The 10 Most Powerful Production Cars Using 4-Cylinder Engines

14 years ago, the Porsche 911 GT3 (996) made 381hp from a 6-cylinder boxer engine. Nowadays, Mercedes can get the same horsepower out of a 4-cylinder engine - thanks to turbochargers and sometimes even superchargers. Here is a list with some of the most powerful cars using 4-cylinder engines.

NOTE: All specs according to German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport. All specs belong to the cars named in the headings.

Mercedes-AMG A 45 4Matic

Already mentioned in the intro, this 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is available in the Mercedes-AMG A 45, CLA 45, CLA 45 Shooting Brake and GLA 45. The current generation is putting out 381 hp, and it’s estimated that the next generation will produce over 400 hp - more than a V8-powered Ferrari 360 Modena from 1999!

Displacement 1991cm³
Power 381 hp
Torque 475 Nm / 350 lb-ft
0-62 mph 4,2 sec
Price 51.527€

Volvo V60 Polestar

Polestar equipped the 2-liter 4-cylinder with bigger turbos, new piston rods and camshafts. It can be found in the V60 and S60 Polestar.

Displacement 1969cm³
Power 367 hp
Torque 470 Nm / 347 lb-ft
0-62 mph 4,8 sec
Price 70.170€

Ford Focus RS

The Focus RS is famous for its drift mode - but the engine deserves attention as well. A slightly less optimized version with 317 hp is also available for the Mustang.

Displacement 2261cm³
Power 350 hp
Torque 440 Nm / 325 lb-ft
0-62 mph 4,7 sec
Price 40.675€

Porsche 718 Cayman S

A turbocharged 4-cylinder Porsche may seem weird, but it’s actually a great car! And it’s cheaper…

Displacement 2497cm³
Power 350 hp
Torque 420 Nm / 310 lb-ft
0-62 mph 4,4 sec
Price 68.015€

Volvo V90 T6 AWD

This turbocharged 4-cylinder Volvo engine is called ‘B4204T27’ (why not something simple like 2JZ?!), and it can be found in the V90 and S90 T6 AWD as well as in the V90 Cross Country T6 AWD and the XC90 T6 AWD.

Displacement 1969cm³
Power 320 hp
Torque 400 Nm / 295 lb-ft
0-62 mph 6,1 sec
Price 62.900€

Honda Civic Type R

Even more powerful than in the old model: The 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine from the iconic Honda Civic Type R.

Displacement 1996 cm³
Power 310 hp
Torque 400 Nm / 295 lb-ft
0-62 mph 5,7 sec
Price 34.000€

Audi TTS

While the TT RS is powered by a 2,5-liter 5-cylinder, the less powerful TTS is powered by a 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. It is also available for the S3 family.

Displacement 1984cm³
Power 310 hp
Torque 380 Nm / 280 lb-ft
0-62 mph 4,6 sec
Price 52.500€

Subaru WRX STI

The second JDM icon on this list, well-known for it’s 4-cylinder boxer engine.

Displacement 2457cm³
Power 300 hp
Torque 407 Nm / 300 lb-ft
0-62 mph 5,2 sec
Price 46.350€

Caterham 620R

This car may not be as obvious, but it really deserves to be on this list. It’s powered by a 2-liter supercharged Ford Engine.

Displacement 1999cm³
Power 310 hp
Torque 300 Nm / 221 lb-ft
0-62 mph 2,9 sec
Price 69.990€

Seat Leon Cupra 300

Basically the same engine as in the Audi TTS, but slightly less powerful. It can also be found in the Volkswagen Golf VII R and the KTM X-Box R, however the specs can vary a bit.

Displacement 1984cm³
Power 300 hp
Torque 380 Nm / 280 lb-ft
0-62 mph 5,8 sec
Price 34.580€

That’s it for now! Hope you enjoyed this post, it was a lot of work!
Which ones did I forget? Comment below!
Tobi aka The Stig’s German Cousin

BTW: Did you notice I changed my profile pic? I know, there’s not much of a difference, but the background is now in a different shade of blue ^^

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