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Best 6-Cylinder Engines Ever Produced

In this modern automotive era, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to the wide array of supercars, hypercars and now EVs, to choose from. At this level of the game, the V12 engine is often seen as the standard bearer, while a V8 is the lowest benchmark. It’s no wonder the 6-cylinder engine often gets overlooked, despite continuing to power some of the world’s greatest sports cars and supercars. This isn’t just hyperbole. Case in point: the Porsche 911.

With the help of turbochargers, superchargers and in some cases, electric motors, 6-cylinder engines can often squeeze out just as much performance as their larger counterparts, while retaining the benefits of being more compact, lightweight and fuel-efficient. So while they aren’t typically as flashy nor headline-making as the V12s and V8s of the world, they are at the very least, an extremely versatile and dependable option to have in the engine war chest.

It’s no wonder the proliferation of the 6-cylinder engine has been democratized by auto manufacturers internationally, with the platform remaining ever-present across all continents. The Germans, Japanese and Italians are amongst those who persist with their undying trust in the 6-cylinder engine; so much so that it is still being improved and continues to power some of the best automobiles to this day.

Here’s the shortlist of 10 such engines, which we have curated:

Porsche M97.74

Appearing in the 997.2 GT3 RS 4.0, this truly special engine was the swan song for both the 997-generation (2005-2012) of Porsche 911 cars, as well as the Mezger engine design. Borrowing a number of components from the RSR race car, the 3.8L engine in the ‘regular’ 997 GT3 RS was then upgraded to a 4.0L flat-6 (hence the name) which produced 500 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque, while having an astronomical 8,500 rpm redline.

So convincing was this move, even to Porsche’s own brass, that the following two generations (991 and 992) of 911 cars would continue to employ the 4.0L naturally-aspirated engine in the GT3 lineup, proving that the ‘godfather’ RS 4.0 was also well ahead of its time.

With the proliferation of PDK transmissions, amongst other safety-centric technological advancements, many consider the M97.74 and the GT RS 4.0 it powered, to be the final rendition of the purists’ GT3 RS.

BMW S54B32

Collectively, the BMW E46 M3 (2000-2006) is one of our favorite cars here at supercars.net, and this is in no small part thanks to its S54B32 inline-6 engine. The naturally-aspirated unit is as pure as it gets from the Bavarian company, with a peak 333 hp being produced at 7,900 rpm on route to its 8,000 rpm redline. Other stand-out features include individual throttle bodies and drive-by-wire operation, further accentuating the car’s inherent rawness and driving purity.

When mated to the 6-speed manual transmission, it really doesn’t get much better than this – from BMW or any other company, for that matter. If BMW ever wanted to revert back to a more minimalist philosophy, the S54B32 and E46 M3 would be writing the playbook.

Nissan RB26DETT

The 2.6L twin-turbocharged inline-6 from Nissan – the RB26DETT – has become something of a legend. It would take nothing short of the absolute best from the Japanese automaker to produce something worthy of powering a car amicably referred to as “Godzilla”, and the RB26DETT has never disappointed. While it was limited to 280 hp from the factory – thanks to the gentleman’s agreement between Japanese manufacturers to cap engine outputs at the time – the R34 Skyline GT-R was anything but docile, even when left untinkered.

The engine’s true capabilities were the worst kept secret in the industry, with a simple flash of the ECU (to effectively remove the restrictions) plus a few bolt-on performance modifications allowing the RB26DETT to produce much, much more.

Porsche MDH.NA

Suffice to say, the 991 GT2 RS is the absolute peak of 6-cylinder performance. The GT2 RS in its entirety is more closely based on a Turbo S than it is to its closest GT relative, the 911 GT3 RS. After all, at the heart of the GT2 is a revamped version of the Turbo S engine (known as MDH.NA), while the GT3 has its own unique naturally-aspirated 4.0L power plant. The 3.8L flat-6 was fitted with larger variable-geometry turbos and was given an increase in peak boost to 22.5 psi, which is 24% higher than the Turbo S.

Larger intercoolers, a water-spray system, larger exhaust manifold primaries and redesigned pistons work in synergy with the aforementioned to provide the GT2 RS with 700 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 553 lb-ft of torque. Porsche has long buried the traditional notion of “turbo-lag” in its cars with VarioCam Plus and the GT2 RS is no different, making peak torque from 2,250 rpm to 4,000 rpm.

