3. 2016 Volvo XC90 T6:
Yes, one of the cars on our list is a 7-seater family 4×4 that’s made by the Swedes. The 2016 Volvo XC90 and to be more precise, the T6 variant of the 4×4. The T6 comes with a 2-litre four-cylinder engine that is both turbocharged and supercharged. The engine develops a meaty 316 hp and a 4×4-befitting 400 Nm of shove, and thanks to the dual forced-induction tech used on this car, there appears to be no lag and that shows. The run from 0-100 km/h is taken care of in 6.1 seconds and the top speed is limited to 230 km/h. And thank god for that as this Volvo weighs almost 2.3 tonnes.
The new XC90 T6 has a 2-litre four-pot unit, but is helped by a turbo and supercharger.
Thanks to two different modes of forced-induction and direct injection. The 2-litre unit in the 2016 Volvo XC90 T6 scores the maximum for specific output on any 4×4 in the market, with the figure standing at an impressive 158 hp per litre.
- Engine displacement – 2000 cc (est.)
- Specific output – 158 hp/litre
2. 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA 45 AMG:
Here’s the penultimate car on our list and that is the Mercedes-Benz CLA45 AMG. Now before we go ahead, we would like to tell you that this slot also belongs to the three other AMGs as well. They include the A45 AMG and GLA45 AMG. This 1991 cc four-cylinder turbocharged engine kicks out a neat 360 hp at 6000 rpm and 450 Nm of shove between 2250-5000 rpm. This is officially the most powerful Four in current mass production and has a specific output of 180.8 hp per litre.
The GLA45 AMG shares the same high strung engine as the CLA45.
To put things into a better perspective, this 1991 cc four-pot AMG engine makes more power per litre than the whole 2-litre TFSI engine on the Audi A3 (which makes 178 hp). Couple this to a lighter body mass of the CLA45 and its AMG SPEEDSHIFT DCT 7-speed sports transmission, 100 km/h doesn’t take any longer than 4.6 seconds and the top speed is 250 km/h, which is when the electronic nanny reigns in on the party.
- Engine displacement – 1991 cc
- Specific output – 180.8 hp/litre
However, there is one car which truly trumps the mighty four-cylinder AMG units and that’s to be found in our final car.
We saved the best for last. It’s a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, but not the FQ-400, oh no.
1. Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ-440 MR:
It’s called the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X FQ-440 MR and was launched in 2014. Mitsubishi made sure that this would blow every other four-cylinder car into the middle of next week, and they managed it alright. The Japanese carmaker also made certain that this would be a very special car and hence, only made 49 examples. The FQ-440 MR wore a sticker price of £50,000 or, INR 46 lakh! Furthermore, you could only have it in one colour – white and that’s it. Yes, there are several toys in the cabin for you to play with, but this Lancer is not about that, at all. The 1998 cc four-banger in this car cranks out an insane 440 horsepower and a ludicrous 558 Nm of torque at just 3100 rpm.
The ‘standard’ FQ-400 makes 400 hp and that’s crazy. But the FQ-440 MR is just bonkers!
For those in you who have already got the hang of the calculation, the number would be a revelation. So let us just say that 220.2 horsepower per litre is a shipful of sins. This engine is almost the same size as the AMG ones we just saw, but makes 40 hp more per litre! To put this number into better context, the mighty 1200 hp Bugatti Veyron Super Sport manages to squeeze out just 148 horsepower out of its gigantic 8.0-litre W16 engine. To keep things under control, Mitsubishi engineers have fitted this beast with a 6-speed SST double-clutch transmission, beefed up the springs, slapped in some massive Alcon disc brakes and a racing exhaust system. The Evo X’s four-wheel drive system has been tweaked and comes with a Super active yaw control (AYC).
Mitsubishi hasn’t released any official performance numbers for the FQ-440 MR, but we reckon a 0-100 km/h time of around 3.5 seconds and a top speed limited to 250 km/h (of course, this thing can go much faster than that). Want to buy one? Unfortunately, all 49 examples have been taken. However, that aside, this remains the most powerful 2-litre four-cylinder production car ever made.
- Engine displacement – 1998 cc
- Specific output – 220.2 hp/litre
This was our list some superb four-bangers. Anyway, let us know of your opinions and thoughts on these fantastic Fours in the comments section.