Fastest Four-Cylinder Cars: 10 Cars Proving Less Is More

These two very similar cars share the same top speed as the Civic Type R, with a 275 kph top speed that equates to 170.87 mph. Like that car, the 718 twins have a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, but here, it is ofthe boxer variety. 300 hp is on offer, enough to achieve 0-60 mph in under five seconds, and with the outstanding handling dynamics Porsche is famous for, the base 718 in either coupe or convertible forms is a great way to get your thrills without spending a fortune on gas. Then again, if you're worried about car maintenance costs, perhaps you'd be better off avoiding your local Porsche dealer.

The Mercedes-AMG SL43 was revealed last year with a new electric exhaust gas turbocharger, giving the epic M139 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder a base figure of 375 hp, with an extra 13 ponies temporarily available when using the overboost function. All the power goes to the rear wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission, and it'll get to 60 mph in a claimed 4.8 seconds, pulling all the way to its electronically limited top speed of 171 mph.

As we're about to see, both the engine and the top speed figure just discussed will become a repetitive subject in this feature, and that's no bad thing.

Thelatest iteration of the Mercedes-AMG GLCno longer comes with V6 or V8 engine options, losing character to gain efficiency. The abovementioned 2.0-liter turbo-four gets a larger turbocharger than normal (giving it the M139L designation) and is complemented by a permanently excited synchronous electric motor, producing a total of 671 hp and 752 lb-ft of torque. That's nearly 170 hp more than the old V8 produced, and the sporty crossover makes the most of its grunt to pull like a train all the way to 171 mph.

Perhaps Mercedes ought to have made the SL slightly faster than the GLC. Sure, the latter has the 63 nomenclature, but it's still strange that a drop-top AMG can be outgunned by a lardy SUV.

As we've just seen, gone are the days of big AMG V8 engines proliferating every model; in fact, they're an endangered species these days, and nothing illustrates that better thanthe latest C 63. Instead of a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated V8 or even a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8, the latest model gets that prolific M139L 2.0-liter four-banger, here generating 469 hp and 402 lb-ft of torque on its own. Along with an electric motor producing 201 hp, the C 63 is just as powerful and torquey as the GLC 63 above, enough for a 0-60 mph time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of up to 174 mph (155 mph as standard).

With a strange name, wild Sidewinder doors, and extreme styling, 2018's Rezvani Beast Alpha seems like a hypercar, but its powertrain's cylinder count is surprisingly ordinary, and it has a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission with a sequential automatic available. A turbocharged Honda K24 four-pot appears behind the occupants, producing 450 hp (or is that 500? Rezvani's site has several inaccuracies). 0-60 mph is claimed to take just 3.5 seconds, and top speed is rated at a healthy 175 mph. Best of all, this car was offered at an introductory price of $95,000, a figure you'll never see charged for a low-volume sports car again.

Thefour-cylinder version of the new Lotus Emirasports car is powered by the same M139 engine that has appeared in this list so many times already, here producing a detuned 360 hp and 316 lb-ft of torque. Despite being 40 hp down on its supercharged V6 big brother, the entry-level Emira gets to 60 mph just a tenth slower at 4.3 seconds. The top speed is a respectable 176 mph, making this one of the fastest 4-cylinder cars ever. The downside is that this variant can only be had with a dual-clutch transmission, while the V6 has access to a sweet six-speed manual.

2018(982)博克斯特和718 Cayma保时捷718n S feature a 2.5-liter flat-four turbocharged engine developing 345 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque and can be had with either a six-speed manual transmission or a seven-speed PDK, either of which powers the rear wheels. With the manual, 0-60 mph is achieved in 4.6 seconds, with two-tenths shaved off that time if you opt for the PDK. Add the Sport Chrono Package, and the entry-level drop-top could do the sprint in 4.2 seconds, while the hardtop does it in four flat. Regardless of the transmission, the top speed arrives at 177 mph. Not much else goes faster, and nothing rivals offer eclipses it. The current 2023 Boxster S and Cayman S twins achieve the same top speed.

The small French sports car known as theAlpine A110 R(not sold in the US) may only produce 300 hp from its 1.8-liter turbocharged four-banger, but that's double what aMiataoffers. Moreover, the Alpine makes extensive use of carbon fiber and other lightweight materials to arrive with less baggage than the Miata; the A110 R tips the scales at just 2,385 pounds. 0-60 mph can be achieved in as little as 3.9 seconds, which is why it places ahead of the equally fast 718s above, and the featherweight coupe will keep going until it hits 177 mph. The car may have been developed to be brilliant in the corners, but it can certainly hold its own on a high-speed run, too.

The current GTS comes with a sonorous six-cylinder, but the 2018 model made do with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-pot, like the S models. An extra 20 ponies are offered here for a total of 365 hp with 309 lb-ft of torque, enough to get to 60 mph in a claimed 3.9 seconds (if you spec the Sport Chrono Package). Where this version truly stands out is in its top speed, pulling all the way to 180 mph. No other production four-cylinder car currently comes close, but we hope the next Cayman and Boxster pairing (which will beoffered as both electric and combustion cars) raises the bar again.

The four-cylinder GTS may have been replaced by a way better-sounding 4.0-liter flat six, but for pure performance in the four-cylinder realm, it's still the top dog.