Honda C30A

The original 1990 Acura NSX was fitted with a 3.0L naturally-aspirated V6 engine which produced 270 hp. At the time, that was more than sufficient to go shoulder-to-shoulder with any of its supercar contemporaries; particularly Ferrari, its target rival. What truly made the C30A – and as a whole, the NSX – so special, was that it broke the mold of what a supercar could and should ought to be: reliable and useable. Almost blasphemous thinking at the time, the idea of the “everyday supercar” was still a twinkle in the eye of exotic car auto makers.

The engine demanded very little, if anything, above the expected maintenance laundry list and associated costs of keeping a Honda Accord running. It was refined. It performed. It was comfortable. You could drive it whenever you wanted to. The NSX is widely recognized as one of the forefathers of the modern supercar, going on to inspire the likes of the McLaren F1. That puts it in pretty high regard, I’d say.

Alfa Romeo ‘Busso’ V6

There is no other power plant on this list which has been as long-serving or as versatile as the ‘Busso’ engine. Named after its chief designer, Giuseppe Busso, the foundation of this engine was its 60° V6 configuration. From there, a colorful variation of engines were built upon it, with displacements ranging 2.0L to 3.2L plus the use of turbochargers (or none at all) depending on the intended application of the automobile it was being fitted to. This meant you could see a Busso producing as little as 130 hp in a 1983 Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, and up to 247 hp in a 2005 Alfa Romeo 156 GTA.

Regardless of its specs, every Busso engine shares the same reputation for being remarkably smooth, having good low-end power delivery, and an incredibly unique engine note at higher rpms. Needless to say, the Busso would go on to be the centerpiece of the brand for a good 30+ years.

Nissan VR38DETT

While there was a general expectation that the latest iteration of the GT-R would (or should) be powered by a V8 engine prior to its official release, Nissan inevitably stuck to its guns and continued the tradition of powering its flagship car with its tried and trusted 6-cylinder unit. This time, the engine would be produced in a 60° V6 configuration to ensure that the massively sized and massively powerful engine, could fit under the front hood. In the very first R35 GT-R cars, the 3.8L twin-turbocharged V6 produced 485 hp, before being upped to 545 hp for the 2012 refresh.

Since then, the hand-crafted power plants have been continuously improved over the years, with the most powerful factory version of the car – the Nissan GT-R Nismo – producing some 600 hp. Perfectly matched with Nissan’s dual-clutch transmission and proven all-wheel drive system, the VR38DETT continues a legend while forging one of its own, all at the same time.

Jaguar JRV-6

It’s rather humorous that the JRV-6 would not have made it on this list if not for a gaff on the part of Jaguar, who had originally marketed and went as far as promising that the XJ220 would be delivered to its first customers with a V12 engine. Nevertheless, the eventually-fitted twin-turbocharged 6-cylinder unit was borrowed from a Group B Rally car – the Rover Metro 6R4. It was rightfully potent, and actually made more power than the naturally-aspirated V12 which was originally proposed.

Able to produce up to 542 hp, the XJ220 would even go on to become the fastest production car in the world at the time, topping out at a brow-raising 217 mph. While its credentials were proven in the real world, I’m sure many buyers were still a bit miffed at the fact that the final product came with half the number of cylinders they had put down their deposits down for.

Toyota 2JZ-GTE

The Toyota Supra was equipped with the ubiquitous 3.0L inline-6 2JZ engine in all its models. The most recognized version of the Supra – the Turbo – possessed a twin-turbocharged engine known as the 2JZ-GTE, which was specced with up to 326 hp. The two turbochargers operated sequentially and not in parallel. This essentially meant that one of the turbochargers was designed to provide near-maximum torque as early as 1,800 rpm, while the second turbine would be engaged in a “pre-boost” mode until around 4,000 rpm where thereafter both turbochargers would be spinning at full blast. This translated to better low-end throttle response, less ‘turbo lag’, increased boost at higher engine speeds, and a relatively linear delivery of power – all of which was difficult to achieve in unison, with the technology available at the time.

The 2JZ-GTE-equipped Turbo model was able to sprint from 0-60 mph in just 4.6 seconds and complete the standing ¼ mile in an impressive 13.1 seconds. Top speed was recorded at 155 mph.

Alfa Romeo 690T

The fact that the engine in the 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA is derived from the Ferrari F154 platform, automatically puts it in some highly esteemed company. After all, other variations of the F154 are used in the likes of cars such as the Maserati Quattroporte, Ferrari F8 Tributo and even the hybridized Ferrari SF90. While the F154 takes on a V8 configuration, the Alfa Romeo variant (known as the 690T) is a 2.9L twin-turbocharged V6 which produces 540 hp. Capable of 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, the 690T isn’t exactly blistering by today’s standards, but it does become an integral part of the car’s overall philosophy of balance and agility; this was probably one of the main reasons Alfa Romeo chose to go with a smaller unit rather than going the copy/paste route with the Ferrari setup.

