The Most Powerful Engine That Came Out Over The Last 20 Years

The passion for speed and performance cars is universal. Each and every one of us has his own favorite. There isn’t only one way to build a great engine. Every manufacturer has its own strategy to making their powerplant special and powerful enough and below you can find 10 engines that have managed to steal the hearts of gearheads worldwide.

In this list, rounded up the egines that have been record-setting or in the running for most powerful engine produced in Japan, Europe and The United States.

10 Great Engines That Came Out Over The Last 20 Years - As short as possible!

The list begins with an engine that is engraved in the JDM legacy !

10. Honda K20

First in our list comes Honda K20: or more specifically the A1/A2/Z1/Z3. It produced 200 HP, 8000+ RPM redline, and is smooth up and down the rev range. The lack of low-end torque allows to be redlined and derives utmost pleasure every minute of it. Having in mind Honda’s reliability to boot, you can easily squeeze out more power with simple bolt-ons and reprogramming.

9. Toyota 1LR-GUE V10

The 72-degree 4.8-liter V10 that’s built by Yamaha, just like the Volvo V8 bolted in the Noble M600, is so rev-happy that it requires digital instruments in order for you to tune in with its moves. What about the sound it makes? Well, it’s more like a dream. One thing is sure – the Lexus LFA is totally worth it, geared with such an ass-kicking engine.

8. AMC 4.0

The first time we saw an AMC's 4.0 straight-six was back in the 1964. Before you say anything, please bear with us. Even though the 4.0-liter version dates back to the 1986, in the course of the 1990s it received many modifications to become the beast it is today. And in case you’re wondering – the one you can see in the photos below is written all over with names because it was the 5 millionth 4.0 engine built produced on the Greenlee Block Line. Some of the fans who’ve tested this engine in a Cherokee argue that it can run with zero fluids in it, and can hardly break or fell apart. The only thing they had to change was belts and plugs (and here we talk 200K on the board)l. Another driver bought a Cherokee that had been driven hard and was also leaking and still he managed to take it home after driving 400 miles through a New England winter storm. A real legend! That’s what we call incredible durability!

7. Alfa Romeo V6 24V

Even though the glorious Alfa V6 is 22-years old – it just had to be on the list. In my first years of my "car guy life" I was all about Euro cars, in particular, VAG and BMW, in this respect, I hated the cheap, but stylish and quite fast Italian cars that were flooding the streets back then. They called the Alfa GTV and the Fiat Coupe, the poor peoples Ferrari. But I have to admit, the first time I saw a GTV's engine bay I was stunned by its beauty ! First look at it – you will hardly find an engine more beautiful than this one and regarding the sound – it’s literally a dream come true. The power? There is no need to even discuss that!

6.Toyota 2JZ-GTE

To challenge Nissan's brilliant engines in the world of boost and variable valve-timing a great engine was born – the 2JZ-GTE with VVT-i. The basic version of the engine came out in 1991, and around 6 years later a variable-timing version was introduced – which indicates one thing – it’s good. You want to feel great – just place a 2JZ-GTE into anything you might think of and enjoy!

5. Mazda 13b Rew

One of the reasons why everybody loves RX7 so much. A twin-turbocharged version of the 13B, the 13B-REW, became famous for its high output and low weight. The twin Hitachi HT-12 turbos were operated sequentially, with only the primary providing boost until 4,500 rpm, and the secondary additionally coming online afterwards. Notably, this was the world's first volume-production sequential twin turbocharger system. Output eventually reached, and may have exceeded, Japan's unofficial maximum of 280 DIN hp (206 kW) for the final revision used in the series 8 Mazda RX-7. ________________________________________

 4. Volkswagen TFSI 

This engine could be found in any car from the GTI, A3 to the pretty average Audi Q5, and Tiguan to the iconic Golf R. It allows to be tuned to insanely high horsepower numbers and give you in return 30mpg if in the hands of a good driver. It can also be supercharged for low-end torque, high-end torque and fuel economy. This in addition to how compact, light and versatile it is gives it pretty awesome reputation.

3. Ford Ecoboost V6

 It’s a precedent that a V6 could outperform a V8 in both horsepower, torque, and MPG. So even though there might be engines that give out more power than the EcoBoost, this is the only motor that’s managed to completely change the landscape of a truck. And that’s not an easy task. ________________________________________

2. BMW S54 

If there’s an engine we all want – that is it - the BMW S54 Straight Six of the BMW M3 E46 - the most classic BMW engine that everyone misses. It was the last NA straight six placed in a M3 and it managed to churn out 330 HP. What else would you want? ________________________________________

1. GM LS a.k.a, the most hated swap by the JDM community

GM LS Series Relatively cheap in comparison to the more complex OHL engines also giving enough horsepower and torque. It’s also famous for its simplicity, compact V8 format, and good fuel economy numbers.