Despite the loud, repeated calls for the demise of the internal combustion engine, it continues getting better with manufacturers pushing it to unprecedented levels. Gearheads and bikers are spoilt for choice. Bike enthusiasts are catered to by some fantastic one and two-cylinder engines, while car enthusiasts’ abundance of options is crazy. The best three bangers and four-cylinder engines will mostly be in cool sports cars like these, with insane inline-sixes and V8s featuring under the hoods of the best sedans, SUVs, and full-size trucks, and affordable sports cars on the market. Anyone with the cash to plop down on a supercar/hypercar will get from something with ten, twelve, to even 16 cylinders providing some delicious warbly thrust. For even more examples, subscribe to HotCars Premium to see the most unusual manufacturer approaches to engine design.

RELATED: 10 British-Built Cars That Featured Powerful American Engines

While manufacturers have mostly ditched the old-school force-fed method of producing big power, i.e., supercharging, fat displacement still remains in all-out supercars/hypercars engines. Certain high-priced exotics still continue to stand out for not employing any form of forced induction. In the more compact, lightweight, and fuel-efficient engines' category, its turbochargers and, clever engineering helping us get cheap horsepower. Which production engine has the most horsepower for a certain number of cylinders? Below, we list the ten most badass production engines ever built (1 to 16 cylinders).

10 1-Cylinder: KTM’s 0.69-Liter Four-Stroke Engine – 75 HP

KTM 690 Enduro R bikes - Offroad
KTM

We're sure gearheads wouldn’t be thrilled at the idea of driving a 1-cylinder engine vehicle – the engine is mainly found in stationary dated machines and old tractors, making below 50,hp. However, for dirt bike enthusiasts, a 500cc-plus single-pot layout engine is great for an enduro - you'll never worry much about the engine's reliability.

2020 KTM 690 Enduro R Side Angle
KTM

The 693cc, liquid-cooled, four-stroke unit utilized in enduro bikes like the KTM's SMC R and 690 Enduro R, as well as the Husqvarna's 701 Vitpilen, Svartpilen, and the Supermoto, is one of the best single thumper production bike engine currently available. It is rated at 75 hp & 53 lb-ft of torque.

9 2-Cylinder: Ducati’s 1.29-Liter V-Twin Engine – 215 HP

Via Topspeed

Fiat's TwinAir Turbocharged 0.9-Liter engine 105hp is the most potent 2-cylinder engine fitted in a production car, although that praise could have belonged to the Volkswagen XL Sport - too bad it remained a concept car. Planned to be super-efficient, it had a 197-hp V2 lifted and adapted from the Ducati 1100 Superleggera.

Ducati 1299 Superleggera 1.29-Liter V-Twin Engine – 215 HP
YouTube

The bike's successor, the Ducati 1299 Superleggera, is the stuff of dreams. It is fitted with a 1.29-liter 2-cylinder motor with an insane output of 215 hp, making its motor the most powerful production V-twin engine. Produced in a limited edition of only 500 numbered units, this engine is one of the most exclusive in a Ducati.

8 3-Cylinder: Koenigsegg's Twin-Turbo 2.0-Liter TFG Engine - 600 HP

Gray Koenigsegg Gemera
Via: Koenigsegg

On duty in the 4-seater, 1700-hp Koenigsegg Gemera hybrid hypercar, this engine is dubbed the Tiny Friendly Giant (TFG) by the Swedish automaker. It’s a light and compact 2.0-liter twin-turbocharged unit with massive cylinders, each producing an eye-opening 200hp for an incredible 600hp total.

RELATED: 10 Of The Coolest Cars That Are Powered By Motorcycle Engine

Koenigsegg Gemera Twin-Turbocharged 2.0-Liter Engine - 600HP
Koenigsegg 

Also capable of revving to 8,500 rpm, the ingenious TFG remains technically one of the most extreme engines made. Among its 3-cylinder peers, it is light years ahead. The only engine that comes close is fitted in the 2023 Toyota GR Corolla, making only half the Gemera’s power (300 hp).

7 4-Cylinder: Mercedes's Turbocharged 2.0-Liter M139 Engine - 421 HP

Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG Via Mercedes-Benz USA
Via Mercedes-Benz USA

Four-cylinder engines are very common, but they are generally underestimated when it comes to horsepower. However, some, like the Mercedes turbocharged 2.0-Liter M139 made by the engine masters at AMG, are formidable. Currently making 421 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque in the top trim Mercedes-AMG A45, it's the world’s most powerful production four-cylinder engine.

Mercedes- Turbocharged 2.0-Liter M139 Engine
Mercedes- AMG

The M139 engines are being built on a new AMG factory floor since 2020 by one man and one robot, just as AMG is known to do.

6 5-Cylinder: Audi's 2.5-Liter TFSI Engine – 400 HP

Audi RS3 Sportback 5-Cylinder 2.5-Liter TFSI Engine
Audi

Five-cylinder engines are uncommon; they were originally created as an alternative to inline six cylinders, promising a similar level of smoothness without needing as much space. The most notable 5-cylinder has to be the 2.1-liter turbo unit used in the Audi Sport Quattro S. The Group B rally car produced a factory-stated 470-hp in 1985, but its true output was believed to be 500+ hp.