The GTA / GTAm are about as track-ready as any production car can get when also factoring in its insanely aggressive aerodynamic and chassis upgrades.

June 6, 2021 / Comments Off

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Best Sports & Performance Cars From The 2000s

As someone who experienced a good chunk my adolescent years in the early 2000s, this decade is up there as one of the most memorable, and certainly the most influential when it comes to cars. In terms of becoming an automotive enthusiast, these were the formative years that would go on to put me on a trajectory where I would eventually be writing this very article as a contributor for supercars.net!

Suffice to say, this list is very special and personal to me, and that certainly wouldn’t have been the case if not for some of the most outstanding cars being produced during this decade. In my opinion, this time period was the heyday of Japanese sports cars – I don’t think I’m alone in this sentiment, as there are countless pop culture, social media and grassroots references to support this theory. Don’t worry; I’ve made many picks from both sides of the hemisphere, as there were great products coming out of Europe and North America too.

Even today, I would reckon that every single car that has made it onto this list continues to remain in high (and often increasing) regard. More than 20 years on, they’ve all become iconic cars and many of them are more relevant today than ever before. This is reflected in the highly inflated values seen for these cars on the used market, with many models going for near-or-above brand new MSRP, even after adjusting for inflation.

Here’s the shortlist of 10 such cars, which we have curated:

Honda S2000

For many years, Honda’s beloved roadster held the distinction of producing the most hp per liter of any car on the planet, via its F20C engine. Despite being a convertible, the S2000 is renown for its rigid chassis which helps to provide one of the most raw driving experiences one can have in a production road car. The slick 6-speed manual – the only choice of transmission – was a perfect match to the car’s 2.0L VTEC powerplant which produced 240 hp and revved all the way up to 9,000 rpm.

Later variants of the S2000 featured a strokered 2.2L engine which delivered more power in the lower rev-range and had slightly shorter gearing to improve acceleration. The Honda S2000 embodies everything that is awesome about a naturally-aspirated sports car that is built around the driver; and now, many enthusiasts and collectors alike are seeking to own their piece of its brilliant history.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06 (C5 & C6)

Chevy’s Corvette has a storied history, and the C5 (1997-2004) and C6 (2005-2013) models have almost an equal share of playing time in the 2000s decade. The C5 Corvette Z06 was introduced in 2001 and produced 405 hp from a 5.7L naturally-aspirated V8 LS6 engine. The C5 has aged well, and is considered by many in the motorsport community to be one of the best “budget race cars” you can buy today. The C6 Corvette Z06 arrived as a 2006 model, and is most renown for its 7.0L naturally-aspirated V8 LS7 which produced 505 hp.

To this day, the C6 remains the most powerful naturally-aspirated engine Chevrolet has ever assembled – as next-gen Z06 engines would go on to be supercharged – making it the darling amongst Corvette enthusiasts.

Nissan Skyline GT-R (R34)

As far as pop culture icons go, the Nissan Skyline GT-R has cemented a reputation as one of the world’s most revered automobiles. Whether you’re a young teenager who has only been able to experience one through your favorite video game, or a wealthy car collector looking to add a unicorn to your garage, the R34 (1998-2002) Skyline GT-R in particular, checks everyone’s boxes.

Some would argue that the Skyline GT-R only gained international recognition thanks to the “Fast & Furious” movie series, but those into JDM car culture or motorsport were well aware of “Godzilla’s” credentials well before the silver screen event. The Skyline GT-R produced 280 hp (which could easily be tuned to much, much more) from a twin-turbocharged RB26 engine and featured an all-wheel drive system with HICAS, allowing it to become a dominating force on both circuits and mountain roads alike.

BMW M3 (E46)

The E46 (2000-2006) BMW M3 was in a league of its own: it possessed the chiseled good-looks that older and less handsome E36 never had, and didn’t have the bubbly-like demeanor of the E90. Add to that, an iconic inline-6 engine that was lighter (and in my opinion, has more character) than its successor’s V8, and you have a truly balanced and pure driving machine. The E46 also had mechanical steering, but would forgo most of the electrical helpers or ‘nannies’ that the later generations of M3 cars would have as standard.

It was more advanced than the E30 that came before it, and not as bloated as its successors. It was the ideal concoction of luxury and raw driving purity. It had the best of all worlds; and that’s why we believe that the E46 is the perfect M3.

