By Ian Wright
For decades, the gold standard brand for a straight-six-cylinder-powered sport sedan has been BMW. But the gold standard doesn't necessarily mean being the only general game in town worth considering. BMW may traditionally have the volume of models, including its standard-series cars and M offerings, but that doesn't mean other brands don't have some absolute winners.
The straight-six layout lends itself to smoothness, with relatively little vibration in comparison to other popular powerplant layouts. They're also generally less complex than a V6 or V8 because they don't duplicate components across two banks of cylinders. Plus, there's only one cylinder head, and the configuration can include single parts for the intake and exhaust manifolds.
Part of the reason the straight-six has endured while the V6 is easier to package is that it also takes well to turbocharging, which this story explores as we look at some fantastic straight-six-powered cars that aren't from BMW.
Lexus IS
You can't find a straight-six in a modern Lexus IS, but the first generation took advantage of Toyota's brilliant 2JZ engine, specifically the famous 2JZ-GE variant. While it's not the now legendary twin-turbo 2JZ-GTE, the 2JZ-GE engine is a perfect fit for the compact sport sedan. It has all the build quality of the twin-turbo version without the added complexity of turn-of-the-century turbocharging. However, it can still handle turning if the owner desires more power.
Depending on the factory tune, the 3.0-liter 2JZ-GE delivered around 220 horsepower with close to the same amount of torque, making it competitive with the BMW 3 Series at the time. While the IS didn't quite deliver on the handling side of things, the 2JZ wasn't prone to cooling issues stemming from the plastics BMW was forced to use for its otherwise brilliant M57 straight-six. These factors make the 1999–2005 Lexus IS an excellent choice for a back-to-basics used car in 2026.
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe
If you're looking for a modern straight-six, Mercedes has been using its turbocharged M256 straight-six in the lower-trim GT 4-Door Coupé since 2019. The car is as wickedly quick as it is gloriously stylish. In the current generation, mixed with a hybrid electric system, the GT 4 makes 429 horsepower with 384 lb-ft of torque. Then it has short bursts of an extra 21 hp available from the EQ Boost mild-hybrid system.
While the GT 4-Door Coupe is a little soft on the handling side for an AMG-branded model, it makes for a wonderful four-door equivalent of a grand touring car. The model is capable of covering long distances in great comfort and with a lot of power available at all points of the rev-counter. However, what it lacks is simplicity due to the mix of turbocharging and electric power.
Ford Falcon XR6 Sprint
When it comes to straight-six engines, the Australians had one of the best, courtesy of Ford. The engine code used by Ford was Barramundi, but the 4.0-liter straight-six engine became known as the Barra. It was developed by Ford Australia and the motorsport firm Tickford, and overshadowed until its discontinuation in 2013 by V8s. However, when it made what some consider the best performance version of the Ford Falcon, the XR6 Sprint was powered by a turbocharged Barra, producing 325 horsepower and 479 ft-lb of torque.
Australia's Which Car? magazine got the XR6 Sprint to sprint from 0-62 mph in 5.03 seconds in 2016, which made for a potent sports sedan. And, it was tenths of a second faster than the larger V8 version.
Jaguar MKII
Going way back in time, and one for classic car lovers, the Jaguar MKII used Jaguar's XK engine, which became a legend on both the road and the track. The XK120 was the world's fastest production car you could buy in 1948, and its racing history includes Le Mans and even NASCAR. At the engine's racing peak, it was in the Le Mans-winning C- and D-Types.
Jaguar put the XK engine in everything for a long time. Most significantly, here, in the Jaguar MKII from 1959 to 1969. While it doesn't look like it by today's standards, it was one of the early sports sedans or, by today's standards, super sedans. So much so that it was used prolifically by bank robbers in the UK through the 1960s, stolen or otherwise. The 3.8-liter, 220-horsepower version was the most desirable to both police and criminals, as they had to keep up. The MKII's much more legal sporting credentials come from touring car racing, and it's still a popular car in vintage racing.
R34 Nissan Skyline 25GT-X Turbo
Stepping forward, Nissan brought back the Skyline GT-R name in 1989 and dropped a bomb on Group A racing in Asia. While also earning the name Godzilla, the GT-R grew in status and legend. Nissan was early to the twin-turbo straight-six party with its 2.6- and 2.8-liter RB engines. Yes, the Skyline GT-R is a coupe, but the R34 Skyline was also widely available with four doors and a naturally aspirated straight-six.
Then, there was the R34 Nissan Skyline 25GT-X Turbo, which further built on the idea of the R34 platform's ability as a sport sedan. Also known as the GT-T, the 1998 25GT-X Turbo arrived with premium features and a turbocharged 2.5-liter straight-six engine making 276 hp with 253 lb-ft of torque on top of a limited-slip differential and big brakes.
Sources: Which Car? / Jaguar Forums / BMW Blog / Nissan Heritage / Jaguar Forums
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
