Check Out 10 Six-Cylinder Powered Cars That Deserved A V-8 But Never Got One – Top Speed

A major selling point of many

sports cars
and luxury vehicles is their power. Whether carving corners or passing on the highway, more power generally translates to a more exciting model. Sometimes automakers mess up this recipe, though. In some cases, a product gets a V-6 engine (sometimes quite powerful units), but a V-8 would be an even better choice.

Check out these ten models that came with six-cylinder power but were in desperate need of a V-8 under the hood. Our selections range from a famous 1950s sports car to a

modern SUV
. Let us know in the comments whether there are any more vehicles you wish were available with a V-8.

Related

10 V6 Sports Cars That Deliver V8-Level Performance

For years, the V8 has been the benchmark for sports cars, but these ten V6-powered machines prove that fewer cylinders don’t mean less excitement.

10

1981–1983 DMC DeLorean

2.85-Liter V-6

The

DeLorean
is a 1980s design icon, thanks in part to being the automotive star of the Back to the Future franchise. However, the real-life cars featured an anemic six-cylinder. Specifically, the engine was the PRV V-6. The name came from its co-development between Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo. Later versions benefited from increased displacement and turbocharging in some models, which pushed the output to 247 horsepower in the Alpine A610. However, the DeLorean didn’t last long enough to benefit from these improvements.

Engine Specs

Given its stainless-steel panels and sporty wedge-shaped design, the DeLorean was begging for more power. A V-8 engine, even making a modest 200 horsepower, although preferably significantly more, would have made the model much more exciting. A better-performing DeLorean might have been a better-selling product and perhaps could have kept the beleaguered automaker going longer than its short stint in the early 1980s.

9

1953–1954 Chevrolet Corvette

3.85-Liter Inline-Six

We’re being a bit cheeky with this selection because the Chevrolet Corvette has such a close association with the V-8 engine. However, the sports car was only available with Chevy’s Blue Flame inline-six for the 1953 and ’54 model years. This powerplant in the ‘Vette had a higher compression ratio than other applications. However, the output was still lacking, and buyers’ only transmission choice for the first two years was a two-speed automatic.

Engine Specs

In 1955, Chevy finally gave the Corvette the performance it deserved by offering its 4.3-liter V-8 in the sports car, and the inline-six remained the base powerplant. The vehicle was also now available with a three-speed manual gearbox for a more engaging driving experience. The first year of the ‘Vette’s V-8 made 195 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, according to the model-focused site Corvsport.

8

1995–1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo

3.1-Liter V-6/ 3.4-Liter V-6/ 3.8-Liter V-6

The Chevy Monte Carlo originally debuted in 1970 at the Bowtie brand’s entry into the then-popular personal luxury car segment. These vehicles were coupes with an emphasis on a plush interior and generally used torque-rich V-8s to get around.

Through the first four Monte Carlo generations, there was always at least one V-8 available and sometimes even multiple displacements for buyers to pick from. However, the company did away with an eight-cylinder engine as an option for the 1995 through 1999 models. Instead, customers got three V-6s.

Engine Specs

What made this era Monte Carlo’s lack of a V-8 option especially odd was that Chevy’s corporate parent, General Motors, had an engine that might have worked. The front-wheel-drive Oldsmobile Aurora was available with a transverse-mounted 4.0-liter V-8, which the division derived from Cadillac’s Northstar powerplant. It produced 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.

Chevy realized the error of its ways with the eighth-gen 2006-2007 Monte Carlo by offering the SS trim with a 5.3-liter V-8 driving the front wheels. The powerplant made 303 horsepower and 323 pound-feet of torque.

7

2004–2008 Chrysler Crossfire

3.2-Liter V-6 / Supercharged 3.2-Liter V-6

Before Chrysler was part of Stellantis or FCA, Daimler (owner of Mercedes-Benz) was its parent company. During this period, Chrysler took advantage of the parts bin for tasks like developing the LX platform that was underneath the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Magnum wagon. A 2013 story from the Global Policy Journal notes that the underpinnings for these vehicles came in part by adapting the components from the 1995 and 2003 W210-generation Mercedes E-Class and also the earlier W124 model.

When Chrysler decided it was time to offer the sporty Crossfire coupe and convertible, the company also went to Mercedes for components from the contemporary SLK-Class. TopSpeed‘s colleagues at CarBuzz say the two models share about 80 percent of their parts, including the engine and platform.

Engine Specs

The Chrysler Crossfire only lasted five model years in the United States and struggled to find success. Its styling was baroque, with ribs on the hood and an awkward-looking rear, particularly in coupe form. Plus, there was no hiding the car’s close relationship to the Mercedes SLK – a nameplate with much more cachet.

