10 Modern Cars That Prove You Don’t Need a Turbocharger to Be Fast

Like a caveman claiming his square wheel still works better than his neighbor’s round version, some car companies are defying the trend to turbocharge and supercharge all their engines. Yep, naturally aspirated performance engines are still a thing and, unlike that square wheel, the automotive world is all the better for it.

And we’ve got some really great ones, too, like the 1,001-hp, 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that does service in the Aston Martin Valkyrie.

This list covers some of the finest naturally aspirated engines left in the business, providing gearheads with old-school driving thrills in modern, sports car packages.

This list includes a short list of 10 sports cars, all fitted with naturally aspirated engines. You won’t find any turbochargers or superchargers here, just old-school, naturally aspirated driving pleasure. Cars are listed according to horsepower.

Mazda MX-5 Miata

Horsepower: 181 hp

The Mazda MX-5 Miata remains a firm favorite among driving enthusiasts. The naturally aspirated, two-liter engine revs to more than 7,000 rpm but produces only 181 hp, yet it is the sum of all the Miata parts that is so enticing. Light weight, excellent weight distribution, brilliant feedback from the front wheels while the rear wheels hurtle the little sports car to the next corner, excellent handling in the corners, and the rev-happy engine bouncing off the limiter. It is all pure, back-to-basics driving bliss.

In the right hands, the Mazda may even be quicker through a tight mountain pass than some 300-hp performance cars.

Toyota GR86

Horsepower: 228 hp

The Toyota GR86 ticks all the feel-good gearhead boxes. A reasonable asking price, rear-wheel-drive, 228 hp under the hood, excellent handling, and cool looks. The upcoming Yuzu Edition is even tastier, and gets the Performance Pack upgrade, and is decked out in a distinctive yellow hue, topped off with black accents. The ‘street racer’ look is completed with four exhaust pipes that could double up as drain pipes.

The 2.4-liter, naturally aspirated flat-four engine, co-developed with Subaru, is another highlight. It provides the GR86 with enough speed and agility to make it a really fun and fast car to hustle around a track.

Lexus LC500 Convertible

Horsepower: 471 hp

The Lexus LC 500’s five-liter V8 is a bit of an icon. Like the legendary V10 engine that powers the Lexus LFA, the 2UR-GSE was co-developed with Yamaha. As a result, the 471-hp naturally aspirated V8 revs to more than 7,000 rpm, and it will do it all day long, with no issues.

The very same engine was used in Toyota Gazoo Racing’s Hilux trucks that competed in the Dakar Rally, with Formula One legend Fernando Alonso behind the wheel. Sadly, the LC 500 will soon be the only Lexus to feature the naturally aspirated V8 engine. Sigh.

Ford Mustang Dark Horse

Horsepower: 500 hp

Ford’s so-called Coyote V8 engine is the Mustang Dark Horse’s main party trick. The engine gets some of the Shelby GT500’s performance parts, as well as a dual throttle-body intake, resulting in 500 hp, a rev limit of 7,500 rpm and brilliant throttle response, as befits a great naturally aspirated mill.

The five-liter engine powers the rear wheels via a Tremec six-speed manual gearbox with tricks like rev matching (for downshifts), or a 10-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. No prizes for guessing which option is the better if your pronoun is ‘Gearhead’.

Porsche 911 GT3

Horsepower: 502 hp

Porsche was the first performance car company to throw a spanner in the works when it launched the 930 Turbo in the 70s. Since then, it has emerged as one of the finest creators of turbocharged engines in the game. Which makes the latest 911 GT3’s naturally aspirated, four-liter flat-six engine even more of a landmark deal. In an age where turbochargers are taking over, Porsche gifted us a brilliant, naturally aspirated mill that revs to 9,000 rpm.

With 502 hp, 9,000 rpm on the dial, excellent handling, and a six-speed manual gearbox sending the power to the rear wheels… well, it’s pretty close to motoring nirvana.

Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato

Horsepower: 602 hp

Want a Lamborghini sports car that is not only fast, with a glorious V10 naturally aspirated engine located behind the seats, but can also do some off-roading? Then look no further than the Huracan Sterrato. With a mid-mounted, 5.2-liter V10 engine producing 602 hp, the Lamborghini will rocket from 0-60 mph in just over three seconds. The Sterrato’s unique selling point, though, is that it can do that on a gravel rally track.

Yep, this Lamborghini has an all-wheel-drive system, a ‘rally’ driving mode, the ride height has been increased by 1.8 inches along with more wheel travel, and the top speed is limited to 162 mph. In this Lambo, it is all about the high-revving, naturally aspirated V10 fun car. This is, truth be told, the Guiseppe Pastrana of super cars.

Gordon Murray Automotive T.50

Horsepower: 661 hp

Legendary designer Gordon Murray’s modern incarnation of his original McLaren F1 masterpiece, the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50, is based on all the greatness of the F1, with a few refinements thrown in for good measure. So it has the central driving position, an extremely low weight (2,200 lbs), a racing suspension set-up and a naturally aspirated V12 engine that revs to 12,000 rpm. Yep, that’s 12,000 rpm!

The 3.9-liter V12 was specially created for the T.50 by the legendary engine building company Cosworth, exactly according to Murray’s specifications. It produces 661 hp, which seems rather lean in this company. But it’s the combination of all the T.50 parts that sets it apart from the rest. It is a brilliant thing.

Chevrolet Corvette Z06

Horsepower: 670 hp

Is this the greatest Chevrolet Corvette ever made? Yes, the twin-turbocharged ZR1 and ZR1X have more power. Lots more power. But the Z06, powered by the naturally aspirated version of the Corvette’s 5.5-liter V8 engine that produces 670 hp, could very well offer the best balance between power, handling and performance of the three fast ‘Vettes.

The Z06, piloted by a Chevrolet engineer, recently set a time of 7:11.826 on the infamous Nürburgring in Germany. With a professional racing driver and Ring expert behind the wheel, this Corvette may be able to do a sub-seven-minute lap. Now that would be a heck of a thing! In this company, the Corvette represents excellent value for money.

Ferrari 12Cilindri

Horsepower: 819 hp

Ferrari has been building V12 engines since 1947. And it shows. The 6.5-liter V12 engine powering the 12Cilindri model produces a staggering 819 hp. And they are all natural ponies, with no forced induction added. Revving to 9,500 rpm, the engine has titanium connecting rods, lightweight pistons and the crankshaft has been specially balanced for high engine revolutions.

An eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox sends power to the rear wheels only, so the 12Cilindri gets more tricks than Harry Houdini can even imagine. It has four-wheel steering, an electronically controlled eDiff and an advanced torque vectoring system. Enzo Ferrari would surely give this one the nod.

Aston Martin Valkyrie

Horsepower: 1,000 hp (engine only)

Witness the handiwork of another Formula One design legend, the Aston Martin Valkyrie. Adrian Newey – former Red Bull Formula One legend and now the main driving force behind the Aston Martin F1 team’s 2026 car – wanted to create a Formula One driving experience in a road legal car. This is, of course, no easy feat, as Mercedes-AMG found out when it required many years of development work to get its F1 hybrid system to work in the One supercar.

Newey commissioned engine maker Cosworth to create a bespoke 6.5-liter V12 naturally aspirated engine that produces 1,001 hp, and revs to 11,000 rpm. In the Valkyrie, the engine is augmented by a 160-hp electric motor attached to the input shaft of the seven-speed sequential gearbox, and the combined output is 1,161 hp. With all the active Formula One aerodynamic tricks in the book included in the Valkyrie design, the Aston Martin’s top speed is limited to 220 mph. And it has a thing for shattering lap records.

Sources: Mazda, Toyota, Aston Martin, Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari, GMA, Ford, Chevrolet, Lexus.