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Sep 24, 2023

The End Of The V8 Engine Is Upon Us

With Dodge, Bentley, and now even Mercedes-AMG rejecting V8 in favor of electric or hybrid, the V8 engine is not as hot as it once was... It's official, Mercedes-AMG is not bringing back the V8, not

With Dodge, Bentley, and now even Mercedes-AMG rejecting V8 in favor of electric or hybrid, the V8 engine is not as hot as it once was...

It's official, Mercedes-AMG is not bringing back the V8, not the C63. Frankly, if you go by the history of the V8 engine, it was perhaps due for retirement given that the first eight-cylinder engine came out way back in 1904. At the time, it was the product of the French Antoinette company and used mostly in aircraft.

When it comes to cars, the Cadillac L-Head engine was the first V8 produced in mass numbers, debuting in 1914 and lasting till 1935. Finally, V8 popularity soared when Ford introduced the Flathead V8 in 1932. Nothing raised the popularity of the V8 engine like the advent of muscle cars in the ‘60s, followed by the horsepower wars. From then to now, V8 engines have had a great run, but with environmental crises piling up and the governments bearing down to further control emissions, it seems hybrids and BEVs are the way ahead.

Many automakers have made 2023 the last year of the V8, en masse, although there are plenty who are digging in their heels and concentrating instead on making their V8 mills the cleanest ever. There’s also a constant demand for V8 power from buyers who aren’t too happy with the silent power of EVs. Here’s how the V8 engine is dying, although some are still keeping it on life support.

There were rumors of a twin-turbo V8 engine returning to the Mercedes-AMG C63 and E63 and V8 aficionados felt that by 2026, the luxury brand would bring back its ace mill.

That said, as per Mercedes-AMG CEO Michael Schiebe this is not true at all. Speaking to TheDrive at the Monterey Car Week, Schiebe said he can "definitively deny" that Mercedes-AMG would bring back V8 power to its high-performance C-Class and E-Class models.

Schiebe further stated, “I don’t like to talk about other manufacturers, but it seems like many more performance hybrids are coming to the market now. Or at least they’ve been announced. So I think we were right when we said, let’s go in that direction."

While he may not like to talk about competition, he might be hinting at the next-generation BMW M5 which will now use the hybrid twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 also in use by the BMW XM crossover.

As per Schiebe, this means the Mercedes-AMG will carry on with its four-cylinder plug-in hybrid powertrain which has a few critics because of its weight and complexity. Of course, the hybrid motor does nothing to detract from its performance. Meanwhile, the upcoming 2024 Mercedes-Benz E63 will run on a hybrid inline-six motor.

RELATED: You Should Buy A V8 Mercedes-AMG C63 Before It’s Discontinued in 2023

When it comes to specs, the 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance is a compact rocket. It combines a 2.0-liter M139 four-cylinder engine with an F1-inspired electric turbo setup and a rear-axle electric motor. Together, the Hi-Po setup makes 671 horsepower and 752 lb-ft of torque, sprinting 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, while weighing 4,654 lbs.

While many call the handling top class, the 800 lb addition from its V8 predecessor has many miffed at the inclusion of the hybrid setup. Especially since Mercedes-AMG is not eschewing V8s as a norm - models like the new 2024 Mercedes-AMG GT coupe, SL convertible, and S63 sedan will stick with the V8 mill. Of course, as per Schiebe, they will continue to improve their ICE engines to improve power while reducing emissions. Mercedes-Benz is likely to hold on to V8s till the end of this decade, while AMG's electrification plan is full speed ahead, developing its own AMG.EA electric vehicle platform.

RELATED: Here's What Every Gearhead Should Know About The 2024 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E-Performance

It's not just Mercedes-AMG’s denouncing of the V8 that’s making it look like an endangered species. One of the biggest blows came from Dodge when it announced that 2023 would be the last year of its iconic HEMI V8 engines. The era of the V8 muscle car is officially over given that both the Charger and the Challenger HEMI V8s are retiring by the end of this year – with the last calls of the booking out. CEO Tim Kuniskis is clear that there’s no turning back as he stated, “Everyone is loaded, everyone is ready, there are a lot of electrified products coming. Even if someone were wanting to make a change at this point, the train's left the station."

There’s the impending end of the CT6-V which means the end of Cadillac's precious Blackwing and now, there are rumors from Toyota as well. Meanwhile, the curtains have also closed for Bentley's historic 6.75-liter V8, with the last Bentley Mulsanne 6.75 Edition, a commemorative, one-of-30 model constructed by the company's in-house coachbuilder Mulliner.

There’s a shocker from Maserati as well, given that its long history of making V8-powered cars, circa 1959 grinds to a halt. Maserati’s agreement with Ferrari is at an end and so the twin-turbo 3.8-liter engine V8 is off the roster. As a last hurrah, the 2024 Ghibli 334 Ultima and the Levante V8 Ultima will be the final models to get V8 power. Newer models will now carry the Nettuno, a twin-turbo V6 engine fully developed in-house, already found in the mid-engined MC20 / MC20 Cielo supercar as well as the new Grecale and GranTurismo.

RELATED: Why Maserati Killing Off The V8 Affects Fans Of The Dodge Hemi

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the V8 is dying tomorrow. For now, Ford and GM are keeping their V8s while recognizing the need for electrification. Ford’s Mustang Mach-E, the F-100 Lightning, and even the upcoming Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray are a sign of changing, electrifying times.

That said, both Ford and GM are also investing more in the development of cleaner ICE, evident by Ford’s newly tuned 5.0-liter Coyote V8 in the 2024 Ford Mustang GT, which produces 460 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Then there’s also GM’s upcoming Gen IV Small Block V8 for its next generation of trucks and SUVs, with the latest LS376/525 cranking out 525 horsepower and 486 lb-ft of torque. In fact, GM announced earlier this year that it will pour almost a billion dollars into R&D and production of its next-gen V8 is likely to last until 2035. Both Ford and GM recognize the continuing demand for V8-powered cars and are likely to keep them around, as will Dodge’s spin-off, RAM.

Meanwhile, Land Rover has also debuted a cool 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that can go from 0 to 60mph in as little as 5.4 seconds, in the Defender 130 V8. While Land Rover assures everyone that this V8 meets all emission control regulations, it also says that there is a need for V8 power and performance, so the Defender is in demand. It does feature an electrically driven supercharger and a 48-volt motor generator to combat turbo lag, but otherwise, the only electrifying thing about it is the ride.

Clearly, the V8 is no longer as popular as before, it still has miles to go before it sleeps.

Source: TheDrive

Arun Singh Pundir has been a longtime media crackerjack having worked with big names like The Times of India and The Indian Express. He is a car and motorcycle freak and currently writes News, Features, and Lists for HotCars on anything that has any number or kind of wheels. For now, he considers his Isuzu D-Max V-Cross, Suzuki Ciaz, and Royal Enfield Classic 500, the current flames of his life. His dream is to drive around the world; even if it takes more than eighty days.