- Six-cylinder engines balance power and practicality, making them staples in automotive history.
- From turbocharged screamers to bulletproof workhorses, this layout proves endlessly versatile.
- Engines like Nissan’s RB26, Toyota’s 2JZ, and BMW’s B58 showcase innovation and performance.
Six-cylinder engines often live in the shadow of their flashier and noisier V8 and V12 cousins—but don’t be fooled, these workhorse powerplants have powered some of the greatest cars in automotive history. Whether it’s delivering spine-tingling performance or unyielding reliability, the humble six-cylinder deserves its day in the spotlight. So today, we’re asking the big question: what’s the greatest six-cylinder engine ever made? No pressure or anything, but the stakes are high, and the competition is fierce.
More: What’s The Best Four-Cylinder Engine Ever Made?
From fire-breathing performance machines to off-road brutes that refuse to quit, six-cylinder engines have a wide range of talent. Some scream to high heaven with absurd power figures, while others just chug along happily, laughing off decades of neglect. Your job? Choose the winner.
The German Gold Standard
Let’s kick things off with possibly the most famous six-cylinder car in the world: the Porsche 911. Throughout the ages, the 911 has used all sorts of six-cylinder boxer engines with varying displacements and power adders. In fact, just picking the very best of the bunch from that lot would be difficult for some.
The 991 GT2 RS might be the very peak of 911 engines. The flat-six displaces 3.8 liters and uses a pair of variable geometry turbochargers to create 22.5 pounds of boost. Combined, the engine manages to make some 700 horsepower (521 kW) and 553 lb-ft (721 Nm) of torque. Oh, and don’t forget that it’ll rev to 7,000 rpm.
The Godfather of JDM Power
Now let’s zip over to Japan, where the Nissan RB26DETT reigns supreme in tuner lore. The inline-six powered the R34 Skyline GT-R, and that alone makes it special. It has a legendary reputation for being robust. In fact, tuners love it for its ability to handle abuse without issue. It doesn’t hurt that it’s probably far underrated with allegedly just 276 horsepower (206 kW).
An American Six With Supercar Cred
And then there’s the one that powered a real supercar and race winner, and it came from an unlikely place: Ford. When the Blue Oval decided to return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the world’s most grueling endurance race for both drivers and machines, in 2016 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its legendary victory against Ferrari, it initially wanted to so with the Mustang. After some research and simulations, though, it became clear that the ‘Stang wasn’t up to the task and a clean-sheet design was needed.
More: Bumblebee Yellow Ford GT MkII Is A Transformer For The Track
Thus, work began on what would eventually become the all-new Ford GT. This time around they opted to use a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 instead of a supercharged V8 that the first-gen had, mostly due to its compact dimensions that enabled designers and engineers to shape the chassis and bodywork for optimal performance. With a power output that ranged from 647 hp, for the initial cars, to over 800 hp for the track-only Mk IV, it sure had plenty of grunt.
The new Ford GT was a resounding success in its race debut at Le Mans, winning the LM GTE-Pro class and taking 3rd place as well. Mission accomplished, then. Interestingly, sales of the street-legal model followed that win, showing that the all-new GT was conceived as a race car first and a road car second.
The Immortal Off-Roader
For something a bit less glamorous, but just as deserving, let’s flip over to the more rugged, off-road side of the coin, and we have engines like Jeep’s 4.0-liter straight-six. It makes less horsepower than most modern Honda econoboxes and doesn’t even sound very good. However, it’s perhaps the most indestructible gas-powered engine in modern times.
Honorable Mentions
Of course, we’d be remiss not to shout out a few other six-cylinder legends. The Nissan 350Z’s VQ engine engine and the Toyota 2JZ, famously indestructible and beloved by tuners everywhere, are obvious contenders. BMW’s B58 inline-six, found in everything from the Supra to the Z4, deserves a nod for blending silky smoothness with serious grunt. And let’s not forget Alfa Romeo’s Busso V6, a symphony of Italian engineering and one of the best-sounding engines of all time.
Now, the tough part: which six-cylinder is the best? Tell us your pick in the comments, along with why it deserves the crown. It’s time to settle the debate—if that’s even possible.
