Koenigsegg GemeraThe Koenigsegg Gemera is one of the fastest 3-cylinder vehicles around. Powering the hypercar is the Koenigsegg Tiny Friendly Giant Twin Turbo Freevalve 3-cylinder combustion engine that produces 600 horsepower at 7,500 rpm. The car red lines at 8,500 rpm and pumps out 442.8 lb-ft. of torque from 2,000 rpm to 7,000 rpm. Notably, this vehicle doesn't have a traditional camshaft. Instead, it sports freevalve camless technology for controlling each individual valve for improved performance. It also features Koenigsegg Electronic Stability Control (KES) and three traction control settings: normal, wet, and track. Another crucial aspect of this vehicle is that it is not solely reliant on the 3-cylinder engine.The Koenigsegg Gamera is a hybrid powertrain with three electronic motors alongside the 3-cylinder engine. There's one for both back wheels and one integrated into the engine on the crankshaft for the front axle. Combining the power of these engines gives the vehicle a total output of 1,700 horsepower and 2,583 lb-ft. of torque. The Koenigsegg Gamera can go from 0 to 62mph in 1.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 248 mph.The car's exterior includes rear aluminum sub-frames alongside carbon fiber body panels and monocoque chassis. The wheelbase is 118.11 inches. At the front are 21 x 10.5-inch wheels, while the back sports 22 x 11.5-inch wheels. If you want one and have $1.7 million to spare, you may still be out of luck. Only 300 of these unique four-door hypercars were manufactured.Ford Fiesta STThe Ford Fiesta ST is a high-performance variant of the Fiesta produced between 2018 and 2023, and one that offers a very different driving experience. For a 3-cylinder hot-hatch, its achievements are nothing to scoff at. It can go 0-62 mph in 6.5 seconds and has a top speed of 143 mph.It gets its speed from its 1.5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine that pumps out 197 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 214 lb-ft. of torque at 1,600-4,000 rpm. The engine, paired with its 2,742 lb. base curb weight, allows it to be maneuverable and sporty. Like many hatchbacks, this one is a front-wheel drive vehicle and features a 6-speed manual gearbox. The Fiesta ST also has something for environmentally conscious individuals: cylinder deactivation. This lets the vehicle disable a cylinder's fuel delivery and valve operation when not needed. The process happens in 14 milliseconds, so there is no noticeable loss of power.For those who like to live daringly, there is a track mode to disable traction mode and squeeze out a little more fun from the car. When you do need to bring the car to a halt, there's also Torque Vectoring Control for individual braking to the front wheels.Mini CooperThe two-door Mini Cooper hardtop is many people's first introduction to 3-cylinder vehicles. The 2024 hardtop version can be picked up for $25,800, making it more affordable than others on this list. Powering the Cooper is a TwinPower Turbo 1.5-liter, inline 3-cylinder direct-injection engine that pumps out 134 horsepower at 4,500 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 1,480 rpm.The engine features BMW's double VANOS system. VANOS adjusts when the exhaust and intake valves open based on the engine's RPM, temperature, and load. This helps increase engine performance and torque. With its 3-cylinder engine, the two-door hardtop Cooper can go 0-60 in 7.5 seconds. This is partly thanks to its weight of 2,711 lbs. Speed isn't everything, though. Like most Cooper's, many find the 3-cylinder hardtop's suspension and responsive steering make for nimble handling. Although you won't break any speed records, the front-wheel-drive car can feel faster than it is because of those factors.Caterham Seven 160The Caterham Seven 160 is not your everyday automobile. It's for the hobbyist who wants to build their own unique vehicle. Once put together, the Seven 160 uses its turbocharged 660cc Suzuki 3-cylinder with a direct injection fuel system to get around the track. This essentially makes it a Kei car, just like the Hondo S660. Its engine produces 80 horsepower at 7,000 rpm. A 5-speed manual gearbox and independent front and rear suspension complement the engine. The vehicle weighs 1,080 lbs with its aluminum body, making it the lightest on this list. Its lightweight build can achieve 0-60 in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 100 mph. With its not-so-grippy 14-inch steel wheels tires, many find the car more fun to drive than modern standard vehicles. The Caterham 7 was launched as a successor to the Series 3 Lotus Seven, designed by the legendary engineer, designer, and founder of Lotus Cars, Colin Chapman. These vehicles don't have all the bells and whistles of a normal car. It's made for those who want no distractions between themselves, the machine, and the road.Volkswagen Up GTIThe Volkswagen Up GTI is a sporty variant of the compact VW Up city car. To give it a little extra oomph and set it apart from the base model, the GTI has a 3-cylinder inline Volkswagen GTI 1.0 TSI engine with a direct injection fuel system that Produces 115 horsepower and 147.5 lb.-ft. of torque at 2,000 to 3,500 rpm. This is paired with a 6-gear manual transmission.Not much changed with the exterior of the Up GTI after giving it more power. It still sports the car's length at 141.7 inches, width at 64.6 inches, and height at 58.2 inches, with a resulting curb weight of 2,400 lb. Despite its size, this front-wheel-drive car still features four doors and can seat four passengers.Its small build paired with its 3-cylinder engine allows it to go 0-60 in 8.8 seconds with a top speed of 122mph. The standard Up understandably cannot compete with the Up GTI's speed with its 60 horsepower engine. Unfortunately for fans of this pint-sized vehicle, production ended in 2023.
