These Turbocharged Four-Cylinder Sedans Can Keep Up With V8 Muscle Cars
Turbocharged four-cylinder engines have been closing the gap on V8 muscle cars for years — but have they finally crossed the line? It’s a question worth revisiting, because the answer keeps getting more interesting. If you crave the chest-thumping rumble and effortless torque of a big-displacement V8, nothing else quite scratches that itch. But if the stopwatch is all that matters, today’s turbocharged four-pots are mounting a serious challenge — and in some cases, they’re winning outright.
HotCars used a Dodge Challenger R/T 5.7-liter with a manual gearbox as a baseline for comparison — a thoroughly capable muscle car with a very healthy 375 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. This V8 coupe races to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. We looked solely for four-cylinder sports sedans that could improve on that time, with cars allowed turbochargers but not a full hybrid system. This is what we found.
Hyundai Elantra N (CN7)
0-60 MPH: 4.8 Seconds
|
Engine |
 44 autotech Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder |
276 HP |
289 LB-FT |
4.8 seconds |
The Hyundai Elantra N is a distinctive-looking machine. Its space-age styling is certainly not unattractive, but it may be a bit busy for your average Volkswagen Jetta GLi buyer. What is clear is that Hyundai’s N Division brings a similar level of engineering focus to, say, BMW’s M Division or Audi’s RS department — methodically honing its top-tier products into serious performance machines.
The Elantra N packs a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder that pumps out 276 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque. But that’s not all. Fans of ’80s arcade games will love the Elantra N, because it has a very cool turbo-boost-type feature — called, in Hyundai speak, the “N Grin Shift” — which delivers a burst of 286 horsepower. A manual is available, but the N Grin Shift feature is only accessible when paired with the 8-speed Dual Clutch Transmission. The Elantra N is a genuinely quick sedan that starts around $35,000, sprinting to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds.
Top 3 Rivals
Audi A4 45 TFSI Quattro (B9.5)
0-60 MPH: 4.8 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
turbocharged 2.0-liter four+mild 12-volt system |
261 HP |
273 LB-FT |
4.8 seconds |
You’ve got to hand it to the Audi A4 TFSI Quattro. Very rarely has a car so ordinary-looking been so fast — it’s almost as if Audi set out to create the world’s greatest sleeper. It’s such a sleeper, in fact, that you probably wouldn’t even know it was quick. This mid-size executive sedan is the kind of car you might see parked half on the curb outside a coffee shop, with nothing to suggest it could demolish a supercar of yesteryear.
The stealthy Audi is powered by a mild-hybrid 12-volt system, which adds 13 extra horsepower to the turbocharged 2.0-liter four. In 45 spec, the A4 produces a decent 261 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. That may not sound wild on paper, but the A4 moves with real urgency on the open road, with 60 mph arriving in just 4.8 seconds, according to Car and Driver’s independent tests.
Top 3 Rivals
BMW M235 xDrive Gran Coupe (F74)
0-60 MPH: 4.7 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2.0-liter BMW M TwinPower turbocharged inline-four |
312 HP |
295 LB-FT |
4.7 seconds |
BMW has attempted to give the M235 xDrive Gran Coupe a sporty edge — there are quad exhaust tailpipes, a lit-up kidney grille, and an M rear spoiler — but the reality is, you probably wouldn’t notice one parked on your street. For owners, that’s likely a feature rather than a bug. This car is clearly aimed at sensible parents with young kids who enjoy a spirited solo drive on a Sunday morning, yet there is genuine performance hiding beneath the restrained exterior.
The 312-horsepower 2.0-liter BMW M TwinPower turbocharged inline-four is matched to xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel-drive system, and the result is a rapid, understated package. The car, assembled in Leipzig, Germany, will hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, with Adaptive M Suspension constantly fine-tuning the car’s behavior for your driving style and the road surface. To put that acceleration into perspective, the E90 BMW M3, with its 4.0-liter V8, hits 60 mph in roughly the same time as this four-cylinder 2 Series.
