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These 3-Cylinder Sports Cars Know What It Takes To Be Great Fun
SHOPPING
3-CYLINDER SPORTS CARS YOU CAN’T OVERLOOK
By Carlo Brema
The situation here was predictable. After all, after downsizing and an increasingly insistent dominance of hybrid engines, the world of sports cars has been put to the test even more than what already happened with various taxes, fuel costs and a politically correct which, according to most, sees a performance car usable only between the curbs of a racetrack, almost being painted like the public enemy number one of everyday roads. This dystopian and apocalyptic vision of the world of cars – and not just high-performance ones – has not, however, put all its clutches on those models that warm our heart, but it is always better to be ready and in case everything should change overnight, having some valid alternatives to the more traditional sports cars doesn’t seem like a bad idea at all.
With the due proportions and bearing in mind that models with over 500 horsepower have already introduced a system that in suitable situations allows you to deactivate half of their cylinders, today we want to turn to those models that with the smallest engine out there are perfectly capable of offering tons of driving fun, overturning the concept that brute power is everything and without having to compromise on an anorexic chassis, for sure less practical in everyday life. For the record, we have left the BMW i8 and the exotic Koenigsegg Gemera out of the equation, both equipped with a small 3-cylinder petrol engine, coupled with electric motors that bring them into further different categories in terms of performance and price.
TOYOTA GR YARIS
We are not talking about anything else now and for a good reason. The GR Yaris is not simply a Yaris on steroids, but the little bomb par excellence, after all, it was designed by the Gazoo Racing Team and produced to offer a driving experience that in this segment had not yet reached the performance and dynamic peaks you get now. With a specific platform capable of accommodating all-wheel drive and positioning the engine lower, the GR Yaris combines a six-speed manual gearbox with the direct injection 1.6 turbocharged capable of grounding 261 horsepower and 360 Nm of torque, all with racing-inspired turbocharging and exhaust. The Performance Pack includes a specific set-up and 18″ wheels, with a braking system with 356 mm front discs, obviously not forgetting a Torsen-type self-locking differential both front and rear. It is the most powerful and shocking 3-cylinder in the world, an authentic instant classic.
FORD FIESTA ST / PUMA ST
No surprises when you know where to put your trust in and when it comes to Ford Performance we are never disappointed. After saying goodbye to the previous generation Fiesta ST, Ford said goodbye to the 4-cylinder with 200 horsepower of the ST200 version as well, welcoming the new model with a substantial transformation. The new Ford Fiesta ST is powered by a small 1.5-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder that however continues to deliver 200 horsepower. Updated look according to current styling and drivability that remains phenomenal, thanks to the front mechanical self-locking differential (optional), perfectly capable of continuing to keep the angriest Fiesta of all at the top of the XS size hot-hatches category. From 2020 the same engine also equips the Puma ST, an absolute news that dresses up the blue oval crossover, offering the same driving emotions, still contained dimensions, but more space on board and a seating position raised a few centimeters from the ground which however does not penalize the behavior of a little hooligan of one of the models that surprised us the most in the past months of testing.
MINI COOPER
The MINI is an icon, we have no doubts about this and as often happens at this juncture, its illustrious history that began in 1959 has seen numerous transformations that led it to be definitively reincarnated in 2001 under the aegis of BMW. It is with the third generation (of the modern era) – called F56 – that MINI changes its engine range and leaves the 4-cylinder to the Cooper S and hi-performance derivatives. The Cooper, the model that logically is aimed at a wider slice of customers, passes from 4 cylinders to the 3 cylinders of the new 1.5 cc, with a power of 136 horsepower which, thanks also to greater weight and dimensions and a kart feeling more attenuated than before, move a hatchback for everyone and which, even if it is much less reactive than the R53 and R56 (the two previous generations), knows how to entertain on a twisty road.
VOLKSWAGEN UP! GTI
And if size matters, in the sense that you are looking for the smallest of the lot, the VW Up! GTI could be the solution for you. Just 360 centimeters long, with a cute look and mainly designed for an urban context, the Up! GTI is the peppery version of the Volkswagen city car, equipped with a 116 horsepower 1-liter turbo 3-cylinder engine which thanks to the reduced mass it has to move around, accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in just 8.8 seconds, with a maximum speed of nearly 200 per hour. Trust me, the world in here will seem to move much faster!
HONDA S660
Turning instead to less obvious models, especially in our old continent, we cannot forget the S660, the Kei-car that Honda started producing since 2015, almost as a miniature alternative to the legendary S2000. With a car body contained in just 3.3 meters in length and a weight of 830 kg, the S660 has an optimal weight balance thanks to the positioning of the turbocharged 3-cylinder of 658 cubic centimeters positioned transversely just behind driver and passenger. Then we have a 6-speed manual gearbox, in short, everything you could want in a sports car that makes its only 64 horsepower enough to move from point A to point B with a huge smile on your face.
SUZUKI CAPPUCCINO
Produced from 1991 to 1998, the Cappuccino is another Kei-car that has enjoyed great success in Japan. Also in this case we find a body of extremely small dimensions, with a look obviously reminiscent of the legendary 90s and therefore soft lines, a cute appearance and the ability to keep the roll-bar raised up, once the roof is folded into the special compartment. The 657cc 3-cylinder turbo engine produces 63 horsepower under just 700 kilos of weight, while the gearbox is a providential and involving five-speed manual.
DAIHATSU COPEN
The Copen is another small convertible that was initially introduced with a 4-cylinder engine. We have to wait until 2014 for the new model – also known as Kopen – but unfortunately it was not imported in Europe. The key points remain pretty much the same and this Kei-car with a nice look and small dimensions reward the choice of a more compact and economical engine, a 658cc 3-cylinder with 63 horsepower, in its case combined with a 5-speed manual transmission or a CVT gearbox. However, the second generation Copen has not forgotten its origins and those soft and rounded lines that characterized its debut and in fact, in addition to the traditional and more angular version, we have the Copen Cero, a mechanically identical variant but with a car body that pays homage to its first generation.
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