Mazda RX-7 (FD3S)

Epitomizing rotary performance, the FD (1992-2002) Mazda RX-7 is one of the planet’s most famous automobiles, particularly amongst JDM car enthusiasts and the broader tuning community. While spending most of its life in the 1990s era, the FD3S cuts a very modern silhouette for its age, featuring just the right amount of curves and bulges which helped to create its timeless design – even during a period when “boxy” looking cars were the more predominant template.

In that sense, the RX-7 is often perceived to be a 2000s era car, which speaks volumes of its credentials. Of course, it’s engine was revolutionary too, with the 2-rotor twin-turbocharged 13B-REW engine becoming popular for its performance potential and unique personality.

Honda NSX (NA2)

When the NSX was first introduced to the world in 1990, it sent shockwaves throughout the automotive dimension, pioneering an unprecedented amalgamation of characteristics and engineering principles. At a time when the words ‘supercar’ and ‘reliability’ couldn’t be spoken in the same sentence, the formula Honda used to create the NSX resulted in a vehicle that was truly unique for its time – it had all of the desirable characteristics of a supercar, but was packaged with the same reliability, build quality and sensibility of a Honda Accord.

Shortly after the NA2 facelift in 2002, Honda released a Type-R version of the NA2 NSX which was exclusive for MY2002 and for the Japanese market only – just like it did for the NA1 NSX in 1992. By this time, the Type-R moniker had become the official signature of ultimate Honda roadcar performance, and the 2002 Honda NSX Type-R (officially abbreviated to NSX-R on this occasion), certainly lived up to its badge.

Lotus Exige (Series 2)

If you ever want a true track car, any Exige model is a great choice. Fun, playful and seriously quick, it will trouble almost any exotic (old and new) on more technical circuits. The Exige was updated to the ‘Series 2’ beginning in 2004 and received a 192 hp Toyota Celica engine and 6-speed manual gearbox. As for chassis, the Series 2 Exige rides on a 10% stiffer suspension setting than the Elise 111R. But most significant, is the adoption of Yokohama A048 semi-slick tires, helping the new Exige corner quicker and flatter than the Elise.

It wasn’t just track driving that improved, with the Series 2 Exige cars also being more comfortable and smooth on regular roads too. As expected, several updates were made during the the 7-year production run, including the release of over a dozen special edition and limited edition cars.

Dodge Viper ACR

Even if the Dodge Hellcat is hogging all the headlines these days, there’s always something you have to admire about the lunacy of having a two-seater sports car powered by a naturally-aspirated 8.4L V10 engine. No, the Dodge Viper doesn’t do subtlety very well. Yes, it does happen to fall under the ‘Old Testament’ definition of awesome. With 640 hp and 600 lb-ft of torque being produced from that colossus of an all-aluminum engine, the Viper has the exhaust note of a semi-dormant volcano.

It would make absolutely no sense at all if it wasn’t just so damn fast. Variants such as the SRT-10 and ACR-X took the road-going version of the car to the next level, with the latter being a turn-key, non-street legal race car which participates in Viper racing leagues around the world.

BMW Z8

The new millennium super roadster: The BMW Z8. With breathtaking looks and classic proportions, the BMW Z8 was presented the beginning of 2000 as the latest addition to the portfolio of sporting two-seaters. The Z8’s appearance is as equally thrilling as its trendsetting chassis structure, this being a self-supporting aluminum frame called ‘space frame’. This is wrapped in a sleek body shell featuring screw-on components.

Under the bonnet there is a high-performance V8 sports motor displacing five liters. Impressive power of 400 bhp is transmitted to the wheels by a six-speed transmission. Today, the BMW Z8 has become a bit of a unicorn car with a cult following of wealthy collectors. Most examples are going for around US$250,000 on the used market – almost double the brand new MSRP.

Porsche Boxster (986)

The Porsche Boxster (986) was introduced in late 1996 and would be produced until 2004. The car featured a water-cooled, 2.5L flat-6 engine rated at 201 hp. A mid-engine layout provided the Boxster with a low center of gravity, near-perfect weight distribution, and neutral handling. It also shared many of the same body components as the new 911 including the same bonnet, front wings, headlights, interior and engine architecture.

In hindsight, the Boxster was the right car, at the right time, for both enthusiasts and for Porsche alike. It quickly became a hot seller and steadied the ship at Porsche, broadening the brand’s appeal to the mass market and helping to establish the foundation upon which it is so successful today. Reviewers gushed that the car was near perfect.

June 3, 2021 / Comments Off

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