10 Badass Supercharged Six

Most gearheads will pick a V8 over a six-cylinder any day of the week, but these supercharged six-pots put out some serious power.

The signature whine of the blower forcing air into the combustion chamber is a sweet sound. It can be heard in any supercharged engine, V6 and V8 alike. The trained ear can detect the difference between a twin screw and a centrifugal supercharger.

The baddest supercharged engines in the world are found in V8 muscle cars and cool monster-duty trucks. V8 engines with large displacements create ideal conditions for instant power. It's electrifying, especially on the dragstrip.

A supercharged V6 engine can add 100 horsepower. Supercharging creates raw and effective output, compressing large amounts of air into the system. It is the oldest method of boosting an engine. Much of the supercharger's history, applied to autos, go back to Germany. But in 1860, in Connersville, Indiana, brothers Philander, and Francis Marion Roots invented the first supercharger (made for melting metal). They called that air pump a "rotary air blower."

The centrifugal supercharger is credited to another familiar name, Louis Renault. And Alf Lysholm, from Sweden, patented the screw-type compressor. Daimler father and son, Gottleib and Paul Daimler contributed to Mercedes-Benz's technological advances. German engineers called it a "Kompressor," and that is what superchargers do, they compress air.

Here, we are going to be looking at exceptional six cylinders. Ferrari came out with a V6, the Ferrari 246 F1, for Formula One racing. That one was naturally aspirated, but another car would dominate by supercharging it. Read on.

The 2015 Audi S5 may not look very exciting from the outside, but its Audi-built TFSI engine is. The impressive build is also in the Audi A6, A7, S4, and A8. And to be honest, the S5 does look quite snazzy with its top-down.

The special fuel injection system (Turbo Fuel Stratified Injection) has won high marks from Wards AutoWorld, leading the "10 Best Engines" list for a five-year streak. Lately, we haven't seen Audi scoring at the top. The 3.0-liter TFSI gets 333 horsepower and 325 lb-ft torque on an aluminum DOHC block. TFSI tech is an efficient fuel injection system that works as a supercharger. It combines direct injection with a power-boosting compressor, all in a lightweight and powerful engine. The engine is not efficient in terms of oil use, but the TFSI system is. However, other Audi TFSIs have indeed had problems.

The BMW S54 B32 engine was used in several models. It generated 338 horsepower at 7,900 lb-ft of torque at 4,900 rpm. It was used in the M3, Weismann MF 3 Roadster, and the E85 Z4 M Roadster. In the U.S., this extremely popular BMW model was detuned to 333 horsepower as per emissions regulations.

The S54 engine was built on a cast-iron block. The engine can make over 8,000 rpm, in part, because of an increase in bore size from 86.4 mm to 87 mm. A forged and nitride-coated crankshaft also contributes to the impressive rpm number.

The 2019 Syclone started out as a 1991 GMC Syclone, a formidable 4.3-liter turbocharged V6 with a reputation. This prompted Car and Driver, at the time, to announce that the badass truck could beat Ferrari in a drag race. The 1991 pickup, with its 280 horsepower turbo would, according to the publication, beat a Ferrari 348ts and its V8 from Maranello, "No doubt about it." The result was 1.41 seconds to 1.45 seconds, in the quarter mile dash. Syclone.

All the hype is how a 2019 GMC Canyon got supercharged by Specialty Vehicle Engineering (SVE). The limited edition pickup, offered through GMC, took a 3.6-liter V6, added a centrifugal supercharger, and boosted it to 455 horsepower with 425 lb.-ft. of torque. Customized with dual-performance exhaust, and the full arrangement of SVE's magic, the 2019 Syclone made zero to 60 in 4.5 seconds.

Related: This Modern GMC Syclone Is Here To Reclaim Its Throne As Fastest Pickup

In 2014, the Jaguar F-Type, and the Jaguar F-Type S, came equipped with the 3.0-liter V6 engine known as the AJ126. It is supercharged to 340 hp and delivers 332 lb-ft torque. In the F-Type S, it gets 380 horsepower. In all, the V6-powered 2014 F-Types are an adept contribution to the sports car genre and the sporty convertible is a beautiful specimen.

The AJ126 profits from a twin-vortex Roots supercharger. According to Jaguar, via Motor Authority, the British luxury manufacturer chose a supercharger instead of a turbocharger to increase response time and minimize pumping losses. This popular and powerful engine is made of aluminum, as are the valves and cylinder heads. The sporty F-Type hits 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, while the performance F-Type S gets there in 4.8.

