Four-banger heaven | Six of the Best

Let’s start with a no-brainer. Alfa is justly famous for many things: style, speed, fragility etc – but its Twin Cam motor, launched in 1954 and produced for four decades, is unquestionably among the finest four-cylinder engines ever made. Giuseppe Russo may now be synonymous with the V6 he subsequently designed for Alfa, but the much earlier double overhead camshaft inline-four was arguably his greater contribution, given its much higher volume and longevity. There are more feted versions of it than the 1.8-litre lump dropped into this ’67 GTV – but, among some other upgrades, you’re still getting a terrific, usable classic car with the sort of unfettered tonal loveliness that simply doesn’t exist anymore. Cheap at twice the price. 

Of course, if money is no object, you can always plunge a sticky mitt into the assortment tray marked ‘Evo’. For ten generations and nearly 25 years, the homologated Mitsubishi Lancer (alongside Subaru’s equally legendary boxer) redefined what a 2.0-litre four-banger could do if you got your turbocharging right. Sacrilege, perhaps, not to choose one sporting the 4G63T unit, but if you really want to push the power boat out, then there really is nothing like the later 4B11T in its last-of-the-line, HKS-boosted FQ-440 format – 440, naturally, indicating 440hp. This one, number 26 of just 40 built to mark Mitsubishi’s UK anniversary, has endured just one owner and eight thousand miles. Cheap, it isn’t. Wild it most certainly is. 

If cheap is more appealing (and what are easily packaged four-pots for if not to fill the engine bay of affordable cars?) then the choice is vast. We’ve cherry-picked this ST200 not just because it’s heading toward the bang of the PH gavel, but because the run-out model epitomises what is great about the venerable combination of small body and lusty, overboosted engine. The 1.6-litre Ecoboost Ti-VCT motor was not considered a legend in its own lifetime – and yet the point is that it didn’t need to be. It was enough that it sounded the part and was as energetic as a cocker spaniel in a ball pit. In terms of maximum fun-bang for your buck, look no further. 

Alternatively, if you’d rather be seen chasing a tornado in a pink kilt than caught dead in a Fiesta, the E30 M3 arguably represents the high point of revered, super-collectable four-cylinder cars. And that’s because the short-lived 2.3-litre S14, a literal mongrel of other BMW bits, was a straight-up classic. Surrounded on all sides by a straight-up classic. Its reputation, built on the pedestal of genuine homologation, is acute partly because the M3 would never be quite the same car again – and partly because BMW didn’t build that many. Consequently, you’ll pay through the nose for something that requires you to drive it from the wrong side. Hence the £100k required to bag one that started life in Japan and covered 76k. Rest assured though, the E30 is the whole package. 

If, however, you much prefer your ‘whole package’ to be less than 12 months old, then you won’t do much better in this day and age than the current GR86. It makes a virtue of its flat-four engine, extolling its swiftness to rev, low-to-the-ground packaging and comparatively lightweight as obviously beneficial to making a two-door coupe superbly good to drive. Previously, the naturally aspirated engine was a weakness; now, with its larger 2.4-litre displacement, it seems like a revelation. And while buyers have tended to favour Toyota’s other performance-minded triumph in terms of volume, the GR86 is a sweeter steer than the Yaris and arguably the one more deserving of a place in your forever garage. Plus, unlike a four-cylinder Porsche Cayman, it can be had in nearly-new format for a smidge over £30k. Bargain. 

We were minded to finish with a Honda, in deference to VTEC’s indelible place in the history of four-pot engines. But having lauded the manufacturer very recently, we’ve chosen instead the deep pleasure that is a fully-functioning K-series motor – especially when in combined with the Best Sports Car Since 1998. The (often overstated) risk of potentially ruinous issues is one for the comments; the rewards, though, are unarguable: the unit’s famed flexibility and enthusiasm for revs made it a sublime power source for the Elise. Precisely which flavour of the 1.8-litre was actually best is also a matter for lengthy discussion, but we’ve stuck our flag in Series 1 – specifically the 145hp 111S. You’ll pay more than £20k for a mint condition example, but we like the cut of this 71k-old car’s jib. Probably it’s the colour. And the sunshine. That’s really all you need.