‘No replacement for displacement’ is dead. Long live high-horsepower engines with the latest in small-displacement ICE, electric-assist, and turbocharging tech.
Traditionally, in engine building, high displacement and high horsepower figures go hand in hand. You’ve probably heard the phrase, «there’s no replacement for displacement.» While that might have been true decades ago, in performance terms, displacement has arguably never made less of a difference than it does today. Sure, enthusiasts might argue that a gas-guzzling, rumbling V8 engine has a soundtrack that a four- or three-cylinder could never hope to match. However, in pure horsepower terms, tiny engines now punch well above their weight on road and track.
It isn’t uncommon for modern road car engines with less than 2.0 liters of displacement to boast outputs of 300 horsepower or more, with some even offering well over 400 horsepower. Racing engines of a similar size can boast even crazier outputs, churning out vast amounts of ponies while still being durable and reliable enough to withstand the demands of the world’s toughest motorsport events. These 13 engines from both road and race cars all offer higher horsepower outputs than you might think, given their tiny size, with many of them available for discerning enthusiasts to buy today.Toyota G16E-GTS
After returning to the top level of competition in 2017, Toyota has seen a run of success in the World Rally Championship, racking up five consecutive drivers’ titles between 2019 and 2023 and four manufacturers’ titles between 2021 and 2024. The expertise gleaned from competition has been transferred into the manufacturer’s road cars, most notably to the GR Yaris and GR Corolla, which directly borrow technology from the WRC efforts.
The GR Yaris was the first to arrive, being an adaptation of a competition car scheduled for the 2020 season that ended up being axed. Thankfully, Toyota decided that the roadgoing version of the car would be produced anyway, even if the brand decided to stick with its older competition-spec car for a couple of extra seasons. It was followed up by the GR Corolla, which was created as a way to appeal to markets like North America, where the Yaris was simply too small to sell well. Both variations have proved to be a huge success for Toyota, with the brand even announcing that it was opening a second production line in the U.K. to cater to the growing GR Corolla demand.
Both the GR Corolla and GR Yaris feature the G16E-GTS, a 1.6-liter three-cylinder engine that makes up to 300 horsepower. Its forged internals, hydro-lock resistant air intake, and beefy turbocharger are all evidence of its rallying pedigree, while its competition-derived all-wheel drive system ensures that its power hits the ground at all four corners like a true rally champion. Koenigsegg TFG
Originally developed for the Gemera but later shelved due to a lack of demand, the Koenigsegg TFG engine remains in prototype-only form for now. It was originally offered as an option for the four-seater hypercar with an output of up to 600 horsepower, depending on the fuel used. The TFG, or «Tiny Friendly Giant», is a 2.0-liter three-cylinder engine that, in typical Koenigsegg fashion, is unlike any other engine on the market.
It uses a camless design developed by Koenigsegg’s sister company, Freevalve, with each valve able to open and close independently depending upon the driving situation. Each cylinder has two valves, one for the engine’s larger turbocharger and the other for the smaller turbocharger. Only the valve for the smaller turbo opens at lower speeds, resulting in a faster throttle response. But when drivers put their foot to the floor, the valve for the larger turbo opens up, allowing it to spool up and provide maximum boost.
Koenigsegg first unveiled the engine more than half a decade ago, but in 2024, the company announced that most Gemera buyers had chosen the optional V8 engine. Perhaps that’s not a surprise, since the hybrid three-cylinder powertrain had a total output of around 1,700 horsepower while the hybrid V8 boasted a staggering 2,269 horsepower. Buyers picked the more powerful option, and that currently leaves Koenigsegg’s Tiny Friendly Giant without a path to production.Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo V4
The car with the outright record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife is not a V8-powered hypercar nor a V12 exotic, but a four-cylinder hybrid. Of course, it’s no ordinary four-cylinder hybrid — it’s an extensively modified version of the Le Mans-winning Porsche 919 Hybrid race car, with a total system output of 1,160 horsepower. The car’s 2.0L V4 engine is responsible for a whopping 720 horsepower of that output. It’s a derestricted version of the engine in the Le Mans car, with the 919 Hybrid Evo designed specifically as a record-setting one-off prototype. When it was subject to the rules of the World Endurance Championship, it made around 500 horsepower.
To handle the additional power, Porsche redesigned the 919 Hybrid’s aero package for significantly increased downforce and created unique tires for the car in collaboration with Michelin. The result comfortably smashed the previous ‘Ring record, clocking a time of 5:19.55 with former WEC champion Timo Bernhard at the wheel. Porsche secretly considered creating a road-legal version of the 919 Hybrid, complete with its original powertrain, and even went as far as creating a clay model of what it might look like. However, it never made production.Mercedes-Benz M139
The M139 engine can be found in a variety of Mercedes-Benz models, but it’s at its most powerful in the Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance.
