How much power engines make per litre, 1950s–2020s
Specific output - kilowatts per litre of displacement - of petrol and diesel engines in new car generations, by the decade production started. Hybrids and electric cars are left out because their system power is not comparable.
Key findings
- Median specific output rose from 37.7 kW per litre in the 1950s to 89.6 kW per litre in the 2020s - 2.4× more power from every litre.
- The top 10% of 2020s engines make at least 125.3 kW (170 PS) per litre.
- Diesels trail petrol engines: in the 2020s the median diesel makes 64 kW per litre against 90 kW for petrol.
- Highest figure: the Trion Nemesis I with 164.8 kW per litre (2010s).
Data table
| Decade | Generations | Median output per litre (kW / PS) | Top 10% from (kW / PS) | Petrol median (kW per litre) | Petrol generations | Diesel median (kW per litre) | Diesel generations | Highest (kW per litre) | Highest: car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51 | 37.7 / 52 | 52.7 / 72 | 38 | 50 | 20.1 | 3 | 73.7 | Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa |
| 1960s | 151 | 42.2 / 57 | 49.6 / 68 | 42.2 | 151 | 23.5 | 4 | 96.7 | Mazda Cosmo Sport / 110S L10 |
| 1970s | 122 | 38.8 / 53 | 57.3 / 77 | 38.8 | 121 | 25.2 | 15 | 115.6 | Caterham Seven I |
| 1980s | 61 | 51.1 / 69 | 77.1 / 105 | 50.2 | 60 | 34.6 | 9 | 116.1 | Porsche 959 |
| 1990s | 93 | 51.5 / 71 | 80.2 / 109 | 51.5 | 88 | 41.2 | 23 | 157.5 | Mazda RX-7 FD |
| 2000s | 167 | 61.4 / 83 | 88.5 / 121 | 61.7 | 156 | 55 | 43 | 116.1 | Nissan GT-R (R35) |
| 2010s | 268 | 73.8 / 101 | 114.2 / 155 | 74.7 | 247 | 61 | 85 | 164.8 | Trion Nemesis I |
| 2020s | 71 | 89.6 / 122 | 125.3 / 170 | 90 | 67 | 64 | 20 | 147.3 | Bugatti Centodieci |
Methodology
For every petrol or diesel version with both power and displacement we divide power (kW) by displacement (litres); each generation counts with its highest figure. Median and the top-10% threshold (90th percentile) are shown per decade, plus separate petrol and diesel medians with their sample sizes. Values outside 5–300 kW per litre are excluded. 1 kW = 1.36 PS.
Passenger cars only: trucks, buses and vans are excluded (the same rule as our rankings).
Decades with fewer than 8 generations are not shown; the table gives the number of generations behind every figure.
Values come from the 1CARS catalog. Part of the specifications are extracted from our articles and not yet checked by an editor; obvious outliers are excluded. Figures describe the cars in our catalog, not the whole market.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “1CARS” and link to this page. License terms.