Today’s emissions regulations mean even large cars are being fitted with smaller, more efficient engines, but that’s not always been the case.
Not long ago, fitting a larger engine was the most common way to make a car more powerful.
They say big things come in small packages, and that’s quite literally the case with the 13 cars we’ve lined up for you today. Clearly, the manufacturers lived by the “no replacement for displacement” ethos.
Mercedes SLK 55 AMG
While the first generation of the Mercedes-Benz SLK AMG had to make do with a supercharged 3.2-liter engine, the second generation received a much more substantial powerplant.
The SLK 55 AMG has a massive 5.4-liter V8 engine that sends 355hp to the rear wheels in the standard version. Opt for the SLK 55 AMG Black Series, and power increases to 295 fine-tuned German stallions.
Renault Clio V6
Renault has made some small but awesome hatchbacks, from the classic Renault 5 to the sporty Clio versions. One of the most iconic models is the Clio V6.
Renault ripped out the rear seat to make room for a large 2.9-liter V6 engine. It also received a much wider body, and it looks properly aggressive. Interestingly, the mid-engined, V6-powered Clio isn’t much faster than the sporty version of the regular front-engined, FWD Clio.
Ariel Atom 500
Purely a track day toy, the Ariel Atom is as basic as a car can possibly be. It only weighs 1,213 lbs, but Ariel decided it needed a V8 engine.
Sure, the V8 engine only measures 3.0 liters, but that’s still pretty massive in a car that is this small and light. It also produces 500hp and sends the bare-bones sports car to 62 mph in just 2.3 seconds.
Sunbeam Tiger
The Sunbeam Tiger is the high-performance V8-powered version of the Sunbeam Alpine roadster. Carroll Shelby was hired to create a prototype and managed to shoehorn a 4.3-liter Ford V8 under its hood.
According to Shelby, it was a tight squeeze to make the engine fit. In his own words, “There was a place for everything and a space for everything, but positively not an inch to spare.”
Shelby Cobra 427
The Sunbeam Tiger wasn’t the first time Carroll Shelby had fitted a large Ford V8 engine under the hood of a svelte British sports car. Shelby’s original Cobra was based on an AC Ace, and his team apparently spent less than eight hours to fit Ford’s new 4.7-liter under its hood.
However, the later MkIII Cobra was a much more potent beast. It used a 7.0-liter V8, and while it was much beefier than the original Cobra, it’s still a tiny car.
Hennessey Venom GT
Shelby isn’t the only American to install a big, 7.0-liter American V8 engine in a small British sports car. Even the Hennessey Venom GT’s name follows the snake theme used by Shelby.
Hennessey got its hands on a Lotus Elise, stretched it a bit, and dropped in the LS7 engine. However, they still weren’t happy, so a couple of turbochargers were fitted to it, pushing its power beyond the 1,200hp mark. The Hennessey Venom GT was the world’s fastest car for a while.
Lotus Exige Cup 430
Compared to the Lotus-based Hennessey, the Exige 430 doesn’t seem all that special. It’s still a tiny car, though, and has a large engine for its size.
Behind the driver, you’ll find a supercharged 3.5-liter V6 unit that produces 424hp, making it the most powerful Exige ever. The powertrain comes from the larger Lotus Evora GT430 and has been modified to fit in the smaller Exige.
Alfa Romeo 147 GTA
According to Jeremy Clarkson, you can’t call yourself a real car enthusiast until you’ve owned an Alfa Romeo. The Alfa Romeo 147 is a small hatchback propelled by the fantastic 3.2-liter Busso V6 unit. Go big, or go home, right?!
The car itself is pretty small, and with the 247hp monster singing under its hood, it’ll accelerate to 60 mph in just 6.3 seconds. Not bad for a front-wheel drive car.
Holden Torana
Australians love their six- and eight-cylinder engines. Even small cars like the Holden Torana have been fitted with meaty V8s.
The Torana started as a Vauxhall Viva, and the base models were fitted with a puny 1.2-liter. Obviously, that wasn’t enough, so Holden dropped in a 3.0-liter with 160hp, and later generations even got a 5.0-liter V8. That’s a massive increase from the basic 1.2 unit.
Aston Martin Cygnet V8
Aston Martin needed a tiny city car to comply with the EU’s 2012 fleet average emissions regulations, so they simply rebadged the Toyota/Scion iQ. Toyota’s version had either a 1.0-liter or a 1.3-liter engine, but Aston only offered the 1.3-liter.
At least that was the only engine option until one customer handed over a wad of cash for a truly special Cygnet fitted with the 4.7-liter V8 from the Vantage S.
Ford Capri Perana
The European Ford Capri was a sporty-looking coupe with a vast range of available engines. While the cars sold in Europe could be ordered with some reasonably large V6 engines, including a 2.8-liter and a 3.0-liter, these were dwarfed compared to what was available in South Africa.
Basil Green Motors dropped a 302 Ford V8 into the Capri, immediately transforming it into some kind of muscle sports car. The Capri was also a successful touring car racer, winning the 1970 and 1971 South African championships.
Randall 401-XR
There aren’t many gearheads who think the AMC Gremlin looks good. However, it was one of the fastest and most powerful subcompacts of its time, and those were just the regular production models.
Randall, a car dealership in Arizona, was approved by AMC to build a special version of the Gremlin. The Randall 401-XR had a 401 cu-in, or 6.6-liter, V8 engine, and it did the quarter-mile run in 13.9 seconds.
Aston Martin V12 Vantage S
The Aston Martin V12 Vantage S is much smaller than it looks on TV or in magazines. It only has a 102.4-inch wheelbase length, which is identical to that of the Chevrolet Bolt EV.
Up front sits a huge 5.9-liter V12 producing 565hp and 457 lb-ft of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels via an automated manual transmission, resulting in a 0 to 60 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a 205 mph top speed.
