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While we love a classic naturally-aspirated engine, these new cars are in serious need of the extra power forced induction would provide.
Auto enthusiasts crave naturally-aspirated engines, especially powerful ones, but more often than not, this results in a lack of power when they're compared to cars that come fitted with engines that make use of forced induction. Take for instance the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, it's equipped with a naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter mid-mounted V12 that's good for 759 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque, now, just imagine if a turbo or two had been thrown into the mix...
Ferrari has been dabbling in the turbocharged scene for quite some time, with some of their latest V8-powered sports cars redefining what the brand is best known for. The SF90 is a perfect example hereof, it uses both a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine and three electric motors to produce a total of 986 hp, Ferrari even revised the V6 Ferrari engine with the 296 GTB.
And while naturally-aspirated engines tend to sound better and produce better throttle response, they're also slowly becoming a thing of the past. There's a good reason for that, too, as turbocharged engines are able to squeeze out both more power and more miles per gallon. We don't mind the classic appeal of these naturally aspirated engines, but every car on this list desperately needs more power courtesy of forced induction.
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The Mitsubishi Mirage isn't meant for your average motor enthusiast, after all, its 1.2-liter three-cylinder motor just puffs out 78 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque. In the real world, that means that this budget-friendly commuter car which starts at just over $16,000 can only reach 60 mph from a standstill once 11 seconds have elapsed.
Sure, it was never meant to be blisteringly fast, but we can't help but wonder what a turbocharged Mirage could turn out to be if it provided a fun driving experience without costing more than $20,000.
We get it, turbocharging a Miata might seem like a sin, but don't forget, Mazda did it first with the NB Miata in 2004, and they called it the Mazdaspeed Miata. After adding the turbo into the mix, the NB Miata produced 178 hp in total, which was 38 hp more than the base model's four-banger.
Now, imagine this... the latest ND Miatas have a naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 181 hp, so, what if Mazda were to repeat history and throw a turbocharger into the ND's engine bay, surpass the 200-hp milestone, and call it the Mazdaspeed Miata again. We've already reviewed the current ND Miata RF, and we can say adding just a bit of optional power won't hurt anyone!
Related: Super-Rare Mazda Miata NB Hard Top Goes For Auction
Speaking of lightweight analog sports cars, here we have the latest addition to the market, the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ. We mention both of these cars under the same entry because they both are nearly identical and come equipped with the exact same 2.4-liter naturally-aspirated four-cylinder boxer engine, which puts out 228 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque.
Adding a turbocharger to these cars might seem unnecessary, but just imagine a lightweight Japanese sports car with a manual gearbox and around 300 hp without spending Supra money. Oh, and how could we forget, this move might even steal some sales from Porsche's compact sports cars too!
Lexus has created some unbelievable sports cars over the last few years, their most memorable being the Lexus LFA, and for the majority of them, they all came fitted with a naturally-aspirated engine, but as we mentioned in the introduction, being naturally can only take you this far. The RC-F is by no means a car that lacks power, its 5.0-liter V8 produces 472 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque.
There is one downside to the RC-F however, it needs to go on a diet... the RC-F in its standard form weighs 4,017 lbs, and in its "stripped-down" variant it weighs almost 2,800 lbs, this car needs the power to compensate for its weight.
At the time of writing this article, the Chevy Spark is the cheapest new car on sale, and once you see what heart is beating underneath its hood, you understand the $14,595 price tag. Although the Chevrolet's name might lead you to believe it uses some sort of hybrid technology, the Chevrolet Spark is actually powered by a naturally-aspirated 1.4-liter engine that spits out 98 hp and 94 lb-ft of torque.
In comparison to the aforementioned Mitsubishi Mirage, the Spark is worlds ahead of it, but because the Chevy weighs 2,305 lbs, which is about 250 lbs heavier than the Mitsubishi, it needs the extra power. It can definitely do with more, and we reckon to add a turbocharged Spark into Chevy's lineup will just boost their sales.
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Caterham creates many iterations of the Seven, all based on the Lotus Seven. The base models usually come fitted with turbocharged engines, their most expensive ones have supercharged ones, and in between lies their naturally-aspirated models, in this instance, the Seven 420.
The Caterham 420 has a neat little 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Ford Duratec engine hidden underneath its hood which develops 210 hp and 203 lb-ft of torque, and because it only weighs 1234 lbs, it can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds. However, these numbers can be drastically improved by attaching a turbo onto its Duratec engine, don't you think?
Once again, here we have a praised Lexus sports car, but not because of its speed necessarily, but rather because of its N/A 471-hp 5.0-liter V8's song, and its appearance. Want to have a gander at why the LC500's 0-60 time is only 4.7-seconds? Well, you see, the LC500's curb weight is rated at 4371 lbs, which earns it the title of being one of the heaviest sports cars on the market today.
But we don't want to take the LC500's crisp exhaust note away, we just figure that by adding a turbocharger to its V8, the LC500 will run just as well as it sounds and looks.
Interestingly, Jaguar used to offer the F-Type in its base form called the P300 with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, but they have decided to cut it off, and only offer the F-Type with a V8 from here on out. These aren't any normal V8s either, they have 5.0 liters in displacement, and come fitted with superchargers.
The P450 still manages to produce 444 hp, but because it weighs around 4,000 lbs, its 0-60 time of 4.4 seconds is sub-optimal, while the R-model has a 3.5-second time. We reckon that Jaguar should keep the supercharged V8 in its F-Type R, but replace the P450's supercharger with either one or two turbochargers to raise the stakes.
Related: 2022 Jaguar F-Type P450 RWD Coupe Review: Old School Experience With Advanced Tech
Now here's an interesting one. The Suzuki Jimny is sold over many parts of the world, but not in the U.S., so if you happen to know nothing about the Jimny let's bring you up to speed. The Jimny saw life for the first time in the year 1970, however, it only grabbed the public's eye in 1985 when they started selling Jimny models in the U.S. but they were renamed the Samurai. Nowadays, the Jimny still encapsulates what it did back in the day, it's a retro-styled little SUV with the capability of conquering terrains some hardcore off-roaders never would have stood a chance against.
There is one slight downside though, in the city, its naturally-aspirated 100-hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine lacks a certain charisma. Although we understand the importance of having a naturally-aspirated car when it comes to climbing over hills, we can't help but crave a turbocharger, spunky little SUV.
Related: Why We Love The Suzuki Jimny And Its Many Faces
This entry is our wildest one by far, but hear us out. For ages now, the tuning community has loved taking the Lamborghini Huracán and the Audi R8, adding two turbos to their 5.2-liter V10 engine, and removing their rear bumper to show off their prized possession - a mid-mounted V10 engine that boasts more than 1,000 hp.
Now, we're not recommending Lamborghini do exactly the same, but we think before the Huracán is discontinued, it needs a proper send-off... and what better way to do it than by squeezing as much power as possible out of its powertrain.
Marnus Moolman is a young aspiring automotive writer from South Africa who is making a name for himself, despite his young age. Currently, he is studying to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting to pursue his lifetime dream of running his own automotive detailing establishment.