Tag Archives: V8 engine

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GM Refuses to Let the V8 Die

Not long ago, it felt like the V8 was being quietly escorted out of the building. Stricter emissions rules, turbocharged fours, and electrification all seemed to be writing the obituary for the eight-cylinder. But General Motors, never one to give up on horsepower without a fight, is doing the opposite—doubling down with an all-new generation of small-block V8 engines that will power Chevrolets, GMCs, and Cadillacs well into the next decade.

This sixth-generation V8 family isn’t just a mild update. GM is retooling multiple plants to support it, confirming production at facilities in Flint, Michigan, and Buffalo, New York, and now adding St. Catharines, Ontario, to the mix. That Canadian plant has already returned to two shifts as it ramps up for V8 production, underscoring just how serious GM is about keeping the internal-combustion flame alive.

The investment behind it is massive. GM says it has poured more than CA$2.6 billion into its Canadian operations over the past five years, including $280 million specifically allocated to support next-generation full-size pickups—vehicles that will be among the first to benefit from these new engines.

While GM hasn’t yet released official specs, the rumor mill is already running hot. The new V8 may revive the storied LS6 name and is expected to come in several flavors, including 5.7-liter and 6.6-liter variants. Sitting at the top of the food chain could be a 6.7-liter flagship, reportedly using an aluminum block and a dual fuel-injection setup that combines both direct and port injection—an arrangement that typically improves both power delivery and emissions performance.

And no, these engines aren’t just for work trucks and big SUVs. GM plans to drop them into sports cars too, starting with the Corvette lineup. That includes the long-awaited return of the Grand Sport, which has already been spotted during an official photoshoot wearing a familiar Admiral Blue paint job and red quarter-panel stripes, a visual callback to the beloved C7-era model.

If the rumors are accurate, the Grand Sport’s 6.7-liter V8 could make around 550 horsepower. That would slot it neatly between the standard Stingray and the more extreme E-Ray and Z06, creating a true sweet spot for buyers who want big power without stepping into full-blown track-weapon territory.

In an era when many automakers are shrinking engines or eliminating them altogether, GM’s new V8 push feels almost rebellious. It’s a reminder that while the future may be electric, the present still has room for thunderous exhaust notes, tire-shredding torque, and the kind of engines that made Detroit famous in the first place.

And if this new small-block delivers on its promise, the V8 won’t just survive—it might just be getting started again.

Source: GM

News

BMW Cuts V-8 Power In Europe, But Not In The United States

BMW’s S68 twin-turbo V-8 was always living on borrowed time. Not because it wasn’t good—it’s spectacular—but because Europe’s regulators have been circling it like wolves around a bratwurst. Now the bite has finally landed. Beginning next month, BMW will detune the S68 in Europe to meet upcoming Euro 7 emissions rules, slicing 40 horsepower from the gasoline side of the powertrain in both the M5 and XM Label—and doing it two years before the regulations even take effect.

Yes, the axe falls early.

In pure BMW fashion, though, Munich refuses to let its flagship Ms look weak on paper. To offset the combustion-engine haircut, BMW is turning up the voltage. The electric motor in the M5 is upgraded so that the total system output remains 717 horsepower, exactly where it was before. The XM Label does the same trick, holding the line at 737 horsepower by pairing a slightly weaker V-8 with a stronger electric motor.

The result is a numbers game that looks unchanged on a spec sheet—but one that tells a more complicated story underneath.

Europe Loses 40 Horses. America Doesn’t.

This change applies to all M5s and XM Labels sold in the European Union’s 27 member states, plus any other markets that follow EU emissions rules. But if you’re buying one in the United States, you can breathe easy—and deeply.

BMW spokesperson Jay Hanson confirmed that U.S.-market M5s and XM Labels will continue to use the full-power S68, with no detuning required. In other words, America gets the uncorked V-8 while Europe gets the eco-friendly version with an electrified crutch.

That’s not exactly new in the modern car world—but it’s still a bitter pill for European enthusiasts, especially when the M5 is supposed to be BMW’s unapologetic performance flagship.

