These are the most powerful four cylinders today. They are the culmination of the downsizing that has been the norm for the last decade, having raised its performance to a level that in the past was only possible to find in six-cylinder engines, or in some cases, even V8.
The evolution of peripherals, such as turbochargers and injection systems, without counting the increasingly sophisticated electronic management, allows this architecture to be the default choice not only for the tougher versions of utilities and family, as they are increasingly the option for true sportsmen.
Just see the "Olympic minima" to join this club: 300 hp! An impressive number…
Find out about today's most powerful four cylinders and which machines you can buy them from.
M 139 — Mercedes-AMG
It holds today's most powerful four-cylinder title — already its predecessor was. The M 139 from the lords of Affalterbach created a veritable monster in compact size. The 2.0 l capacity and the only turbo that equips it allows extracting 387 hp of power in its "standard" configuration — already a value above the 381 hp of its predecessor. But they didn't stop there.
The variant that holds all the records can be found in the S variants of the new A 45 and CLA 45, which will soon be joined by more models. There are 421 hp and 500 Nm of maximum torque , more than 210 hp/l.
MA2.22 — Porsche
Porsche is synonymous with the flat six (boxer six cylinders), but even it has not been able to escape the phenomenon of downsizing. In the most recent update of the Boxster and Cayman, where they adopted the 718 denomination, a reference to the brand's history in competition, they exchanged the six cylinders for two new four-cylinder units, maintaining the boxer architecture.
Available with 2.0 (MA2.20, with 300 hp) and 2.5 l of capacity, in its most powerful variant, the flat four debita 365 hp and 420 Nm , equipping the GTS variants of both models. Among its arsenal, we find a variable geometry turbo, an uncommon component in gasoline engines.
EJ25 — Subaru
Unfortunately Subaru is no longer sold in Portugal, but abroad, the Japanese brand, or rather its STI division, continues its mission to extract all the performance it can get from the Subaru we know.
This time, the highlight went to the four EJ25 boxer cylinders, with 2.5 l of capacity, which saw its power jump 45 hp, reaching the 345 hp and 447 Nm of torque ! Unfortunately, it will only be available in the very special and limited STI S209, being the first in this saga to be available outside of Japan, with 200 units on their way to the United States of America.
B4204T27 — Volvo
This is a block that has to cover all bases. The 2.0 l four-cylinder capacity is Volvo's biggest engine today, and the brand doesn't intend to have anything bigger. It has to compete not only with other four-cylinder, but also with six-cylinder engines from the competition.
To do this, Volvo equipped its block not only with a turbo, but also with a supercharger. In its most powerful variant, the T27, delivers 320 hp and 400 Nm , appearing on all models of the Swedish manufacturer's 60 and 90 ranges.
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The 320 hp is a value of respect — equipping cars that have very little of sports — but it is not the highest value taken from this block: the T43 variant reached 367 hp and served the last S60 Polestar, which ended its production in the last year.
More horses? Only using hybridization...
K20C1 — Honda
Not even the queen of atmospheric engines, managed to avoid overcharging to remain relevant. The K20C1 debuted with the previous Civic Type R, but with the new generation of the Japanese model, its most recent iteration gained 10 hp, reaching the 320 hp and 400 Nm.
The heart fit for one of the best FWD chassis in the hot hatch universe — however, it still lacks voice…
B48 — BMW
It is the most powerful engine in the BMW B48 family, that is, the 2.0 l in-line four-cylinder petrol engine that powers so many models in the German group. reaches the 306 hp and 450 Nm of torque and we've already seen it appear on the X2 M35i and the Mini Clubman and Countryman JCW. We'll also see it in the new BMW M135i and the Mini John Cooper Works GP.
We are all waiting for the response from BMW, or rather M, to the M 139 from AMG. Will that happen?
M 260 — Mercedes-AMG
Another AMG? The engine that equips the A 35, CLA 35 and soon more models, is totally different from the M 139, the monster that tops this list, despite being both inline four-cylinder units with 2.0 l and turbocharger.
It may be the access step to the AMG universe, but even so they are 306 hp and 400 Nm , enough to be integrated into this list.
EA888 — Volkswagen
Like the Volvo block, the Volkswagen Group's EA888 is also a jack of all trades, covering numerous versions and, of course, power levels. Its most powerful variant currently, post-WLTP, resides in the Audi TTS, where the 2.0 l four-cylinder turbocharges 306 hp and 400 Nm.
But with 300 hp we find a series of proposals from the German group, from the Golf R, to the SQ2, passing through the T-Roc R or the Leon Cupra.
M5Pt — Renault
Closing this list, with 300 hp and 400 Nm , we find the M5Pt, the engine that powers the Renault Mégane R.S. Trophy and Trophy-R. Of all the engines we've already mentioned, this one is the smallest in capacity, with this four-cylinder having just 1.8 l, but no less lung.
A bit like the EA888 from the Volkswagen group and the B4204 from Volvo, this engine tries to cover all the bases, and we can find it with different levels of power and equipping the most varied cars, from the Espace to the Alpine A110.