albeit with a different engine) in our long-term fleet. If a crossover’s inclusion here still dismays you, focus on the fact that this punchy four-banger is also available in the gorgeous F-Type.
Audi S3
From the outside, the Audi S3 looks fairly similar to the A3 it’s based on. From the driver’s seat, though, it’s a very different machine. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 with 292 hp and 280 lb-ft, the S3 can scoot to 60 from a standstill in an as-measured 4.4 seconds. Its performance-tuned Quattro all-wheel-drive system channels that power impressively, helping it circle our figure-eight test in exactly 25 seconds. The S3 isn’t the only way you can feel such performance. If you need more space, get the Volkswagen Golf R. If you want a more stylish coupe or convertible, try the Audi TT-S. Both come with the same high-output EA888 engine as the S3.