In 1995, the Jaguar XJR luxury sedan introduced a new breed. It was the first factory production big cat engine fueled by forced induction. All said it is a 4.0-liter DOHC straight-six, based on the naturally aspirated AJ16 in the Jaguar AJ6.

The XJR uprates the former generation with an Eaton M90 supercharger. After the supercharger, the engine changes only slightly, adding, for example, fortified heads and gaskets to support supercharging, and a reinforced exhaust manifold. Output changes drastically. The naturally aspirated XJ16 was good for 245 horsepower, while the XJR delivered 322 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 378 lb.-ft. torque.

Here's the question: Does an XJR beat a V8? Yes, resoundingly. The Jaguar XJR pounces to the quarter-mile line in 14.9 seconds, making it the second-fastest Ford product in the States, at the time. It was the Mustang Cobra SVT that beat the Jag. By a fraction. The Cobra's 14.8-second sprint beat the Jag's quarter-mile.

The 1974 Lancia Stratos HF Stradale rally racer tore it up in the ‘70s, clinching quite a few championships. The Stratos by Lancia is an Italian rear, mid-engine sports car that is related to a stallion of Italian heritage. It was powered by a Ferrari Dino engine. Perhaps you noticed the bay view of a beautifully restored Ferrari Dino 246 framed in orange on the cover image. That is where it all started for the Stratos.

When production of the Dino Ferrari concluded, Enzo Ferrari decided to allow Lancia to use the engine, giving up 500 Dino units. The V6 engine was actually designed by Enzo Ferrari's son, Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari, for a Formula One, hence the nickname. It is a 2.4-liter V6, and it gave the Lancia Stratos 188 horsepower and 166 lb.-ft. torque. It could zip from zero to 60 in 6.8 seconds. As a rally car, the Stratos made significantly higher output.

Related: The Real Dino: Fiat Dino Vs Ferrari Dino

This is yet another supercharged V6 success story. It is not the first engine configuration that comes to mind when thinking about what powers a Range Rover. We’d expect a larger engine. No need. Land Rover's beast has it all. It is a full-size luxury sports utility that's opulent inside.

The 2019 Range Rover packs the 3.0-liter supercharged HSE, which is a relative to the Jaguar AJ126 and related to Ford. It provides 340 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft torque to an all-wheel drive, 4x4 drivetrain.

The 2021 Lotus Evora GT is a mid-engine sports car that stuns. Its body is aggressive and sleek and the V6 engine, sourced from Toyota, is raw, pulling every ounce of output from it. The supercharged and intercooled aluminum block is DOHC 24-valve V6. Loaded with carbon, the Lotus Evora light on its tires.

The supercharged engine gives the supercar a formidable 416 horsepower and 317 lb-ft of torque. The rear-wheel drive speed demon finishes the quarter-mile test in 12.4 seconds. A test drive by Car and Driver took it to 111 mph on the quarter-mile run.

Related: 2021 Lotus Evora GT Review: A Driving Enthusiast's Dream

The SLK 32 wowed as a convertible hardtop, folding together like a swanky Transformer. This 2002 SLK 32 is a Mercedes-Benz AMG powertrain. The engine, a 3.2-liter V6, is found in the W203 C-Class C32 AMG, as well. The "V6 Kompressor" badge on the front quarter shows it is supercharged.

The SLK 32 is boosted with a twin-screw supercharger compressor that is cooled down with a water-to-air intercooler. This 20-year-old AMG makes a respectable zero to 60 in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph.

This is what happened when Ferdinand Porsche, in his early days with Mercedes and Daimler, developed a race car engine with the newly forming Mercedes-Benz company. The Super Sport with a "K" for "short," was one of the first S model. It had a shorter wheelbase than its SS predecessor. In 1928, the M 06 was the newest engine available.

The SSK M06 was a 7.1-liter straight-six that could be supercharged by opening the throttle with a foot pedal, increasing power by 61 horsepower. It used a Roots blower. Mercedes-Benz said the SSK could make 183kW at 3,300 rpm, but on Hagerty's watch t could get up to 300 horsepower, the speedster's top speed toppled 100 mph.

Source: Car and Driver

This author was drawn to media as a news writer. With aspirations to be that investigative reporter who rips the lid off a government scandal, she began writing for a local Huntington Beach newspaper. Later, as a staff writer at ABIILTY Magazine, she moved toward pop culture writing.