Is bigger always better? We don’t know about that when it comes to between the sheets, but we do know that size makes for some powerful engines. And we aren’t talking about massive sized engines in massive sized cars – we are talking about really large displacement engines in really powerful cars that may or may not big, but are all about high output and horsepower numbers.
These are the muscle cars and supercars of the road – the kind that may not be able to hit every trail but can go superfast on smooth roads with dizzying speeds. Check these sweet rides out, ranked in order of lower to higher engine displacements.
10 Dodge Challenger T/A: 6.4-liter Hemi V8
With a name like that, you have to trust that the Dodge Challenger will be up to any challenge the road or any other car throws at it. Why? Because other than those jaw-dropping good looks, the Challenger houses Chrysler’s 6.4-liter Hemi V8.
The Hemi is an engine Chrysler began to use way back in 1951, and the latest third-generation Hemi is being fitted under the hood of awesome cars since 2003. It is called a Hemi because of the cylinder head that is a hemisphere – and while that may take the mystery out of the name, it doesn’t make the motor any less awesome with a 485 horsepower and a 475 ft-lb torque output for the Challenger T/A.
9 Lamborghini Aventador: 6.5-liter V12
While the Lamborghini Aventador’s production stopped in 2017, and the Lambo fans eagerly await the next soon-to-be-announced supercar (hopefully sometime in 2020), this was one awesome car. And you can still get a used one that will look as swanky as the day it rolled out from the dealership.
Other than the good looks of this car and its undeniable style; there is the 6.5-liter V12 that pulses out 690 horsepower and 508 ft-lb torque. While the displacement is big, it weighs a whopping 235 kg as well, and now we are waiting with bated breath to see what 2020 spells for Lamborghini.
8 Ferrari 812 Superfast: 6.5-liter V12
So this is yet another 6.5-liter V12 we are talking about, but while the above was a Lamborghini engine, this one is Ferrari and Ferrari as we all know, is spelled as fast. Okay, so it's not, but it might as well be.
The engine belongs to the Tipo F140 family of engines and previous and somewhat smaller displacements have found their way under the hoods of the Ferrari Enzo and Maserati MC 12. But 6.5 liters is the largest displacement Ferrari has gone for yet, and the Superfast car it is fitted into roars out 789 horsepower, leaving the Lambo behind in horsepower at least.
7 Bentley Mulsanne: 6.75-liter Twin-Turbo V8
The Volkswagen-owned Bentley may be as stiff-upper-lipped as its compatriots, but it took some German help to make this into the supercar it is. The Bentley Mulsanne houses a 6.75-liter motor though many at home tend to call it a 6.7-liter one. Even so, it is the fifth-largest engine in the US when it comes to displacement.
The 6.7-liter twin-turbo V8 is good for 505 horsepower with a higher torque of 753 ft-lb. The engine has so much power that many believe it to be diesel-powered one, though this one is all gasoline. Gorgeous, powerful and unstoppable.
6 Rolls-Royce Phantom: 6.75-liter V12
Yet again, the Royce rolls in – and we cannot stop ourselves from making this pun. While Rolls Royce once owned Bentley and the engines of the Phantom and the Mulsanne share the same displacement – it is not the same engine. The one in the Phantom is a BMW engine, technically the N74B68 which has the distinction of being unique to the Rolls Royce Phantom.
The Phantom was originally supposed to carry a V16, but the switch was made to stop costs from becoming astronomical. With a car this heavy, this 6.75-liter V12 engine manages 454 horsepower and 531 ft-lb torque, because anything more and the Phantom may just turn into a battering ram.
5 Chevrolet Corvette: Z06/427, Camaro Z/28: 7-Liter V8
The LS7 of the Corvette 06 fame is a marvelous engine – a 7-liter displacement V8 that pulses out 505 horsepower and 470 ft-lb torque – and that too without any turbo or superchargers. This is why the Vette will always remain a much-wanted Murican sports car.
The Camaro carries the same engine and on the street, despite its heavier size and bigger body, feels as mean and lean as the Corvette Z06 or the 427. Simply speaking, the LS7 is a powerful engine with a beautiful note, and most drivers have to shy off the accelerator lest they race off from the fast to the illegal limits.
4 Pagani Zonda S Roadster: 7.3-liter V12
Pagani is a fan of Mercedes-AMG engines which is quite apparent from the fact that even the Huayra boasts a 6.0-liter V12 from the engineering stables of Mercedes-AMG. But this is not the engine making our list, for one of the biggest displacement engines that Pagani used was in the Zonda S – a 7.3-liter upgraded and retuned version of the M120 AMG engine.
The 547 horsepower engine was also later used in the roadster in 2003, where the engine’s note was more pronounced and the performance even better because of the lighter curb weight of the car. No longer in production but you can always look for a Zonda S at the used car lot.
3 Aston Martin One-77: 7.3-litre V12
The Aston Martin One-77 may have ended its production run in 2012, but it was and perhaps still is one of the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated engine that went into production. The 7.3-liter V12 that went under the hood of this very sleek sports car made it sprint 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds with top speeds going above 220mph.
Who needs a supercar when you have an Aston Martin, right? Of course, with only 77 of these built and that too for $1.5million at that time – this may not very easy to get your hands on unless you have a pocket full of spare million on you.
2 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 SuperSport: 8.0-liter W16
When it comes to a Bugatti, you know it's going to be something whoppingly special. And with the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 SuperSport, well, you just hit the motherlode. The 8.0-liter W16 is the biggest European displacement engine on our list, and it is good enough to also be used for the Chiron. It is a quad-turbo, has sixteen cylinders and shoots out 1000 horsepower.
The top speed goes over 265mph though in stock cars this is limited to 258mph to protect those expensive tires from turning into rubber dust. Priced at some $1.3million, this is a car for the man or woman of taste, a need for speed and endlessly deep pockets.
1 Dodge Viper SRT: 8.4-liter V10
Sadly, the Viper has now been relegated to the book of automobile legends, and maybe because the engine displacement was getting out of hand. Of course, you can still get your speed-addicted hands on one of these from the used car lot, but driving this is akin to taking a bull by its horns.
You have to keep this 8.4-liter V10 megalith in control considering its 208mph top speed, and dizzying sprint from 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds. And this happened way back in 2008, had the Viper continued on its bigger-is-better path, who knows the kind of engine it would have sported by now? Do we hear a 10.0-liter displacement?