Introduced by Lancia in the early 1940s, the V-6 engine has low-key been the go-to choice for a whole host of cars for its unique blend of power, efficiency, and packaging. But, with EVs and Inline-four turbos taking over the world, the V-6 is now slowly disappearing especially from more affordable cars, so let’s take a look at some of the most glorious cars powered by V-6 engines that showcase the real potential of this underrated engine layout.

The Alfa Romeo SZ is as controversial as cars get. A futuristic body made of cutting-edge materials, accompanied by the sweet rumble and growl of the iconic Busso V-6 engine is what defines this odd-ball of an automotive artifact. Famously styled by Zagato, the Alfa Romeo SZ was a bold move to showcase the bold future of Alfa Romeo as a brand. The SZ in the name stands for Sprint Zagato and the car was intended to be a low-volume performance car from the get-go, as a result, it got a beefy version of the Busso, a 3.0-liter, naturally aspirated V-6 unit with 207 horsepower and 181 pound-feet of torque which might not be the most powerful thing out there, but it’s widely regarded as the best sounding and best looking V-6 engine of all time, that combined with the SZ’s quirky origin story and rarity make the Alfa Romeo SZ, one of the most sought after V-6 powered cars of all time.

Honda’s NSX is a case study in engineering excellence and it greatly influenced the supercars and hypercars we see today. Even Gordan Murry famously took inspiration from the NSX to create the McLaren F1. For the NSX, Honda used a twin-cam, 24V 3.0L configuration producing 250 horsepower while the updated version which lost the pop-up headlamps got a revised 3.2-liter engine that took total power output to 270 horsepower. which is typical Honda fashion was over-engineered to perfection. This high-revving, naturally-aspirated V-6 unit revved high courtesy of titanium connecting rods and Honda’s VTEC system that lent the NSX its 8,300 rpm redline. The chassis was tuned based on inputs from Ayrton Senna and the car became a segment benchmark with its sublime handling and balance, it was arguably the easiest sports car to drive and could easily take on duties as a daily driver. The original NSX is without a doubt a fine example of a V-6-powered mid-engined supercar.

The Nissan 370Z is yet another JDM icon that redefined its segment and it’s been the go-to choice for tuning and performance enthusiasts for its simple combination of a two-door coupe body, rear-wheel drive, and most importantly the brilliant VQ V-6 engine and its immense tuneability. The 3.7-liter VQ V-6 engine is an old-fashioned naturally aspirated unit making 332 horsepower in standard form and it’s known for the signature exhaust which adds to the Z’s character. The standard transmission option was a brilliant six-speed manual but Nissan also offered a six-speed auto. The Z is yet another JDM pop culture icon and even after being discontinued in 2020 post an 11-year production, it continues to garner a strong fan thanks to its reasonable price tag, and immense tuning capabilities of the VQ V-6 engine, and balanced chassis.

The Giulia name holds a special place in Alfa Romeo’s rich history and cars like the Giulia Sprint GT and GTA are regarded as some of the finest works of Italian automotive engineering. When the iconic Italian auto marque finally revealed the Giulia range, the expectations were high, especially from the high-performance Quadrifoglio version, and boy did they rise to the occasion. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio is powered by a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 making 503 horsepower and pound-feet of torque and comes mated to an eight-speed auto transmission which makes this a genuine competitor to the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63 AMG. The Giulia Quadrifoglio’s V-6 engine is said to be a derivative of Ferrari California’s V-8 with two cylinders chopped off, but what we do know is this four-door family sedan is capable of doing 193 mph and can seat four people, has a usable boot and comes with a plush interior and great Italian styling, which makes the Giulia Quadrifoglio one of the best V-6 powered cars ever.

The Nissan R-35 GT-R is the latest chapter in the GT-R story that is widely regarded as the most sought-after JDM car. Internally called the VR38DETT, this 3.8-liter twin-turbo V-6 was a big departure from the straight-six engines that powered all previous iterations of the GT-R and it was an engineering masterpiece. The engine uses an aluminum block and heads and the power output is an impressive 565 horsepower and 467 pound-feet of torque. The AWD system is also a technological marvel which delivers brutal acceleration in conjunction with the quick-shifting dual-clutch gearbox, as a result, even after a decade of introduction, the GT-R continues to be one of the quickest cars on sale with a 0-60 mph time of just 2.9-seconds and a 204 mph top speed.

