6 Most Powerful Four-Cylinder Cars, Ranked By Top Speed

If you want a vehicle that will give you adrenaline every time you get behind the wheel, you're probably looking for the fastest cars with a V12 engine. Just 50 years ago, you needed the largest engines with the greatest number of pistons to get a fast car, which is probably where we get the expression "there's no replacement for displacement." However, technological advancements have allowed even the smallest engines to produce such insane amounts of power to propel the tiniest cars to amazing speeds. We've passed the "malaise era" where even a Mustang II King Cobra with its 302 cubic-inch (5.0-liter) V8 engine only produced an anemic 139 hp. This meant that the top-of-the-line 1975 Mustang II took 10.5 seconds to hit 60 mph and only had a top speed of 106 mph.

Today, even cars with three-cylinder engines can deliver a surprising amount of power and speed. While three-cylinder supercars typically have an electric motor onboard to provide additional power, a few other options, like the Toyota GR Corolla and Ford Fiesta ST only rely on their internal combustion engine to deliver the performance that many of us only dream of. If you want a performance car but don't want the inherent roughness of three-cylinder engines and the complexity and lower gas mileage of motors with more cylinders, consider getting a vehicle with a four-cylinder engine. So let's look at the most powerful four-cylinder cars you can get today, ranked by top speed.

Lotus is known for its small and light cars, and the 2024 Lotus Emira does not stray for this tried-and-true formula. You get two engine options for this "junior supercar" — a 3.5-liter Toyota 2GR-FE V6, making it one of the non-Toyota cars powered by a Toyota engine, and a 2.0-liter AMG turbo four-cylinder. You might be forgiven for thinking that the larger Japanese engine would have more oomph than the smaller German motor, but forced induction and AMG magic gives the smaller four banger a ton of advantage.

According to the Lotus Emira specifications page, both engines deliver 400 bhp, but the inline-four engine has a much higher torque value at 354 pound-feet (versus the Emira V6's 310 pound-feet). Aside from that, four-cylinder engines are physically smaller the V6s, meaning they're likely lighter as well. This is probably the reason why the AMG-powered Emira First Edition has a higher top speed of 182 mph and shorter zero-to-60 time of 3.8 seconds (versus 180 mph and 4.2 seconds for the Emira V6). If you want to get a light and compact sports car right now, the Lotus Emira First Edition with the AMG turbo four-cylinder starts at $99,900. Although this makes quite an expensive vehicle, you're still getting a light supercar for less than six digits.

The Porsche Boxster is the iconic car model that saved the company from bankruptcy in the '90s. However, technological advancements and changing market demands mean that Porsche plans to discontinue this gas-powered model in mid-2025. So now is you last chance to get this entry-level Porsche sports car if you want something iconic in your garage.

The Porsche 718 Boxster S and its coupe version, the Porsche 718 Cayman S, are both powered by a 350-horsepower 2.0-liter flat-four engine in the back that comes with a blower. Porsche says that this turbo motor gives both models zero-to-60 times of 4.2 seconds and a top speed of 177 mph with summer tires. You could shave off 0.2 seconds of that zero-to-60 time if you get the Sport Chrono Package, but that will set you back by a cool $2,610.

If you're on a budget, the base Porsche 718 Boxster or 718 Cayman that comes with a smaller 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that outputs 300 hp costs about $12,000 less than the S trim, but you'll still get a 171-mph top speed and a zero-to-60 time of 4.7 seconds. The Porsche Cayman S starts at $86,795, but if you want the top-down Boxster S, you'll have to shell out a little extra as it starts at $88,895.

Of course, when it comes to performance cars, we cannot leave out Mercedes-AMG, which offers the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance. This car is powered by a handcrafted 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder; but since it's a plug-in hybrid EV, it also has a 150kW permanently synchronous electric motor powering the rear wheels. This gives it a massive 671 hp output and an equally impressive 752 pound-feet of torque, which translates to a zero-to-60 time of 3.3 seconds and a top speed of 174 mph. This outstanding performance does come with a price, as it starts at $86,050.

This feels that Mercedes-AMG is cheating a little bit, though, especially as the C63 S E Performance has two power plants — the 2.0-liter turbo four-banger and the electric motor in the rear. That's why we also added the 2024 Mercedes-AMG CLA to our list — specifically, the CLA 45 S Coupe trim. Although it still has an onboard electric motor, this vehicle is a mild-hybrid EV, or MHEV, which means that its electric motor isn't as potent as the one that you'd find on the C63 S E Performance.

Nevertheless, you still get good numbers out of this car with its 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine. This car could hit 416 hp and has 369 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to get zero-to-60 times of four seconds and a top speed of 168 mph. This might not be as mind-blowing as the C63 S E Performance's numbers, but it should be more than enough if you just want to get the blood running when you're on the track or carving up some tight mountain passes. Plus, it's more affordable, with a starting price of $67,050.

The Acura Integra Type R is a tuner favorite because of how easy it was to upgrade. And while Acura no longer makes the Integra Type R (although you can get a Honda Civic Type R if you really want that letter), the company gifted the Integra Type S to enthusiasts, giving them a compact car that was sporty, comfortable, and fun. The Integra is actually available in five different variants, all of which are powered by a turbo inline-four. But since we're looking for the fastest, most powerful four-banger models, we'll stick to top-of-the-line Type S trim, which has a 2.0-liter engine (versus 1.5 liters for all the other options).

This larger engine gives the Type S 320 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque (versus 200 hp and 192 pound-feet for the smaller engine). But what's more interesting is that the Type S only comes with a manual transmission, making it a true driver's car. That amount of engine power means that the Integra Type S can hit zero-to-60 in under 5.2 seconds, and it also has a top speed of 168 mph. Although its performance isn't as mind-blowing as the other models we've seen so far, it has a much more reasonable starting price of just $52,600.

If you want a hot hatch, you won't go wrong with a Volkswagen Golf GTI. However, if you wanted an even hotter hot hatch, then you should look at the Volkswagen Golf R. This vehicle combines the practicality of a hatchback with a four-cylinder engine without skimping on performance. That's because you get a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-banger that outputs 315 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque.

You can also get the car in either a six-speed manual if you want a driver's car or with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic if you want to squeeze every ounce of performance from the drivetrain. But no matter which you choose, you're getting a full-time all-wheel-drive system that allows the car to put down power through all four tires.

This gives the car a zero-to-sixty time of 4.1 seconds with the seven-speed DCT, and 4.9 seconds with the manual. But whether you prefer rowing your own gears or let the car do it for you, it can still hit a top speed of 167 mph. The Golf R starts at $45,665, making it far more affordable than the other German offerings in our list.

The Ford Mustang is often among the most affordable American muscle cars, especially with the EcoBoost trim. This gives you a 2.3-liter turbo inline-four engine that outputs 315 hp and 350 pound-feet of torque to the wheels via a 10-speed automatic. Although it doesn't have the 5.0-liter V8 engines of the GT and Dark Horse trims, the EcoBoost engine will still give you a respectable zero-to-60 time of just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 145 mph.

Although these numbers won't blow the minds of the most hardcore car enthusiasts, it should still be enough to raise your heart rate as you carve through some canyons and backroads. But the most important thing about the Ford Mustang EcoBoost is that it only starts at $31,920, making it by far the most affordable four-cylinder car that you can get your hands on while still giving you some performance that gets the blood flowing.