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Performance cars are of the most desired vehicles on the road. They combine power and speed with excellent handling and sportiness, resulting in a highly intoxicating experience. While the cars themselves are brilliant, the main reason to buy them is the powerplant under the hood.
The sports car came about in the 1920s or 1930s in Europe when small roadsters got powerful engines thanks to racing engineering. The trend continued into the 1950s and 1960s, eventually becoming a whole class on its own. Famous people bought these beauties and made them popular to the point where today, performance car engines are found in anything from a dedicated sports car to a massive luxury SUV.
The engine is the beating heart of any performance car – fueling the motoring enthusiast’s dreams and emotions. Here are ten of the best high-performance car engines of the past decade.
10 2023 Mercedes-AMG M139L I4
The Mercedes-AMG M139 is a little pocket-rocket of an engine, producing more power than some V8s. The current iteration of the engine – the M139L found in the C63 AMG E-Performance – produced 470 hp, which is the same as a 6.4-liter HEMI V8 from 2014.
The ‘regular’ M139 produces 412 hp in the A45S AMG hot hatchback and is the most powerful hot hatch on the market, closely followed by the RS3. When AMG decides to enter a certain market, they make sure to go all out.
9 2017 Audi/Porsche 4.0 TFSI V8
The Audi/Porsche 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 is one of the best engines on sale today, as it makes excellent power and torque from the relatively low displacement. The engine is found in Audi S cars above the S5, and in S cars within the Porsche range – mostly the Panamera and Cayenne.
The engine produces between 414 hp and 632 hp, with the latter being occupied by the likes of the Lamborghini Urus and Cayenne Turbo GT. The Turbo S E-Hybrid models also featured this engine, electrically boosting the total output to 690 hp.
8 2021 Mercedes-AMG M177 V8
The Mercedes-AMG M177 engine is the current V8 of choice for all Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG, and Mercedes-Maybach V8-powered vehicles. It was designed and engineered to replace both the M156 and M157 V8s in the line-up and debuted in the AMG GT.
The M177 produced between 450 and 720 hp in Mercedes-AMG applications, with the upcoming Aston Martin Valhalla featuring a 740 hp version of the engine. The M177 is an extremely versatile engine that can be as hardcore as a track-day racer, or as smooth and silky as a luxury limousine.
7 2017 McLaren M840T V8
The McLaren M840T is the replacement for the M383T which debuted in the McLaren MP4/12C supercar – all the way back in 2011. The M840T debuted in the 720S in 2017 and has been the engine of choice for all things V8 McLaren.
The M840T produced 612 hp in the McLaren GT, rising to 833 hp for the Senna GTR LM. The Speedtail also uses the M840T, albeit with an added electric motor to produce a combined 1,040 hp. The M840T is still the engine of choice for the new 750S, which means it will probably stick around for another while.
6 2022 BMW S63 V8
The BMW S63 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 didn’t have the best of starts in the late 2000s, but thanks to many updates and fixes, the V8 engine is now one of the most reliable V8 engines on the market. Sadly, it is on the verge of retirement and is to be replaced with the new S68 which shares most aspects of the S63.
The S63 produced 550 hp in the X5M and M5 when they debuted, rising to 570 before the new M5 arrived. The F90 M5 saw a power jump to 590 hp and 617 for the Competition version, while the limited-run M5 CS saw the highest power at 625 hp. Not bad for a 12-year-old engine.
5 2015 Ford Coyote V8
The Ford Coyote V8 is the latest iteration of the Ford Modular V8 family from the late 1990s. The Coyote got new features and was widely updated to fit in with the new emissions regulations. The Coyote debuted in the Ford Mustang to replace the 4.6-liter, before becoming the standard V8 in the S550-generation Mustang.
The Coyote also spawned the flat-plane Voodoo V8, the supercharged Predator V8, and Aluminator V8 crate engine. The Coyote produces between 412 and 471 hp in its naturally aspirated form, rising to 500 hp for the supercharged Ford Falcon XR8 and 760 hp for the Shelby Mustang GT500.
4 2015 Chrysler Hellcat V8
The Chrysler Hellcat V8 debuted in 2015 to the shock of the entire motor industry. Where most automakers were downscaling their engines, Dodge had created a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that put out 707 hp from the factory. This figure then climbed to 797 hp and eventually 840 hp for the 2018 Challenger Demon.
As part of the ‘Last Call’ line of models, the 2023 Challenger Demon 170 features the most powerful version of the Hellcat, producing an amazing 1,025 hp going to the rear wheels. It features an official 0-60 mph time that makes a Tesla Model S Plaid tremble. We’ll see if it actually achieves this though.
3 2018 Chevrolet LT5 V8
The Chevrolet LT5 in the 2018 Corvette ZR1 is a nod to the LT5 which featured in the C4 generation ZR1 – the one designed and built by Lotus. The newer LT5 displaced 6.2 liters and had a supercharger bolted to the top, resulting in an awesome 755 hp going to the rear wheels.
Like the original LT5, the newer LT5 only ever featured in one trim of one model before being discontinued. It is quite a sad situation, but considering that the new LT6 featured in the Corvette Z06 makes more power without using a supercharger, we cannot wait to see what the C8 ZR1 will use as a powerplant.
2 2013 Lamborghini L539 V12
The Lamborghini L539 was the first new engine the Italian automaker built since its establishment all the way back in 1963. It used the previous Lamborghini V12 as a basis, but everything was brand-new – resulting in a 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 making a minimum of 690 hp – the same as the top-rated version of the previous engine.
The L539 debuted and was discontinued in the Aventador, with the succeeding Revuelto getting another brand-new engine and drivetrain. The L539 is about as glorious as V12s get, groaning in the lower rev range and screaming its headers off near the 8,500 rpm redline.
1 2018 Ferrari F140 GA V12
We say the Lamborghini L539 is about the best V12, but in terms of sheer drama, the Ferrari F140 GA takes the trophy. The F140 GA is the current version of the Ferrari V12 used in the Enzo Ferrari, 599, FF, F12, GTC4Lusso, LaFerrari, and all the special SP-cars.
In the 812 Superfast, the engine was enlarged to 6.5 liters from the original 6.0 – and later 6.3 liters – and the naturally aspirated engine sang between gearshifts with every use. Granted, the whole experience is a bit scary as all 790 hp goes to the rear wheels only, but it is an experience, nonetheless. It is definitely one of the best high-performance engines of the last decade.
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