Top 3 Rivals
Mercedes-AMG CLA35 (C118)
0-60 MPH: 4.6 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four |
302 HP |
295 LB-FT |
4.6 seconds |
As with the S3 and the RS3, the CLA35 can feel like the budget version of the real deal. The CLA35 also makes do without some of the visual aggression of the top-level car, but any sense that you’re being short-changed on performance evaporates the moment you study the spec sheet.
In many ways, it’s only because the mad 416-horsepower CLA45 S exists that anyone would consider the CLA35 underpowered. Not long ago, most enthusiasts would have found the CLA35’s 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four and its 302 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque more than adequate. You also get a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system, and AMG-tuned suspension with optional adaptive dampers. The CLA35 rockets to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, which leaves you wondering whether you really need to spend almost ten grand more on the CLA45.
Top 3 Rivals
Audi S3 (8Y)
0-60 MPH: 4.4 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder |
328 HP |
295 LB-FT |
4.4 seconds |
The Audi S3 has always been the less lairy sibling to the mad five-cylinder RS3, with cooler-headed looks and a more composed character. But that doesn’t mean it’s slow. The S3 will whistle to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, making it significantly quicker than the V8 Challenger — and faster even than the 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena, a true supercar with a 395-horsepower V8. So how does the Audi manage it?
At the heart of the fourth-generation Audi S3 (8Y) is the well-proven EA888 turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder unit also found in cars like the VW Golf R. In the Audi, the engine is rated at 328 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The S3 channels its power through a 7-speed S tronic gearbox and quattro all-wheel drive, the latter ensuring maximum traction and likely giving it the edge over the Challenger and Ferrari — at least to 60 mph. A dynamic plus mode is also available on the S3, functioning essentially as a torque splitter that sends as much drive torque as possible to the rear axle and the outside rear wheel in a corner, promoting more oversteer — and more fun.
Top 3 Rivals
Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S (C118)
0-60 MPH: 4.0 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder |
416 HP |
369 LB-FT |
4.0 seconds |
The Mercedes-AMG CLA45 S is fairly ordinary on paper — a compact sedan with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder under the hood. In reality, though, this car is a mind-bending creation with the kind of warp-speed acceleration that was once the exclusive territory of dedicated sports cars. The CLA45 S Final Edition marked the close of production for one of Mercedes-Benz’s most remarkable models.
The AMG CLA45 S produces a frankly staggering 416 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque from its four-cylinder unit — almost exactly the same output as a Porsche 911 (996) Turbo’s 3.6-liter flat-six. The baby Merc sends its power through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and on to the standard all-wheel-drive system. The CLA45 S rockets to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat, meaning it not only outsprint the Challenger but also goes toe-to-toe with the aforementioned twin-turbo Porsche 911.
Top 3 Rivals
Mercedes-AMG C43 (W206)
0-60 MPH: 3.9 Seconds
|
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
0-60 MPH |
|---|---|---|---|
|
turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder |
402 HP |
369 LB-FT |
3.9 seconds |
Traditionally, lifting the hood on a Mercedes-Benz C-Class or E-Class wearing an AMG badge meant finding an eight-cylinder engine staring back at you. That’s what AMG does, right? At the very least, you’d expect a six-cylinder in the C43. But that era has passed. The C43 now borrows the turbocharged four-cylinder from the A45 — and if you like big numbers, that’s no bad thing.
Anyone familiar with the A45 — or indeed the Lotus Emira, which uses the same engine — will know this manic four-cylinder doesn’t mess around, delivering 402 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque. The C43 has simply blistering acceleration, scorching to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. Gear changes are handled by a nine-speed automatic with paddle shifters — the AMG Speedshift MCT 9G. It’s all thoroughly impressive hardware and more than capable of embarrassing V8 muscle cars in a straight line, though there will inevitably be a few potential buyers who still yearn for a V8 — or at least a V6.
Top 3 Rivals
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