Two Red 2022 Audi RS3 Sportback Hothatches
Via: Audi

Today Audi is still the premier maker of the best five-pot engines, dominating the category with its 2.5-Liter TFSI motor that kicks out 400 hp. The Audi's RS3 Sportback using the engine is the fastest gas-powered hot hatch money can buy today. It will do the 0-62mph sprint in a mere 3.8 seconds, topping at 180mph. In the track-day-only KTM X-Bow GTX, the same engine tuned for more power doles out a cool 600 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque.

5 6-Cylinder: Porsche’s Twin-Turbocharged 3.8-Liter Flat-Six Boxer Engine – 690 HP

Porsche’s Twin-Turbocharged 3.8-Liter Flat-Six Engine - 691 HP
Porsche

In the 6-cylinder category, nobody does it like Porsche. As early as the late 70s (4-decades ago), Porsche’s 935 Le Man's racers were using a 2.85-liter twin-turbo flat-six with 840+ horsepower. The true and tested flat-six Boxter engine in Porsche 911s today is loved for its engine layout that gives these German sports cars a low center of gravity, enabling them to get their trademark handling characteristics.

RELATED: Here Are The 10 Most Powerful Cars With A Straight-6 Engine

Porsche 911 GT12 RS
Via Porsche Media

Today the engine comes wearing two turbos, displacing 3.8 liters, helping it make 690 hp and 553 lb-ft in its most potent form. It can be found on top models like the Porsche 911 GT2 RS - one of the most extreme Porsche sports cars available today.

4 8-Cylinder: Hennessey's 6.6-Liter "Fury" Twin-Turbo V8 Engine - 1817 HP

When running a specialist, low-volume high-performance car company, using someone else’s engine is a must to keep costs down. Hennessy has done this before, but with the Venom F5, they chose to build everything from the ground up. The monstrous custom-built "all-American" V8 in the Hennessey Venom F5 pumps out 1817 hp. Absolutely insane! And that's not the engine at its peak output; the Texan speed freaks claim to have tested it at over 2,000 hp. It surely is the most badass V8 we’ve seen.

yellow Hennessey Venom F5 Roadster
Via Hennessey Special Vehicles

The goal of the Venom F5 hypercar was a 300-mph top speed, but it has been claimed to be capable of even more, which would even dwarf the Bugatti Chiron SS 300+ top speed. It can accelerate to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds.

3 10-Cylinder: Lamborghini's 5.2-Liter V10 Engine – 640 HP

Lamborghini Huracan Performante 5.2-Liter V10 – 640 HP
Lamborghini 

The Huracán Performante's 5.2-liter odd-firing V10 engine produces 640 horsepower, making it the most powerful production car 10-cylinder yet. We're sure the designers of the Bristol Fighter T's 1012-hp 8.0-liter twin-turbocharged V10, and the Spania GTA Spano's 912-hp 8.3-Liter supercharged V10 would want to disagree. However, The Fighter T was never produced, while Spano's actual production figures are unknown.

Yellow 2018 lamborghini huracan performante
Lamborghini

Found in the Huracan Performante, it beats other versions of the V10 powerplant seen in other Lamborghinis like the Huracán EVO, Huracán EVO Spyder, Huracán Technica, and even the Huracán STO by around 10-20 hp. Shoving all the obscene output to its rear wheels helps the Huracan Performante accelerate from 0-60 mph in a claimed 2.9 seconds.

2 12-Cylinder: Cosworth’s 6.5-Liter Naturally-Aspirated V12 Engine - 1000 HP

2022 Aston Martin Valkyrie on the road in the middle of traffic

Via: Aston Martin

The Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar has been praised as the ultimate expression of performance. And that’s thanks to the dirty screaming dozen inside its exquisite bodywork, which makes it an absolute beast. The free-revving 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 developed exclusively for the Valkyrie by Cosworth is the reigning output champ of production V12s.

RELATED: 10 Most Powerful Four-Cylinder Engines On The Market In 2021

Aston Martin Valkyrie 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 developed by Cosworth
Aston Martin

The unit makes a ridiculous 1000 hp and 546-lb-ft of torque; while remaining compliant with almost all the global emission legislations. Only weighing 440 pounds, it is designed to last at least 60,000 miles, which is astounding for a motor with an 11,100 rpm redline.

1 16-Cylinder: Bugatti's 8.0-Liter Quad-Turbo W16 Engine – 1600 HP

With each new model, Bugatti continues to push the boundaries of its massive engine, displacing 8 liters, using 16 cylinders arranged in four banks in a unique W configuration, four camshafts, and four turbochargers. A product of the Volkswagen Group, it’s the sole W16 configuration production car engine ever built.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300+ - Front Angle
Bugatti 

It makes 1,577 horsepower in Bugatti’s latest ground-breaking car, the Chiron Super Sport 300+, which was enough to enable the manufacturer to become the first to exceed the magical threshold of 300 mph. In the Bugatti Centodieci, tweaked and massaged for more, it makes a monumental 1600 hp, allowing it to wear the most potent production 16-cylinder engine crown.