Top five: The biggest engines you can buy

Purists and old-school motorists will argue there’s no replacement for displacement – that the key to performance and effortless progress is raw cubic capacity.

While that was once very true, the glory days of big-bore engines are long gone, snuffed out by emissions and efficiency standards, not to mention the rapid progression of forced-induction and electrification technology.

It seems like every month or so a key new model is released with a downsized engine supported by either a turbocharger or an electric motor to pump out more power and torque than the previous version.

The demise of 6.2-litre V8-powered Mercedes-AMGs is a perfect case in point, replaced by a twin-turbo 4.0-litre unit that was then partially replaced by a newer plug-in hybrid four-cylinder powertrain.

No, there aren’t too many traditional large-capacity engines left on the market these days and there are next to none remaining in mainstream models, which got us thinking… what are the biggest engines still available in Australia in terms of sheer cubes?

Rolls-Royce has long been an advocate for big engines and their contribution to absolute luxury, which is why the petrol V12 in its Ghost sedan and Cullinan SUV displaces 6749cc across 12 cylinders.

What makes it even more impressive is the fact it’s boosted by a pair of turbochargers, yielding a maximum power output of 441kW and up to 900Nm of torque in the Cullinan Black Badge.

Next on the list is the first of two American powerplants, this one found under the bonnet of the hulking RAM 2500 and 3500 pick-up range, and it's not a V12 or even a V8.

This huge inline six-cylinder Cummins turbo-diesel displaces 6690cc and outputs 276kW at a lazy 2800rpm along with an enormous 1152Nm of torque from just 1700rpm, making it one of the gutsiest combustion engines on the Aussie market.

The other American engine on this list, and comfortably Australia’s torquiest combustion engine, is the Chevrolet Duramax V8 found in the Silverado 2500 HD.

Like RAM V8, the Duramax runs on diesel and blends its huge capacity (6599cc) with forced-induction to deliver 350kW and 1322Nm – enough to see it best everything else on the market besides the electrified Mercedes-AMG GT S E Performance (1400Nm) and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT (1340Nm).

Lamborghini has had a love affair with V12s since the 1960s and that’s set to continue well into the future, judging by the brand’s recent electrification efforts and e-fuel plans.

The waling ‘L545’ V12 at the heart of the new plug-in hybrid Revuelto supercar displaces 6498cc across its 12 cylinders and outputs 607kW/725Nm all on its own, before its three electric motors chime in to deliver a combined 757kW.

The F140 series of V12s has been Ferrari’s flagship engine line since 2002 and can be traced right back to the legendary Enzo supercar.

Today’s version displaces 6496cc and resides under the bonnet of the Purosangue SUV, the outbound 812 and its replacement, the 12Cilindri, which screams out no less than 611kW/678Nm.

At the other end of the scale, the model with the smallest-capacity combustion engine available in Australia is the Kia Stonic GT-Line with its 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine displacing just 998cc.

Narrowly ahead of it in terms of capacity are the Nissan JUKE, the Volkswagen T-Cross and Polo, the Skoda Kamiq and Scala and the Audi A1, all of which are motivated by 999cc turbo triples.

Related: Government waters down fuel efficiency standard

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