We've been wrong all along, six-cylinder sports cars are every bit as good as eights, tens, and even twelves in the right car, a trend we are seeing more and more of late with a greater need for efficiency.
Before anyone runs around flapping their arms in panic, smaller engines are not getting any less powerful or slower. Porsche still occupies many of the performance benchmarks with their tried and tested flat-six boxer design. Curiously, it's the foreigners that are leading the march for fewer cylinders, all of the big European brands are moving to sixes. BMW, Mercedes, Audi, and even Ferrari has seen the light, but not Jaguar who just ditched the four and six cylinder F-type to concentrate on V8s.
More sixes are planned, US muscle cars too are getting in on the act, which raises the question, who makes the best 6-cylinder car on the market right now?
9 Porsche 911 Turbo S
Like the ticking of a clock, every year brings a new version of Porsches Iconic 911, the official model designation might change but gearheads always refer to the greatest modern-day supercar as a 911. Already a potent performer, Porsche having spent decades refining the rear-engined layout, the 2021 911 Turbo S pushes the envelope further.
Mounted at the back, the true and tested flat-six boxer format continues to power the entire 911 range, Turbo S models receiving a 3.8-liter variant wearing two turbos, producing 640 hp. Despite being the odd one out, Porsche matches its rivals, storming to 60 mph in 2.8-seconds.
8 Cadillac CT5-V
Fast sedans, normally the stomping ground of BMW, Mercedes, and Audi, all of which make Cadillac's CT5-V the more interesting choice, let's face it Cadillac is known for luxury cars, but less so for performance models. Unveiled earlier this year, Cadillac pitching the CT5-V at US gearheads craving a mix of luxury and muscle.
Faced with a German onslaught, the CT5-V isn't ready to go down without a fight. Under the hood, a 3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 delivers 360 hp, promising a sprint to 60 mph in 4.8-seconds, and a similar German-baiting top speed of 168 mph.
7 Genesis G80
Taking an almost understated approach to luxury sedans while maintaining enough excitement in place for eager gearheads, the Genesis G80 wins high praise for its upper-class appearance. Yet, it somehow manages to go unnoticed amongst a slew of other premium barges.
Less in your face than a BMW 5-Series, and in many regards a better place to watch the world quietly waft by, Genesis is stepping on some bit egos with the G80. Inside, it has all the leather, wood, and high-tech gear anyone owner could wish for. Under the hood, a choice of engines, the best being a refined 3.5-liter turbocharged V6 dishing up 375 hp mated to a smooth-shifting 8-speed manual capable of 60 mph in 4.8-seconds.
6 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
If it's an outright scintillating performance with a touch of Italian drama, then Quadrofoglio is the one for you. Still struggling to overcome decades of poor reliability by association has only served to bolster Alfa Romeo's resolve to deliver the ultimate performance sedan. It's by no means perfect, but it gets damn close for the money.
Tucked away behind a typically Alfa-styled grille lays one of the best six-cylinder engines of any road car on sale. Designed exclusively for the Quadrofoglio, a Ferrari-based 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 delivering up 505 hp giving the Alfa more performance out of the box than any comparable BMW or Mercedes with a claimed top speed of 191 mph.
5 Ford Bronco
Reviving an icon is a risky business, get it wrong and scores of generational gearheads will rain tirades of criticism upon the heads of the unfortunate designers. Good news, the new Ford Bronco isn't one of those disasters waiting to happen, Ford dared to bring the classic bang-up-to-date with a touch of retro.
Resisting the urge to go all out in the pursuit of luxury, Ford pulled a masterstroke, giving the Bronco off-road agility on par with the big premium brands without the cost. On-road, it's equally good, quiet, and refined with a decent turn of speed with 60 mph coming up in 6.3-seconds. While it might not be the burbling V8 Bronco of old, Ford has bestowed this one with a torquey 2.7-liter V6 turbo kicking out 330 hp and load-lugging 415 ft-lb of torque.
4 Audi Q8
In higher spec models, the Audi Q8 is certain to draw some comparisons to Lamborghini's Urus, although the latter is a more serious performance vehicle than the Audi. However, the connections go further than that, the Q8s rear end sporting a Huracán-style light arrangement.
Vorsprung Durch Technik or advancement through technology is a fitting analogy of the Q8 inside and out. Luxury trimmings meet the latest gadgetry in a subtle but modern blend of business jet style comfort with enough toys to keep anyone gearhead entertained on long road trips. However, it is under the hood where things get exciting, all-wheel-drive maintains contact with any road surface while a hybridized 3-liter V6 dishes out 335 hp promising a dash to 60 mph in 5.3-seconds.
3 Ford GT
Taking another bite out of the supercar market in 2017, Ford's Gen 2 GT Le Mans-inspired racer broke cover, sporting a turbocharged V6 engine in place of the big V8s of its predecessors. Inadvertently, it set itself up as one of the greener supercars you can buy. Not that any serious gearhead cares, the headline figures here are 660 hp and a top speed of 216 mph.
Just as Ford bested Ferrari in the '60s, so too should Ferrari owners be concerned about the GT, from the ground up crammed with the latest race tech. Carbon brakes, check, carbon-fiber race car chassis, check, adjustable race suspension, they're all there for anyone with $500,000 burning a hole in their pocket.
2 Nissan GT-R Nismo
Who would have guessed that fourteen years after the GT-R's launch, we would still be waiting for a worthy successor to the fastest accelerating production car? Admittedly, others are quicker to 60 mph, but nothing comes close to the initial burst of acceleration that the GT-R delivers. In stock form, boasting a 3.5-liter V6 turbocharged engine pumping out 565 hp, needing 2.9-seconds to reach 60 mph.
Handing the GT-R over to Nismo, who with the latest computer equipment fettle the engine, transmission, and suspension settings. This nets buyers a bit more power, so the engine now turns out 600 hp, promising even more tire-shredding performance. It may be getting on a bit, but the GT-R is still mightily impressive.
1 Kia Stinger GT
Imports are gaining ground in more ways than one, European premium brands arguably leading the way when it comes to six-cylinder motors. However, in recent years that has seen a swing to the far east, Asian brands eager to move upmarket are moving towards sixes.
Among the upstarts, Kia, a brand famous for mall hatches and uninspiring SUV's caused a sensation with the original Stinger, adding to the fast sedans repertoire with a V6 engine option poking out 376 hp backed up by all-wheel-drive promising 60 mph in 4.4-seconds. Sixes for sure are on the way in, so too, it seems, are the Koreans.