Apparently your friend has never seen VW Drags...times in the low 10's.
A turbocharged Corvair can be faster than some Corvettes. My 917 has a 2 liter modified VW in it and with the extra overdrive tops out around 175. Your freind needs to understand that "Big Motor" sometimes compensates for little .........you get the idea. Porsche, Honda, Datsun, these have all been racing with 4 cylinders for years. And yes, the Laser is VERY cool.