Essential three-cylinder heroes | Six of the Best

There’s been a pleasing, if small, resurgence for the three-cylinder engine in recent years. Cars that once had four cylinders have been swapped for three in the name of efficiency or they’ve been used to achieve unprecedented levels of power – or they’ve been used to replace a mad old v-twin in the case of this Morgan. In any triple you’re guaranteed a charmingly thrummy soundtrack, and typically very little weight – they’re easy little motors to enjoy very much indeed. The 1.5 found in the Super 3 was a drastic change from the 3-Wheeler’s original motor – gaining a cylinder and dropping half a litre – but still the perfect fit for a uniquely Morgan take on the sports car. Plenty more power was on offer for much-improved fuel consumption, and the new rasp was an ideal accompaniment to the Wacky Races aesthetic. This one is immediately available, meaning no wait for a factory order, and doesn’t carry a premium – summers will never be the same again. 

Well, course. The GR Yaris features arguably the best known, most lauded three-cylinder car of this decade, its record-breaking specific output, vivacious character and apparent tuneability securing it legendary status. The G16E-GTS was startling enough five years ago, easygoing despite each cylinder providing nearly 90hp and also supremely willing to rev. It’s only become more impressive with time, torquier and more powerful in the latest GR Yaris and up to 300hp in the Corolla. From a 1.6-litre three-cylinder that, officially, scored 35mpg – incredible. Broadly speaking it seems to have been very reliable as well, because this is still a Toyota. Albeit the greatest hatchback it’s ever made. This one appeals with the silver wheels and Circuit Pack and some Litchfield goodies. Because why make do with just the 261hp if more is so easily available?

The Mk8 Ford Fiesta ST had a tough task on its hands, replacing one of the most entertaining hot hatches of recent times, with a smaller engine that had dropped a cylinder. Nevertheless, the evolution from 1.6-litre, four-pot ST to 1.5-litre turbo triple ST was an extremely successful one; maybe the dinkiest fast Ford wasn’t quite as laugh-out-loud hilarious to throw at a roundabout, but it was more capable, more refined, just as fast and had a much nicer interior. The stuff that matters in a hot hatch when you’re not three-wheeling about the place, basically. And being slightly less of a giggle than a Mk7 ST still made the Mk8 extremely good fun. The 1.5 was 200hp strong from factory (and a bit torquier with the facelift) but easily tickled to a little more from the likes of Mountune. This Mean Green ST-3 should have all the kit you’ll need, including the Performance Pack. Modern fast Fords come little better.

Bet you’d forgotten about this one. In among the superminis and small silly stuff, there’s a bonafide modern classic exotic with a three-cylinder engine. The i8 may not have achieved exactly what BMW set out for it more than a decade ago, but it’s easy to be intrigued now with £25k the entry point for a carbon-celled, mid-engined hybrid that still looks to have driven straight from a designer’s mood board. The engine that powered the i8 was BMW’s B38, part of its modular family and therefore effectively half the 3.0-litre B58 that’s gone on to become a famed straight six. It delivered 231hp of the i8’s 367hp total, boasting a soundtrack that, if augmented, did a pretty convincing job of feeling like a six of some kind. They aren’t as scary as might be expected secondhand, either – the PH Buying Guide called the i8 ‘very reliable and largely problem-free.’ This one is said to boast a ‘stellar’ service history – and it’s less than the Yaris… 

Another dead cert, the GTI was the Up all enthusiasts were clamouring for since the standard car’s 2012 launch. It took five years to arrive, but ticked a lot of the boxes many were hoping for from a junior GTI: a useful power bump, pert good looks, a manual gearbox and plenty of tartan. It was the first Up to boast more than 100hp from the 1.0-litre turbo triple, and still just snuck in under a tonne, meaning the Mk1 Golf GTI comparisons haven’t really stopped since the Up’s reveal. Maybe it wasn’t the most exciting pocket rocket ever made, though it’s hard to argue with the GTI’s sales success: the buying public couldn’t get enough of VW’s baby hot hatch. Yet residuals remain strong, probably helped by price rises during its life: £10k is still the entry point, with late low-miles like this still more than £17,000. But with the GTI’s future electric, you wouldn’t be against the three-cylinder tykes staying collectable. 

A wild card to finish with. Because this is very far from an average example of the original Smart, in case you’d missed the £20k asking price. This is a Brabus Smart, from a time before Brabus Smarts were officially a thing, a one-of-three coachbuilt special. Specifically, it’s a Widestar 450, and apparently the other two were made at the turn of the century for Gordon Murray and David Coulthard. So there. The Brabus overhaul was more than cosmetic as well, with a power boost for the 600cc three-cylinder, Bilstein suspension, disc brakes all round, wider tracks (clue’s in the name!) plus the usual flurry of Bottrop trinkets. This one certainly seems to have lived a life over a quarter of a century and 50,000 miles, if the stickers are anything to go by, and it’s hard to resist a smile seeing those Brabus rims separated by what looks like half a metre of wheelbase. Freshly MOT’d, too…