The S68 Isn’t Going Anywhere

Despite the emissions squeeze, BMW isn’t walking away from its V-8 anytime soon. The S68 is slated to power a whole lineup of future M and M Performance models, including:

  • The next-gen X5 M Performance (G65)
  • The full X5 M (G95)
  • The X7 (G67)
  • And the next X6 in both G66 M Performance and G96 M forms

Even BMW ALPINA is expected to stick with the V-8 for the return of the B7 and an XB7 successor, though those models will reportedly come with hybrid and inline-six variants as well. An electric ALPINA is also on the horizon—which feels both inevitable and faintly tragic.

Meanwhile, the current M5 (G90 sedan and G99 wagon) will keep the S68 when its mid-cycle update arrives. The facelifted models have already been caught testing, though their official debut isn’t expected until late spring next year, ahead of production starting in July 2027.

More Than Just a Power Cut

BMW isn’t simply turning down the boost and calling it a day. European-market M5s and XM Labels are also switching to the Miller combustion cycle, a strategy that improves efficiency and lowers emissions by tweaking how the engine handles intake and compression. On top of that, BMW is upgrading the exhaust aftertreatment system and recalibrating engine management software.

The company insists the result is “continued dynamic performance at the highest level,” thanks to the stronger electric motor filling in for the lost V-8 output.

Maybe. But we all know what that really means.

Hybrids are fantastic at masking what’s been taken away—until you start pushing the car hard, again and again, when heat, weight, and battery limitations start to matter. The M5 is already a two-and-a-half-ton missile. Adding more electric hardware to compensate for a neutered engine only makes it heavier.

And if given the choice, most buyers would almost certainly take the 40 horsepower back instead of the electrons.

As someone who lives in Europe, I know I would. Better yet, ditch the plug-in hybrid altogether and let the V-8 breathe freely again. It would shed weight, restore character, and make the M5 feel like an M5 instead of a regulatory workaround.

Of course, the EU wouldn’t be thrilled about that.

Source: BMWBlog

News

Lamborghini Bets on Synthetic Fuels to Preserve the Combustion Engine Legacy

As the automotive industry accelerates toward an electric future, Lamborghini is taking a detour—one powered by synthetic fuels rather than lithium-ion batteries. The iconic Italian supercar maker has made it clear that the internal combustion engine (ICE) remains central to its identity, even as global regulations threaten to phase it out.

In a recent interview with CarExpert, Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to ICEs, arguing that synthetic fuel could be the key to their survival. “Synthetic fuel could be the savior of the combustion engine,” Mohr stated, adding that Lamborghini’s new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, set to power the upcoming Temerario, is capable of running efficiently on both gasoline and synthetic fuel.

Despite announcing its first electric vehicle (EV), Lamborghini has delayed its debut, signaling a lack of confidence in current EV solutions to deliver the same visceral thrill as a roaring V8. “If you ask me the emotion side at the moment… I don’t see the [electric] solution that is convincing now,” Mohr said. He believes that while EVs will eventually win broader acceptance, a new generation of enthusiasts may rediscover the allure of old-school combustion.

Synthetic fuels, often called e-fuels, are produced from renewable sources using water, carbon dioxide, and green electricity. They offer the promise of carbon-neutral emissions, a potential loophole in the European Union’s 2035 ban on new CO₂-emitting vehicles. While combustion engines won’t be outright banned, they must run on such carbon-neutral fuels to remain compliant.

However, widespread adoption remains a long shot. Synthetic fuels are still in their infancy, with production limited and costs high. That hasn’t deterred Lamborghini—or its parent company, the Volkswagen Group. Porsche, another marque under VW’s umbrella, has been producing synthetic fuel in Chile since late 2022 through a partnership with Highly Innovative Fuels (HIF). Their pilot project uses wind energy to generate hydrogen and combine it with CO₂ to create a renewable fuel—one Porsche has already used to power a 911.

Other luxury automakers are also testing the waters. Ferrari, Bentley, and Bugatti have expressed interest in synthetic fuels, while mainstream manufacturers like Toyota, Mazda, and Subaru are exploring alternative ICE technologies, including hydrogen combustion.

Still, industry analysts remain cautious. The global shift toward electrification has absorbed much of the industry’s capital, and developing an infrastructure for synthetic fuel may prove too expensive for mass-market viability. Most automakers are betting on battery EVs, not combustion’s revival.

For Lamborghini, the road ahead is split. While EVs may dominate the future, the brand is placing a high-stakes bet that there will still be space—and demand—for the visceral, emotional experience of a roaring engine fueled by innovation, not gasoline.

Source: Motor1, CarExpert; Photo: Lamborghini