The best small cars with big engines: top 8

A big engine in a small car can turn it into a kitten with the temperament of a tiger. Recently, however, trends in the automotive market have been shifting toward smaller engines. This, in particular, is required by the environmental legislation of different countries.

That's why a small car with a big heart is becoming a rarity. To pay tribute to such models, Goodwood has compiled a rating of the best relevant models – both those available on the market and concepts that did not reach the stage of realization.

Alfa Romeo 147 GTA Autodelta

Alfa Romeo's hot hatchback, which was customized by the legendary Autodelta racing workshop, was a real monster. The standard 147 GTA with a 3.2-liter V6 engine was supposed to have a proper limited-slip differential. But another 500 cc engine and supercharger were added to it. And so the 147 GTA AM Super with more than 400 hp was created. A true legend was born from this.

Aston Martin Cygnet V8

The iconic English car brand has become famous for its supercars, sports cars, and GT cars for those who are willing to pay a lot. The Cygnet V8, however, was something with the looks of a Toyota iQ city car, but in Aston Martin style, i.e. with a 4.7-liter V8 engine. Its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed was a source of admiration and laughter, as it is a witty model.

Mercedes B55 AMG

When the German automaker was able to do what it wanted, the B55 AMG was born – a kind of product of childish curiosity. Mechanics almost out of curiosity shoved a 5.5-liter V8 engine with 385 horsepower under the hood of the B-Class hatchback. Of course, this strange model was never considered for mass production. But the experiment turned out to be extremely interesting.

BMW Z3 M V12

Just like the previous participant in the list, the Z3 M V12 became a kind of answer to the childish question "Is it possible to do this." It made no sense to put a 12-cylinder V-shaped engine with a volume of 5.4 liters on the production Z3 M. But if engineers who can afford BMW's budgets have a craving for experimentation, nothing can stop them.

Renault Clio V6

Unlike previous versions, this car is available for purchase. Tom Walkinshaw Racing was responsible for designing the Renault Clio V6 and installed a 3.0-liter V6 engine in the middle, huge arches at the edges, and a massive sporty rear end. The result was one of the coolest little cars to ever roll off the assembly line.

AMC Gremlin 304

American brands can be simply unrestrained and completely devoid of logic when it comes to car equipment. Therefore, the Gremlin 304 received a 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood. Its power was only 150 hp, and its speed was also quite mediocre. "The Gremlin was called a "Corvette for the poor". But the car had its fans.

Volkswagen Golf W12 Concept

If someone ever tells you that the Germans have no sense of humor, feel free to mention this Golf to convincingly prove them wrong. The engineers put a 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine in this baby, and they had to sweat to make it safe, but the effort paid off with a lot of interest in the bizarre concept. Rumor has it that VW even briefly thought about mass production of the model, but it never came to that.

Mercedes SLK 55 AMG

The SLK is an elegant, almost feminine little two-seater convertible, whose refined appearance is so bizarrely combined with the sporty roar of the engine. This is not a car for those who like boring, reliable family cars. And also not for drivers without a sense of humor, because the SLK 55 AMG is capable of causing manic laughter among speed lovers.

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