www.hotcars.com 10 Most Thrilling 6-Cylinder Cars You Can Get For Cheap

Sports cars and performance cars come in a wide range of specifications and sizes, from four-cylinders to massive V12s, and it's the 6-cylinder engine that sits smack dab in the middle both efficiency and performance-wise.

6-cylinder engines usually offer more performance than their 4-cylinder counterparts – all while exuding a much better engine sound. Many manufacturers use 6-cylinder engines for their higher-end models, especially their sports cars. BMW, for instance, builds some of the best 6-cylinder powerplants in the world, with other manufacturers borrowing their engines for their own models.

Many automakers have utilized the 6-cylinder engine to create some iconic sports cars – especially the Japanese with their Supras and Skylines. Here are 10 of the most thrilling 6-cylinder sports cars you can get for cheap on the used car market.

10BMW 330Ci ($9,000)

The BMW E46 3-Series is heralded as the last true BMW model that still follows the original philosophy before regulations forced turbocharging and other such emissions decreasing technology into the motoring world. With that, the E46 M3 is considered by many to be the greatest M3 and one of the best "M" cars ever produced.

Unfortunately, M3s are relatively expensive, so BMW created the ‘M3-lite’ in the form of the 330Ci. It has a 3.0-liter straight-6 producing 225 hp – as opposed to the M3’s 333 hp – but this does not take away from the car’s fun. Driving an E46 330Ci along a mountain road is a lot of fun thanks to the great chassis tuning and the bellowing straight-6 under the hood.

9Audi S4 ($12,000)

The Audi S4 is a model which has been through many iterations – from a 2.2-liter turbocharged inline-5 to a 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6, a 4.2-liter V8, a 3.0-liter supercharged V6, and finally a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 in the current generation. The European version of the current S4 is even available as a diesel!

The Audi S4 B8 with the supercharged V6 was by far the most interesting as it was rated by Audi to have 330 hp and 325 lb.ft of torque, but most people knew this was lower than what the actual engine produced. With a simple recalibration, the S4 was easily just as fast as the RS4 with its 4.2-liter V8. Quite an exciting V6 then.

Related: 5 Reasons Why We Would Buy A Kia Stinger (5 Reasons Why We Would Rather Have An Audi S4)

8Cadillac CTS Coupe ($12,000)

Along with the CTS sedan and Sport Wagon, Cadillac introduced the CTS Coupe alongside the CTS-V sedan. It was a surprise and nearly stole the attention away from the CTS-V sedan. The CTS Coupe was available as standard with a 3.6-liter V6 producing 304 hp, with a choice between a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic and rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive.

The CTS Coupe was quite the looker when it was produced and still warrants a second glance when spotted on the road. Its V6 was quite powerful and thanks to the two-door layout, the coupe weighed less than the sedan, resulting in slightly better performance. It was still a Cadillac though, so it was comfortable and luxurious to drive.

7Porsche 911 Carrera ($20,000)

The Porsche 911 is the best sports car on the planet, a feat it accomplished through brilliant engineering and a great marketing budget. It is a fantastic sports car to go blasting up and down a mountain pass with, as well as luxurious and comfortable enough to drive to work in the morning.

The 911 has always only been available with a 6-cylinder engine – not counting RUF’s version of it. The car is thrilling to drive, supremely fast, and handles better than most supercars – both on the road and on track. Thanks to depreciation, the 911 has dipped to just within the standard budget range and is now affordable enough for the normal motoring enthusiast.

Related: Porsche 911 Carrera 996: Costs, Facts, And Figures

6Mitsubishi 3000GT ($15,000)

The Mitsubishi 3000GT, or the Dodge Stealth, is a great piece of Japanese sports coupe. It was fitted with a 3.0-liter V6 in various states of tune – from 160 hp naturally aspirated, to 320 hp twin-turbo. It was available with front-wheel or all-wheel-drive, depending on the trim level.

The 3000GT/Stealth was updated various times during its production run, with the 3000GT VR-4 and Stealth R/T Twin-Turbo being the top specifications. Like other Japanese cars, the 3000GT has a multitude of aftermarket parts available – increasing the tunability of the car.

5Nissan 300ZX ($14,000)

The Nissan 300ZX is one of the greatest Nissan Z cars to ever exist. The Z32-generation was offered in the U.S. market for the 1990 through 1996 model years, and was available with a 3.0-liter V6 either in naturally aspirated form or with two turbos bolted onto the side.

Like most of the sports cars of the era, the 300ZX Twin-Turbo produced 300 hp and around 280 lb.ft of torque. It was available with either a 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission. The 300ZX helped cement the Japanese sports car into the minds of the motoring public, leading to the Japanese domination of the 1990s sports car scene.

Related: 10 Reasons Why The Nissan 300ZX Was Awesome

4Ford Taurus SHO ($11,000)

The Ford Taurus may not seem like a terribly exciting car, however the SHO variations – or ‘Super High Output’ – resulted in some proper sports sedans. The first and second generations featured V6 engines specifically designed by Yamaha for the Taurus, with the third generation showcasing a Yamaha V8.

The fourth-generation SHO took a massive leap and introduced turbochargers and all-wheel-drive to the line-up in the form of the 3.5-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 – which has since been available in a multitude of Ford products. In the SHO application, the engine produces 365 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque – more than the equivalent Taurus rival, making for quite an enthralling driving experience.

Related: These Are The Best Features Of The 2013 Ford Taurus SHO

3Porsche Boxster ($11,000)

The Boxster was the car that saved Porsche from financial ruin and helped build the marque up to what it is today. The first-generation Boxster was fitted with only flat-6 engines – as opposed to the current 718 Boxster line-up. The base Boxster's engine started out as a 2.5-liter, but later grew to 2.7 liters while the Boxster "S" had a full 3.2 liters of displacement.

Thanks to Porsche’s past experience with the 911, the Boxster was one of the best handling cars in its class. The engines only produced between 200 and 250 hp, but due to the low weight of just 2,800 lbs, the Boxster was able to rocket to 60 mph in only 6.7 seconds (7.4 seconds for the automatic).

2Audi TT 3.2 ($15,000)

The TT was Audi’s take on a small sports car and is generally regarded as a success. The first generation was available with a 1.8-liter turbocharged inline-4 in two states of tune – 178 hp and 222 hp – which was then complemented with a 3.2-liter naturally aspirated VR6 engine.

The 4-cylinders were front-wheel-drive as standard but could be fitted with Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive as an option. The 3.2-liter was fitted as standard with the Quattro system and was later offered with Audi’s (then) new DSG double-clutch automatic transmission. The VR6-engine TT is a great sports car with an awesome 6-cylinder engine sure to inject some adrenaline into every drive.

1Nissan 350Z ($13,000)

The Nissan 350Z is a fan favorite when talking within JDM circles. It is also a relatively cheap and easy way to get into the Japanese car world with a powerful and reliable V6 sports car. The 350Z is also almost endlessly customizable with aftermarket parts available from all sorts of manufacturers.

The 350Z is a brilliant example of when a Japanese car company decides to make a thrilling and reliable sports car. The 350Z was also cheaper than many of its rivals when it was launched, without compromising the driving feel or build quality. It is truly one of the best 6-cylinder sports cars out there.

Michael De Kock is passionate about cars and everything from avocados to particle accelerators. He has studied psychology and knows a little bit about fixing cars (old Land Rovers mostly). He also blogs and has a book, 125 Creative Writing Prompts for Petrolheads, available on Amazon.His philosophy in life: Stop the hate - Adopt a V8.