It’s a no-brainer. Only the most expensive supercars, hypercars even, come with the most horsepower. The kind of cars that come with tons of horsepower tend to be the ones that cost tons of pennies as well, and with today’s deeper pockets, it is easy to see many of them on the road.
Supercars come bearing the biggest displacement engines as well, so the horsepower numbers are likely to be the highest for them. But things change when you talk about horsepower per liter. Because then it's not all about displacement, rather, how powerful an engine truly is.
So when it comes to new cars, here are the most exciting ones. They have the most horsepower per liter, so even if the cumulative horsepower is not in high-threes, it is still enough for a pumped-up ride. The cool thing about these high-on-horsepower cars is that not all of them cost your whole bank, or even account.
10 Toyota GR Yaris: 160.6 Horsepower Per Liter
We had to sneak this one in because the Toyota GR Yaris, incendiary as a hot hatch as it may be, is no supercar. It’s a pocket rocket, a rather affordable one at that, and can churn out 160.6 horses per liter.
So the modest 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine can make a very cool 257 horsepower, and while it's no hypercar, it's enough to get your jollies in. Plus, being a Toyota, there’s the reliability to count on, once you have this in your garage.
9 BMW M-Series Competition: 167.7 Horsepower Per Liter
The M-Series by BMW now carries a cool twin-turbocharged six-cylinder engine, and it has to be the best because that’s what goes into the M-Series. Put the Competition tag and on it and you know this BMW is ready to roll.
BMW says the M-Series Competition makes 503 horses, but most say this figure is conservative. Usually, these cars make a lot more and can ride out fast-paced rides with ease, giving you plenty of comfort on the inside.
8 Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series: 180 Horsepower Per Liter
Mercedes-Benz AMG has again tweaked its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, this time with a flat-plane crankshaft and other high-performance bits to turn into a near rocket, enough for it to break the Nürburgring record for production cars.
So in the AMG GT Black Series, this very engine can make 720 horses and zip you to thrilling speeds. The same engine in the Aston Martin Valhalla churns out even more, so it’s a rocking ride indeed. On an engine that jets frothing horses per liter.
7 Porsche 911 GT2 RS: 184.2 Horsepower Per Liter
A Porsche usually goes above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to horsepower and it needs no V8 to do it. The 911 GT2 RS makes a crazy amount of horses from its turbocharged flat-six engine to the tune of 184.2 horses per liter.
The 3.8-liter displacement makes 700 horses and zips the Porsche to near track speed. Of course, the Porsche does not come cheap, especially not in its GT2 RS avatar, but as all the owners will tell you, it's well worth the price.
6 Ford GT: 184.9 Horsepower Per Liter
Admittedly, the Ford GT comes at a steep, steep price of half a million. And yet it manages to scare and delight, equally, when you take on the track. And it's all street legal as well. The 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 in it is coaxed to make 184.9 horses per liter, for a total of 647.
It’s an ode to the original Ford GT, the Ferrari slayer of the ‘60s, and even now is likely to take on rivals with ease, and beat them to the finish line too.
5 Bugatti Chiron: 187.5 Horsepower Per Liter
A Bugatti has to be on this list. It’s a car that only a few can afford and even fewer can handle, when it comes to speed and power. Not only does it make 187.5 horses per liter, but with a near-enormous 8.0-liter W16 engine, which are two V8s mated together, the total output is a monstrous 1,500 horses.
The Chiron is at the top of the ladder when it comes to horsepower per liter, power, and all. And a vision in speed as well.
4 McLaren Artura: 192.3 Horsepower Per Liter
The McLaren Artura is taking the name of the McLaren to even greater heights, being a new car not just in name, but also because it’s the first hybrid from the brand. It comes bearing a V6 engine and makes 192.3 horses per liter.
With a 3.0-liter engine, this comes to be 577 horsepower for the car, making it one speedy little sportscar. The notable thing about the engine in this car is the unusual 120-degree V angle, which may add to the prowess of the engine.
3 Maserati MC20: 207 Horsepower Per Liter
The Maserati MC20 bears the Alfa Romeo V6 engine which is powerful enough considering it’s a cousin of the Ferrari V8. The Maserati MC20 meanwhile tweaks the engine further, with a pre-chamber ignition tech.
207 horses per liter are impressive enough, but 621 horses from a tuned 3.0-liter engine are pure music and despite people not holding Maserati in the same esteem as they once did, it’s a powerful car to have in your garage. Plus, a beautiful one.
2 Ferrari 296 GTB: 218.6 Horsepower Per Liter
So we all knew that Ferrari was going to be on this list, we just didn’t know it was going to be here with a V6, instead of more powerful versions of the same. This is also Ferrari’s first V6 after the Dino so you can expect it to be special, all 218.6 horses of it, per liter.
The 3.0-liter engine manages to make a superb 654 horsepower, and the upcoming 296 GTB also promises to have an electric motor. This is Ferrari’s first-ever hybrid and promises a total of 818 horses.
1 Koenigsegg Jesko: 320 Horsepower Per Liter
Koenigsegg is the top, especially when it comes to its latest offering, the Jesko. Each liter of the Jesko’s hard-working engine makes 320 horses, so the 5.0-liter V8 displacement makes 1,600 horses, as long as you run it on E85, high octane fuel. On normal gas, it makes 1,200 horses.
The Jesko not only succeeds the Agera but also pays homage to the company founder's father, Jesko von Koenigsegg. It’s a limited-edition supercar, of course, and one likely to go down in history as a superb example of Koenigsegg’s prowess.