Engines come in all sorts of configurations, gasoline, diesel, and, hybrid with most owners going about their daily life completely oblivious to the more important details like cylinder count and layout.
Current trends are all about smaller turbocharged engines striving for more power and greater efficiency, but there is a better choice and is making a comeback with carmakers the world over. The once famous in-line six is making a comeback, for now, though we have these classics we'd loved to drive.
10 Eagle Speedster
Surely one of the classics every gearhead dreams of owning, Jaguar's XKE often cited as the most beautiful car ever is unmistakable with its combination of a long hood and sleek lines that make people of all ages stop and stare.
This example is a little different, based on the original chassis and body with a few modern tweaks for practicality makes Eagle's Speedster much more enjoyable, the same level of sympathetic modernization continues under the skin. In the interest of safety upgraded suspension and brakes keep things under control, just as well considering Eagle has breathed new life into Jaguars engine boosting output to 330hp. The craftsmanship at this level doesn't come cheap, with prices starting at $1 million before customers add their own unique requirements.
9 Toyota 2000GT
The arrival of Toyota's 2000GT in 1967 proved to the motoring world that Toyota could build a sports car on par with anything from more prestigious European manufacturers, some even going so far as to compare the two-seater to the legendary E-Type.
Unofficially Japan's first supercar, the 2000GT was only produced in low numbers bolstering its desirability among collectors, prices frequently exceeding $500,000. Without a question a beautiful and incredibly important car, the 2000GT wasn't as fast as its appearance might have suggested, a Yamaha designed 2-liter motor kicked out 150hp and could reach a top speed of 128mph.
8 Toyota Supra Twin Turbo
As good as Toyota's current model is we would rather have a mint Supra Twin Turbo, the car model that showed the world that gearheads could have supercar performance and reliability without breaking the bank. Times have changed, clean original examples now fetch crazy prices.
Out of this world styling certainly made an impression in 1993, having become used to wedge-shaped sports cars from the late 80s, the Supra was different enough to stand out from the crowd without resorting to gimmicky add-ons. Value for money performance is what the Supra delivers, a twin-turbo in-line six promised performances that most owners only dreamed of at a fraction of premium brand pricing.
7 Nissan Skyline GT-R R34
Whether there is any truth behind the wildly varying power claims we will never know for sure. Nissan gave gearheads "276hp" and all-wheel drive to play with, resulting in one of the most devastatingly quick road cars of all time, clearly, the figures had been massaged a little to meet Japanese domestic regulations.
Any performance car is only as good as the motor under the hood, Nissan's robust RB26 series is arguably the finest in-line six of any generation, bomb-proof build quality made it possible to extras 600hp with ease, little wonder the Skyline is still popular today.
6 TVR Tamora
More affordable and easier to drive were both selling points of TVR's Tamora, recognizing that not every gearhead had the reactions of a scolded cat, this then was a safer more sensible two-seater from Britain's most bonkers carmaker.
In some regards, the press release got it right, with softer more compliant suspensions the Tamora wasn't so intimidating for novice drivers until they stood on the throttle and unleashed 360hp from TVR's 3.6-liter in-line six engines catapulting its occupants towards the horizon at speeds over 170mph. Safer indeed.
5 BMW M2
In any other circumstances, a small BMW coupe would blend into its surroundings, the German automaker enjoys huge sales across the globe that seeing any BMW is pretty much commonplace these days.
That's the great thing about BMW, especially M-badged models, no one really pays much attention, gearheads can have all the power they want without having locals clamoring to get the next viral social media upload. Deceptively small this uber coupe packs a serious punch, BMW's N55 turbocharged 3-liter unit produces 365hp and a noise that belies its size, who said turbo engines don't sound as good?
4 Maserati 250F
Coming from an era when real racing drivers wore little more than soft helmets and short-sleeved shirts, the focus was on skill rather than sophisticated gadgets. Maserati's 250F was about as advanced as grand Prix-cars could get with a simple front-engine and rear-wheel-drive chassis, aerodynamics at the time still very much in its infancy.
Equipped with 2.5-liter A6 Maserati engines running on a bizarre concoction of fuels and additives, the 205F made its debut in 1954, later going on to claim 8 wins and two driver's titles. The association of Maserati and Juan Manual Fangio makes the 250F one of the most famous racing cars of all time, tricky to drive but rewarding at the same time.
3 Aston Martin DB7
Forget the Jaguar XJ-S-based underpinnings and powertrain, Aston Martin's first new car in decades proved under Ford ownership the brand could flourish, finally, the beleaguered UK carmaker had the financial backing it so desperately needed.
Does the parts-bin specification make a difference? Not really, Jaguar's XJ-S chassis had always been one of the best when it comes to refinement, coupled with a supercharged AJ6 3.2-liter producing 335hp, the new DB7 was leagues ahead of the older dated AM V8 based cars in terms of balance and poise.
2 Mercedes 300SL Roadster
Roadster or coupe? It's a tough choice, but whichever option you pick, the Mercedes 300SL is guaranteed to draw admiring glances from passers who stop to admire one of the most beautiful cars ever built. Few, however, will know of the development of this iconic sports car, its history firmly rooted in motorsports.
Oddly, it would be Max Hoffman who would inspire Mercedes to produce the 300SL for North American clients. Envisaged as a softer grand-Prix car for the road, it was built using lighter materials, leading to the use of "SL" to separate the model from mainstream products. Under the low hood, a 3-liter straight-six squeezed into the engine bay necessitating a tilted installation and custom heads. Despite these engineering challenges, the 300SL was every bit as fast as it looked, capable of a top speed of 163mph.
1 BMW M3 E46
Nobody does naturally aspirated in-line six motors quite like BMW, no turbos, superchargers, or trick exhaust systems, just pure gasoline-powered perfection, that could put any premium in-car audio to shame.
BMW's M3 has undergone dozens of facelifts and engine upgrades since 1986, reaching its peak with the later E46 cars from 2000, with 3.2-liter S54 series engines producing up to 338hp using a complex drive-by-wire throttle system to control each cylinder individually. Easily the peak of straight-six engine design, the S54 spec cars lasted until 2006.