As enthusiasts, we’ve been psychologically trained to believe that bigger is better. Often, we associate sports cars with large gas-guzzling V8s, and supercars are expected to house screaming V10s or V12s. Some of us are even willing to settle for turbocharged V6s, while we consider anything below four cylinders absolute blasphemy. A hard-to-swallow pill for us as car lovers is the reality of downscaling and taking advantage of smaller motors mated to boosted powertrains, whether forced induction or electrification; Mercedes-AMG has already removed the V8 from its C63 to make space for a plug-in hybrid four-cylinder system, which has left us somewhat despondent.
However, The reality is that this downscaling allows for greater fuel efficiency and more efficient performance, and modern technology means smaller motors are more powerful than ever.
In recent years, the popularity of the three-cylinder engine has risen dramatically, which isn’t necessarily bad. Modern technology has allowed three-cylinder engines to compete with the more common four-cylinders and exceed their capabilities. There are even three-cylinder supercars over and above hot hatches and sports cars. Our question, however, is why?
To answer that, we need to look at what makes three-bangers so popular, their benefits, and their weak points.