More than four decades after the Dino 206 GT’s introduction, Ferrari has gone ahead and put a V-6 in one of their entry-level cars, but this time it claims to be a real Ferrari. The new Ferrari 296 GTB launched in 2021 combines the best of Ferrari’s cutting-edge internal combustion tech with a plug-in-hybrid system. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 in isolation is rated at 654 horsepower and the electric motor adds 165 horsepower which takes the total output to 818 horsepower. All this power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and all this power and the bundle of electric torque help it to reach 60mph from a standstill in a very impressive 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 205 mph. The Ferrari 256 GTB is truly a next-generation supercar that takes the best of the past and the future to showcase the true potential of modern V-6 powerplants.

If you like dune buggies and Baha trucks, the closest way to experience the same feeling on a daily is to get yourself a Ford F-150 Raptor. Now in its third generation, the F-150 Raptor has pushed the limits of the F-150 platform with its top-tier fox suspension setup, a potent 4WD setup and of course, Ford’s brilliant Ecoboost V-6 which it shares with other high-end Ford vehicles like the Lincoln Navigator and Ford GT. In this application, the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 makes 450 horsepower and 510 pound-feet o torque and even though the Ecoboost sounds pretty uninspiring, no one can argue with Ford’s results here. The 10-speed transmission is sedate and effortless at city speeds but if you choose to floor it, the F-150 Raptor is capable of hitting 60 mph from a standstill in just 5.6-seconds which is highly impressive for a full-size pickup truck that weighs nearly 6000 pounds.

Over the past decade, Maserati has been making some of the sweetest sounding GTs, SUVs, and executive sedans but nothing that qualifies as a thoroughbred sport which is a shame considering the Italian auto marque’s rich history. The MC 20 is a proper mid-engined flagship supercar that hopes to transform Maserati’s image. The choice to choose a V-6 engine might seem controversial at first in a car that costs well over $200,000 but the packaging advantages and weight savings are key components of a good supercar. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 is an all-new unit that seems suspiciously identical to the V-6 unit that powers the recently introduced Ferrari 296 GTB minus the hybrid system. Still, the engine packs plenty of punch thanks to 630 horsepower and 730 pound-feet of torque that’s delivered in a linear and lag-free fashion. The 8-speed dual-clutch transmission adds to the urgency with lightning-fast shifts, which allow the MC20 to do 0-60 mph in as low as 2.9-seconds and a top speed of 202 mph.

It seems like the end of the road is near for IC supercars, especially thanks to stricter emission norms and regulations, that are slowly killing off naturally aspirated engines which big displacement and cylinder count. In a bid to circumvent these restrictions without hurting the sentiments of true petrolheads, automakers are resorting to smaller capacity engines with hybrid assistance. Maclaren joins the bandwagon with the Artura, the automaker’s first entry-level hybrid supercar that takes on the like of the Ferrari 296 GTB with an identical recipe that uses a V-6 engine in conjunction with an electric motor to make big massive power. The Artura’s powertrain setup features a twin-turbo V-6 engine that’s supplemented by an electric motor that sits within the housing of the 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox to deliver a combined power output of 671 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque. This cutting-edge powertrain combined with its low curb weight means this RWD supercar is capable of doing the 0-60 mph sprint in just 2.6-seconds. The top speed is an equally impressive 205 mph and with a sub $250,000 price tag, the McLaren Artura is proof that the next generation of supercars is here.

The all-new Lotus Emira is the much-awaited successor to the decade-old Lotus Evora which felt properly outdated amidst its modern competitors. The new Emira continues to act on Collin Chapman’s core philosophy of keeping weight to a bare minimum and builds upon the Evora’s fundamentals to deliver a driving experience that’s typical to a Lotus sportscar. The Emira will be offered with two engines, an entry-level AMG sourced 2.0-liter Inline-four turbo but the one we are interested in as the tried and tested 3.5-liter supercharged V-6 which is essentially derived from the humble Toyota Camry but in this application, it makes 400 horsepower and. 317 pound-feet of torque. To add to the old-school experience, Lotus will offer this with a six-speed manual as standard in addition to the optional six-speed auto. The lightweight aluminum chassis is significantly stiffer than its predecessor and combined with the low curb weight, the Emira is pretty quick with a 0-60 mph time of 4.5-seconds and a top speed of 180 mph.