Overpowered V8 Cars You Can Buy Now
5. 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe S63 AMG
“M157” 5.5L twin-turbo V8
577hp@5,500rpm — 664lb-ft.@2,250-3,750rpm
When your company’s chairman uses the phrase “pedal to the metal” in an official press release, rest assured the model lineup is packing some serious heat underneath the hood.
The handcrafted 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 found in the S63 AMG Coupe just about one-ups all the other European marques in the engine development arms race with 577hp and 664lb-ft. Mercedes estimate a 0-60mph time of 3.9s for their coupe (starting at $163,150), which looks like a typo when you consider the S63’s 4,400lb. weight.
4. 2015 Porsche 918
“LMP2-derived” 4.6L naturally-aspirated V8
608hp@8,700rpm — 398lb-ft.@6,700rpm
(full power with electric motors 887hp — 944lb-ft.)
The Porsche RS Spyder LMP2 race car had to end a successful career in 2011 due to rule changes, but its engine lives on in the Porsche 918 Spyder. Displacement was increased to 4.6-liters from 3.4-liters (the latter figure limited by the LMP2 series regulations), enabling the 918’s V8 motor to produce 608hp alone.
You can see the efficiency of 918’s race-derived V8 in its output per liter of 132hp/l, which bests the Carrera GT’s 5.7L V10 at 106 hp/l. Unfortunately, the salaries required to create that kind of performance aren’t cheap, as reflected in the 918 Spyder’s listed MSRP of $845,000.
3. 2016 Corvette Z06
“LT4” 6.2L supercharged V8
650hp@6,400rpm — 630lb-ft.@3,600rpm
If performance-to-price ratio is your favorite car metric, I’d guess the $79,400 Corvette Z06 and it’s blown V8 are pretty high up on your list of cool cars. All of Chevy’s “Gen V” small block V8’s get direct injection, cylinder deactivation (which Chevy calls “Active Fuel Management”) and continuously variable valve timing. The LT4 designation means it has a 1.7-liter supercharger, which weighs 20lbs. less than the the previous generation’s. A smaller, more efficient blower means lots of torque down low, I mean really low; the LT4 makes 457lb-ft. at just off idle.
2. 2016 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat
“Hellcat” 6.2L supercharged Hemi V8
707hp@6,000rpm — 650lb-ft.@4,000rpm
The words “biggest,” “fastest,” “most,” and “powerful” ran commonplace in Fiat Chrysler’s press release for the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat, serving all readers with due notice that they were reading about something, well, big and fast.
All jokes about tire shredding and gas guzzling aside, the Charger SRT Hellcat does actually corner and brake quite well, the latter thanks to Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.
Most of the articles I read about the $67,645 Charger SRT Hellcat didn’t bother to mention at what rpm peak power and torque were made—I realized those figures probably don’t matter because anywhere in the power range would frighten most of the general public anyway.
1. 2016 McLaren 675LT
“M838TL” 3.8L twin-turbo V8
666hp@7,100rpm — 515lb-ft.@5,000
The 675LT “Longtail” sounds like it would be a larger car than the 650S, but it’s actually lighter and almost the same length (the 675LT is 1.3in longer). What it does bring rather than more car is more performance: 40% more downforce, 220lbs. less weight and 25 more horsepower.
Increased horsepower and torque come through the use of lightweight connecting rods, bespoke camshafts and new turbocharger compressor wheels—all slight evolutions of the parts on the M838T, the engine found in the McLaren 650S.
It’s currently the most track-focused toy McLaren offer in their Super Series (650S Coupe/Spider, 675LT Coupe/Spider). Not surprisingly, both the Coupe @ $349,500 and Spider @ $407,194 (converted from British £) are already sold out.
