Engine specific output is typically measured by power-per-litre. It shows how efficient an engine is at producing power relative to its size. 

In the past, 100 PS-per-litre was considered the holy grail, only found in supercars or high-performance sports cars. Now, especially with turbocharging, it has become a lot more common and some even go far beyond it.

So, here are 5 cars that pretty much says, “size doesn’t matter.”

Ford GT – 191 PS-per-litre

Recently updated with slightly more power at 669 PS, compared to 656 PS from before while torque is maintained at 746 Nm. It uses a 3.5-litre V6 twin-turbocharged engine mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).

No official acceleration figure was given by Ford, but independent 0-100 km/h tests have hit the ballpark of 3.0 seconds. Top speed however, is claimed to be 348 km/h.

Bugatti Chiron Super Sport 300 Plus - 200 PS-per-litre

This is the car that broke the 300-mph barrier, at 305 mph (490 km/h). Sadly, it’s not an official record because it wasn’t repeated in the opposite direction. Which is why officially, the world’s fastest car is still the Koenigsegg Agera RS, with an average of 447 km/h in both directions.

Back to specific output, power comes from an 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbocharged engine that produces 1600 PS, 100 PS more than the standard Chiron while torque is presumably kept at 1600 Nm. A 7-speed DCT sends the power to all four wheels. 0-100 km/h takes about 2.4 seconds.

McLaren Senna – 200 PS-per-litre

Designed to be faster than anything else with a number plate around a race track. One way to achieve it is via firepower. Funnily, it’s as if the engine in the Chiron Super Sport has been chopped in half and placed in the Senna. 

It’s half the capacity (4.0-litre), half the turbochargers (twin-turbocharged), has half the cylinders (V8), and coincidentally makes half the output figures – 800 PS/800 Nm. But it has the same number of gears, a 7-speed DCT. 0-100 km/h takes 2.8 seconds and tops out at 340 km/h.

Mercedes-AMG A45 S – 211 PS-per-litre

This is perhaps the only “affordable” car in this list of hypercars/supercars. The M139 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine in the A45 S (also in the CLA/GLA 45 S) makes 421 PS and 500 Nm of torque, and is mated to an 8-speed DCT.

0-100 km/h takes 3.9 seconds and top speed is achieved at 270 km/h.

Koenigsegg Jesko – 320 PS-per-litre

Koenigsegg calls this a ‘megacar’, because it makes more than 1 megawatt (1360 PS) of power. And from the way it looks and what the numbers suggest, the Jesko is indeed mega.

The 5.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 makes up to 1600 PS/1500 Nm on E85 fuel. The transmission is another novelty – a 9-speed transmission with seven clutches.

Why don't we let Christian von Koenigsegg himself bring you around the car.