The V8 is usually a larger engine when compared with the four-cylinder, and because of that, the V8 is capable of generating great levels of horsepower needed to move heavy vehicles at reasonable speeds.
Compared to the V8, the four-cylinder engine is lighter, more fuel-efficient, and more compact, but is generally not capable of dishing out the kind of horsepower you would get from a V8.
Nevertheless, there are some four-cylinder engines that are surprisingly faster than a V8. These engines usually have turbos or are supercharged, making them capable of giving V8s a run for their money.
14 Porsche 944 Turbo
The Porsche 944’s powertrain is a 2.5L turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It’s a top tier model of the 944 line and was launched in 1985. The turbo engine is capable of generating a whopping 220HP while the Turbo S can generate up to 250HP. This is impressive for a four-cylinder engine.
13 BMW M3 E30
The BMW M3 E30 is powered by a 2.3L four-cylinder engine that produces 215HP at 6750 rpm. The M3 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 62 mph in approximately 6.7 seconds. This was an impressive feat for vehicles back in the mid-80s, which is when BMW began producing M3 models.
12 Ford Focus RS
The Ford Focus RS powertrain is a 2.3L turbocharged four-cylinder engine generating up to 350HP. The powerhouse can accelerate to 100km/hr. in 4.7 seconds. The Focus RS is an AWD with a manual six-speed transmission.
11 Chevrolet Camaro
The 2017 Chevrolet Camaro’s powertrain is a 2.0L turbocharged V4 engine with direct fuel injection. The engine is capable of delivering 275HP and accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
10 Audi TT
The Audi TT is a two-door sports car with a four-cylinder engine that comes in three variants and another variant that comes with a 2.5L five-cylinder. The entry-level TT powertrain is a 2.0L four-cylinder turbo engine that can accelerate to 62 mph in 5.2 seconds, with 197HP, the more powerful inline-fours are capable of generating 242HP and 302HP.
9 Subaru BRZ
The Subaru BRZ powertrain is a 2.0L Boxer engine with 205HP connected to a six-speed transmission with the option of either an automatic or manual. The BRZ can accelerate to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.
8 Alfa Romeo 4C
The Alfa Romeo 4C is a rear-wheel-drive sports car with a 1.75L TBi turbocharged four-cylinder with a six-speed dual dry clutch transmission and generates 237HP. This two-seater has a sleek and aerodynamic design and is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in just 4.1 seconds.
7 Fiat 500 Abarth
The Fiat 500 Abarth comes with a gorgeous and aerodynamic design and is powered by a tiny 1.4L MultiAir turbo engine with 160HP. The power is transferred to the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission or a five-speed manual and lets the little Fiat accelerate to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.
6 Porsche 718 S
The Porsche 718 Cayman S has a turbocharged 2.5 four-cylinder engine, while that of the base Cayman is 2.0L. The S comes with 350 HP, and reaches 60 mph from a standstill in just 4.4 seconds, while the base-model Cayman has 300 HP and does 0-60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
5 Mercedes CLA And GLA 45 AMG
The Mercedes AMG GLA 45 SUV powertrain is the handcrafted AMG 2.0L inline four-cylinder turbo engine with 375 HP that lets the car accelerates up to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds. Shifting is taken care of by the AMG Speedshift DCT seven-speed automatic transmission. The AMG CLA 45 also features the turbocharged four-cylinder powerplant but goes from 0-60 in just 4.2 seconds.
4 Honda Civic Type R
The Honda Civic Type R is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L VTEC engine generating 306HP, all transferred to the wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. It accelerates to 60 mph in just 5.8 seconds. A neat feature of the Type R is the synthetic noise that changes intensity with different drive-modes.
3 Subaru Impreza WRX
The Subaru Impreza WRX is an AWD powered by a Direct injection Turbocharged Subaru Boxer 2.0L flat-four engine capable of delivering up to 268HP, with the STI variant generating a 310HP. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission, with an option of the continuously variable automatic transmission.
2 Alfa Romeo Giulia
The Alfa Romeo Giulia is powered by a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder engine capable of generating 280HP. It’s a rear-wheel-drive with an 8-speed automatic transmission, but there’s an option of an AWD. The rear-wheel-drive accelerates up to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds, while the AWD variant does it in 5.5 seconds.
1 Chevrolet Cobalt SS
The Chevrolet SS comes in three variants: the SS naturally aspirated, the SS supercharged, and the SS turbocharged. The SS supercharged and SS turbocharged are powered by a supercharged 2.0L inline 4 engine with 205HP and a turbocharged 2.0L engine producing 260HP, respectively.