Offering a V-8 engine option would have helped set the Crossfire apart from its close sibling. Plus, an eight-cylinder powerplant would have made the Chrysler feel more American, rather than a German sports car in a new set of clothes.

6

2022– Present Ford Bronco Raptor

3.0-Liter Twin-Turbo V-6

Before anyone writes an angry comment, just know that the TopSpeed team has great things to say about the Bronco Raptor. In a 2024 review, Amee Reehal wrote:

Engine Specs

However, we wish Ford would build a Bronco Raptor R with a supercharged V-8 in the same vein as the F-150 Raptor R. The beastly pickup boasts 700 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque, which would be a significant power upgrade for this SUV. Plus, Ford has offered every previous iteration of the SUV with an eight-cylinder mill, at least as an option.

5

2016–2022 Ford GT

Twin-Turbocharged 3.5-Liter V-6

This selection is very similar to the reasons behind picking the Bronco Raptor. Again, there’s nothing bad about the second-gen Ford GT using a twin-turbocharged V-6. However, a V-8 powerplant might have been even better, given the nameplate’s legacy. The original race car from the 1960s and the revived supercar from the 1990s each had eight cylinders powering them.

Engine Specs

In its initial street tune, the second-gen GT had decent power. For the 2022 model year, the output increased to 660 horsepower, and the MKII version bumped the figure to 700 horsepower. There wasn’t any doubt from the start that this supercar had plenty of power.

However, what if Ford had used a V-8 in the street version? The Mustang GT500 existed at roughly the same time, making 760 horsepower and 625 pound-feet of torque. Plus, this eight-cylinder powerplant made a wonderful sound under full throttle. It could have been perfect for the second-gen GT.

4

2017–2020 Lincoln Continental

3.7-Liter V6/ Twin-Turbocharged 2.7-Liter V6/ Twin-Turbocharged 3.0-Liter V-6

The Continental nameplate arrived for the 1940 model year. Over the decades, it has been a separate brand within the Ford Motor Company and part of the Lincoln lineup at other times. The tenth-generation model had a brief run from 2017 through 2020 as the brand’s flagship product. It was competing against top models from Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and other premium marques.

However, Lincoln never offered a V-8 option during this generation of the sedan, even though the competitors had eight-cylinder offerings. Instead, the American automaker had a V-6.

Engine Specs

In the late 20-teens, a V-8 engine was still the standard for a luxury sedan, and Lincoln decided to go a different direction. A V-8 could have made the sedan more competitive against domestic, German, and Japanese models that were all offering eight-cylinder options in their top-spec models at the time.

3

1970–1978 Mercury Capri

2.6-Liter V-6/ 2.8-Liter V-6

In Europe, the Ford Capri turned out to be a popular performance vehicle and a successful racing platform. In the United States, the company offered the model through its Lincoln-Mercury dealer network. The base engines were four-cylinder units, but a pair of V-6 powerplants were also available. A 2.6-liter V-6 joined the lineup in 1972, and a 2.8-liter version replaced it in 1974.

Engine Specs

Ford never put a V-8 into a road-going Capri in Europe, but several tuners and shadetree mechanics performed their own engine swaps. In the United States, Ford didn’t even offer a V-8 in the 1974 model year Mustang. It brought back the eight-cylinder powerplant for 1975 with a 4.9-liter mill pumping out a meager 129 horsepower and 213 pound-feet. Still, the offering’s extra power and considerably more torque would have turned the Capri into a pocket-sized muscle car in an era when vehicles like that were rare.

2

1984–1988 Pontiac Fiero

2.8-Liter V-6

The Pontiac Fiero should have been a revolutionary sports car. It had a sporty, two-seat body and a mid-mounted engine driving the rear wheels. The 1984 model’s roughly $9,000 base price also undercut the $11,000 Toyota MR2, which featured a similar layout. The 1985 version got even better with the introduction of a V-6 engine option.

Engine Specs

The Fiero only lasted for the 1984 through 1988 model years. A V-8 engine would have improved the car’s performance and would have made something akin to a budget-priced Ferrari. Many fans of this sporty Pontiac have done the work to fit an eight-cylinder mill into the engine bay, resulting in mighty potent machines.

1

1997–2002 Plymouth Prowler

3.5-Liter V-6

The Plymouth Prowler was an early adopter of the retro styling that swept the auto industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s. It looked like a 1930s custom hotrod with cycle fenders over the front wheels, a wide stance, and a low-slung body. Plymouth chose the wrong engine, though, resulting in a V-6-powered vehicle that never fully achieved success among enthusiasts.

Engine Specs

For comparison, a 1997 Chevy Corvette came with a 5.7-liter V-8, making 340 horsepower and 350 pound-feet, and the ’97 Mustang GT’s 4.6-liter V-8 had 215 horsepower and 285 pound-feet. The low amount of power meant that the Prowler was all show and no go.