(iSeeCars) – Horsepower remains one of the key measurements of a vehicle’s performance and capabilities. It determines everything from acceleration to top speed to towing capacity. Traditionally, exotic cars with large V12 or V8 engines offered the greatest horsepower, but now electric vehicles powered by advanced electric motors are challenging high-performance supercars with twin-turbo and supercharged engines.
Below you’ll find the vehicles with the most horsepower ranked in 40 vehicle categories, including cars, trucks, SUVs, and minivans. Rather than focusing on exotic brands like Ferrari, McLaren, and Lotus, these lists highlight the most powerful production cars mainstream consumers can actually find and afford at their local dealerships.
You’ll still see aerodynamic coupes and powerful muscle cars, with both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive powertrains, but hypercars with 250-plus mph top speeds, such as the Aston Martin Valkyrie, Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, and Koenigsegg Regera, aren’t included here. Instead, you’ll find traditional, high-horsepower road cars like the Chevy Camaro ZL1, Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye, and Ford Mustang Dark Horse.
Each model listed below includes maximum horsepower and lb-ft of torque figures for the most powerful variants. The most powerful electric cars, including the Lucid Air and Tesla Model S Plaid, are also ranked by horsepower in the electric car categories below.
Remember that while horsepower gets more attention, torque is what actually turns a vehicle’s wheels and provides forward (or reverse) motion. Electric vehicles provide instant torque immediately, which is why they feel so quick at low speeds compared to internal combustion engines that have to rev up from idle to achieve maximum power and torque. Generally speaking, torque is what moves a car at lower speeds while horsepower is what keeps it moving and accelerating at higher speeds.
New car and used car price ranges, fuel economy specs, and cargo capacity are also provided below.
Small Cars with the Most Horsepower
Honda Civic (hatchback) – 315 hp
Volkswagen Golf R – 315 hp
Toyota GR Corolla – 300 hp
Luxury Small Cars with the Most Horsepower
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT – 577 hp
BMW M3 – 543 hp
Alfa Romeo Giulia – 505 hp
Midsize Cars with the Most Horsepower
Kia Stinger – 368 hp
Toyota Camry – 301 hp
Volkswagen Arteon – 300 hp
Luxury Midsize Cars with the Most Horsepower
Cadillac CT5-V – 668 hp
BMW M8 – 617 hp
BMW 8 Series – 612 hp
Large Cars with the Most Horsepower
Dodge Charger – 807 hp
Chrysler 300 – 485 hp
Ford Taurus – 365 hp
Luxury Large Cars with the Most Horsepower
Cadillac CTS-V – 640 hp
Mercedes-Benz S-Class – 621 hp
Audi RS 7 – 621 hp
Sports Cars with the Most Horsepower
Dodge Challenger – 807 hp
Chevrolet Camaro (coupe) – 650 hp
Chevrolet Camaro (convertible) – 650 hp
Luxury Sports Cars with the Most Horsepower
Chevrolet Corvette (coupe) – 670 hp
Chevrolet Corvette (convertible) – 670 hp
Ford GT – 660 hp
Hatchbacks with the Most Horsepower
Nissan Z – 420 hp
Kia Stinger – 368 hp
Nissan 370Z (coupe) – 350 hp
Luxury Hatchbacks with the Most Horsepower
Chevrolet Corvette (coupe) – 670 hp
Ford GT – 660 hp
Audi RS 7 – 621 hp
Subcompact SUVs with the Most Horsepower
MINI Countryman – 312 hp
Hyundai KONA N – 276 hp
Dodge Hornet – 268 hp
Luxury Subcompact SUVs with the Most Horsepower
BMW X1 – 312 hp
BMW X2 – 312 hp
Mercedes-Benz GLA – 302 hp
Small SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Jeep Cherokee – 270 hp
Subaru Outback – 260 hp
Mazda CX-5 – 256 hp
Luxury Small SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Jaguar F-PACE – 567 hp
Maserati Grecale – 523 hp
Land Rover Defender – 518 hp
Crossover SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Ford Explorer – 400 hp
Ford Flex – 365 hp
Dodge Durango – 360 hp
Luxury Crossover SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Porsche Cayenne – 650 hp
BMW X5 M – 617 hp
BMW X6 M – 617 hp
Midsize SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Jeep Wrangler Unlimited – 470 hp
Jeep Wrangler – 470 hp
Jeep Wagoneer L – 420 hp
Luxury Midsize SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Porsche Cayenne – 650 hp
BMW X5 M – 617 hp
BMW X6 M – 617 hp
Large SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Jeep Grand Wagoneer L – 510 hp
Jeep Grand Wagoneer – 510 hp
Ford Expedition – 440 hp
Luxury Large SUVs with the Most Horsepower
Cadillac Escalade-V – 682 hp
Cadillac Escalade-V ESV – 682 hp
BMW X7 – 631 hp
Midsize Trucks with the Most Horsepower
Ford Ranger – 405 hp
GMC Canyon – 310 hp
Nissan Frontier – 310 hp
Full-Size Trucks with the Most Horsepower
Ford F-150 – 720 hp
Ram 1500 – 540 hp
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 – 420 hp
Whether you’re looking for the power of a sports car or the refinement of a luxury vehicle, these options offer some of the best performance available.
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This article, Cars with the Most Horsepower, originally appeared on iSeeCars.com.