In this way, the biggest engines produced by major car companies are a reflection of the different approaches to power, performance and vehicle design. Whether it's a brute force V8 or a refined six-cylinder engine, every brand has its own legacy of producing engines for a variety of purposes. There are companies that have concentrated on size of the engine, and there are those that have focused on getting more power out of their smaller engines through turbocharging.
This guide reviews the biggest car engines of several manufacturers including Citroën, Subaru, Acura, Honda, Volvo, Lancia, Land Rover and Toyota. Learn about their engine sizes, their power levels and the vehicles that were powered by these amazing engines.
A Look at the Biggest Engines Produced by Major Car Companies
Citroen: 3.0 litres
The first on this list, Citroën’s entry powers one of the only ones by diesel. The C5 and C6 saloons initially used the Peugeot-Citroën-Ford V6, which displaced 2720cc before being upgraded in 2009 to an enlarged 2993cc version with 237bhp and 332lb ft more than many of the larger engines you’ll see further on.
Manufacturers extensively used it in Jaguars and Land Rovers. In case you’re wondering, Citroën’s SM grand tourer also uses a 3.0 litre V6, but it is slightly smaller at 2978cc.
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Subaru: 3.6 litres
Unlike some other Japanese manufacturers, really big engines have never been gone in for by Subaru, with a preference for relying on turbocharging rather than displacement when high power outputs are required. The largest engine is a 3.6-litre flat-six, which has been used from 2010 onwards in the Legacy and Outback (known in its home market as the Lancaster) and the Tribeca SUV.
A 3.5-litre flat-12 was also created by Subaru, but it was intended for F1 and other motorsports applications, and in any case is not regarded as the brand’s finest work.
Acura: 3.7 litres
The largest engine in the Japanese manufacturer’s V6 J-Series family has been fitted to the RL and TL sedans and MDX and ZDX crossovers produced by Honda’s luxury brand.
The range started out at 2.5 litres, but the J37 was measured at 3664cc.According to Acura, 300bhp and 270 lb ft were produced by it, making it the most powerful engine offered by the brand when it was introduced, though it has since been surpassed in this respect. It is not used by the current MDX and the other models have been discontinued.
Honda: 3.9 litres
The 3.7-litre V6 mentioned earlier in the context of Acura was also used in the fourth-generation Legend, the non-US equivalent of the Acura RL, but it is not the largest engine fitted to a Honda-badged road vehicle. In November 1993, the first Crossroad model was introduced to the Japanese market by Honda, and its engine - the company's first and to this day only automotive V8 - had a capacity of 3946cc.
The Crossroad was a first-generation Land Rover Discovery that was built in Solihull by Rover (with which Honda was in partnership at the time) and exported to Japan with different badges.
A later model of the same name was powered by smaller, four-cylinder engines. In September 2023, the first commercially available V8 of its own design was announced by Honda, which has a capacity of 4952cc, but this is intended only for marine use.
Volvo: 4.4 litres
A wider group that combined car and heavy goods vehicle production used to be formed by Volvo, and ginned as large as 16.0 litres was made by the latter division (now separate from car making). On the car side, a 4414cc V8 co-developed with Yamaha is Volvo’s largest internal combustion engine.It was utilized in the XC90 SUV (pictured) and the S80 saloon, and 311bhp and 324lb ft were produced by it.
A 4989cc variant of the same engine was created by Polestar Racing, with a maximum output of around 650bhp, for an S60 silhouette racer which was competed in the Australian V8 Supercars series.
Lancia: 4.9 litres
Although many high-performance cars have been produced by Lancia, large-capacity engines are not known to be associated with it.A personal record has been held by it for more than a century at 4942cc, the size of a four-cylinder motor that was fitted to the Theta (famously one of the first European cars with electric lights and starter) from 1913 to 1918.
Narrow-angle V12 engines with capacities of 6.0 and 7.2 litres were also designed and built by Lancia, but these were never fitted to cars sold to the public. Much larger V12s that went into production were used only in aircraft.
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Land Rover: 5.0 litres
Since 2009, Jaguars, Land Rovers, and Range Rovers have been powered by a V8 engine measuring almost exactly 5.0 litres. It’s not the largest ever fitted to a Jaguar, but the record for the other two brands is held by it.
While higher outputs have been achieved by some Jaguar versions, the most potent examples used in Range Rovers (such as the Sport SVR, pictured, which was described as “widely admired yet not roundly loved” by staff members) have maximum power of 567bhp and peak torque of 513lb ft.
Toyota: 5.7 litres
The Lexus LX, along with Toyota’s 5663cc 3UR-FE V8, has been used in that vehicle’s close relative, the Land Cruiser.
A home has also been found for it under the bonnets of two other hefty Toyotas, namely the Sequoia SUV and the Tundra pickup. Their third generations have been recently entered, and in each case, the 5.7 has been dropped in favor of smaller turbocharged engine
FAQs
1. Which car company has produced the biggest engine on this list?
Lancia produced a 4.9-litre four-cylinder engine for its Theta model, while some other brands on the list developed larger engines with different cylinder layouts. The largest engine depends on the specific model and production history being considered.
2. What is the biggest engine used in a Toyota vehicle mentioned in the article?
Toyota's 5.7-litre V8 engine, known as the 3UR-FE, was used in vehicles such as the Land Cruiser, Sequoia, and Tundra.
3. What is the largest engine used in a Subaru road car?
Subaru's 3.6-litre flat-six engine was used in models such as the Legacy, Outback, and Tribeca.
4. Which Volvo cars used the company's 4.4-litre V8 engine?
The 4.4-litre V8 engine, developed with Yamaha, was used in the Volvo XC90 SUV and S80 saloon.
5. Why do some car companies use smaller engines instead of bigger ones?
Smaller engines with turbocharging can deliver strong power while helping manufacturers meet fuel-efficiency and emissions targets. The best engine size depends on the vehicle's purpose, performance needs, and design.
