Tag Archives: V8

NEW CARS

Great Wall Motor Teases V8 Hybrid Supercar to Rival Ferrari and McLaren

In a move that will send shockwaves through the global performance car scene, Chinese automotive giant Great Wall Motor (GWM) has teased what appears to be its first true supercar—a bold new halo model aimed squarely at Ferrari and McLaren.

The news broke via Chinese social media platform Weibo, where GWM chairman Wei Jianjun marked the company’s 35th anniversary with a striking image: company executives gathered around the silhouette of a low-slung, mid-engined machine draped in cloth. Though no details were revealed in the post, the shape beneath the sheet left little doubt—a full-blooded supercar is on the way.

This development follows earlier confirmation from GWM’s chief technology officer, Wu Huixiao, that the company has been secretly developing a high-performance flagship for over five years. According to Wu, the car is built around a carbonfibre monocoque chassis, and in no uncertain terms, he claimed it “will be better” than its European counterparts.

If that sounds ambitious coming from the maker of budget-friendly models like the Ora 03 and Haval Jolion Pro, consider this: GWM is China’s largest privately owned carmaker, delivering over 1.2 million vehicles globally in 2024. And it’s not just quantity. In recent years, GWM has aggressively expanded its brand portfolio, including premium SUV marque Wey, rugged off-roaders from Tank, and the soon-to-arrive Poer pickup range.

The new supercar is tipped to debut under a newly minted high-end sub-brand called Confidence Auto, set to rival BYD’s Yangwang, which itself has gained notoriety with the U9—an all-electric hypercar producing 1,250bhp and capable of leaping off the ground and conquering the Nürburgring in a blistering 7 minutes 18 seconds.

Though GWM hasn’t officially disclosed performance figures or a name for its supercar, there are mounting rumors that it will feature the company’s newly unveiled 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, first shown at the 2024 Shanghai Auto Show. While specs remain under wraps, industry sources suggest outputs could exceed 600 hp and 590 lb-ft from the engine alone.

More intriguingly, this V8 (or possibly the brand’s existing V6) will be paired with electric motors in a plug-in hybrid layout—putting it in the same high-performance hybrid league as the McLaren Artura, Ferrari 296 GTB, and Lamborghini’s new Temerario. That means total power output could comfortably eclipse the 800bhp mark, setting up the GWM machine as a serious player in the global supercar race.

With no confirmed name or reveal date, all eyes now turn to the Guangzhou Auto Show in late November, one of China’s biggest automotive events and a likely stage for the car’s grand debut.

If successful, Great Wall Motor’s first foray into the supercar world won’t just be a bold flex of engineering muscle—it could mark a pivotal moment in China’s transition from volume producer to purveyor of genuinely world-class performance cars.

Source: Autocar

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BMW M Confirms Straight-Six and V8 Engines Will Survive Euro 7 – With No Performance Loss

As emissions regulations continue to tighten across Europe, fears have grown over the future of traditional performance powertrains. But according to BMW M’s top executive, fans of the brand’s iconic straight-six and V8 engines can breathe easy — at least for now.

Speaking at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, BMW M CEO Frank van Meel reaffirmed the brand’s commitment to its hallmark powerplants, confirming that both the straight-six and V8 engines will remain in the lineup despite the tougher Euro 7 emissions standards coming into force.

Crucially, Van Meel emphasized that performance will not be sacrificed to meet compliance.

“The challenge was not so much to make an engine that is EU7 compliant,” Van Meel told Autocar, “but to keep performance.”

The upcoming Euro 7 regulations, which build on the current Euro 6e framework, don’t lower the permissible emissions limits per se. However, they do introduce a much broader range of real-world testing conditions — including cold starts, dynamic driving, and higher load scenarios. Furthermore, engines must now remain compliant for up to 10 years or 200,000 kilometers (124,000 miles), double the duration previously mandated.

Perhaps most notably, Euro 7 will mark the first time that non-exhaust emissions — namely brake and tyre particulates — are also monitored.

Van Meel acknowledged the engineering challenges involved, especially around thermal management. Traditional methods of using extra fuel for cooling during high-performance operation — known as enrichment — are no longer viable under the stricter rules, which require combustion to occur at “lambda one,” the ideal air-fuel ratio.

“Normally, if you are in high-performance situations, you cool using the fuel,” Van Meel explained. “With EU7, that’s impossible, so you need to find different ways of avoiding temperature build-up.”

BMW M engineers have therefore focused on refining the combustion process and optimizing cooling efficiency, though Van Meel stopped short of revealing exactly how these results have been achieved. “Very interesting” changes have been made to both engines, with technical details expected to follow closer to production.

What is clear, however, is that downsizing is not on the table.

Asked whether BMW M would consider three- or four-cylinder engines augmented by hybrid systems to meet future regulations, Van Meel responded with a firm “No.”

“The six-cylinder in-line engine is our legacy, and the V8 has got a long history in racing, so we intend to keep going,” he said. “I couldn’t imagine putting a four-cylinder in an M5.”

According to Van Meel, such engines do not align with BMW M’s philosophy — particularly when it comes to torque characteristics, powerband behavior, and overall vehicle weight.

For now, this is welcome news for purists. In an age of increasing electrification and regulatory constraints, BMW M is drawing a line in the sand: performance without compromise, tradition without dilution.

Source: BMW

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Next-Gen Corvette Will Keep V8 Power, Says Chief Engineer

As the Chevrolet Corvette C8 cruises past the midpoint of its production run, all eyes are beginning to turn toward its successor. The mid-engined revolution that shook the Corvette faithful is now familiar territory—but what lies ahead could be even more radical. With the next-generation C9 expected to debut around 2029, speculation has swirled about a potential all-electric future for America’s most iconic sports car.

But fans of Detroit’s symphonic V8 can breathe easy—for now.

Speaking recently with Autocar, Tony Roma, Executive Chief Engineer for Global Corvette and Performance Cars at GM, made it clear that the Corvette will not abandon its heritage lightly. While acknowledging the inevitable rise of electric vehicles, Roma dismissed the idea of a fully electric Corvette as “science fiction” at this stage. His message was firm: the Corvette name won’t be slapped onto a vehicle just to appease regulatory pressures or chase industry trends.

“It Has to Earn It”

Roma’s comments came amid increasing chatter about GM’s long-term EV strategy. With the European Union aiming to ban internal combustion engines by 2035, many automakers have begun electrifying their flagship performance models. Ferrari, Lamborghini, and McLaren have already embraced plug-in hybrid powertrains, and GM itself showcased a Corvette-inspired electric concept at its UK design center in April 2025.

That sleek, hypercar-shaped concept sparked talk of an electric Corvette, but GM’s design chief Michael Simcoe was quick to clarify that the model was a design tribute—not a production preview. Roma has now confirmed it: there are no immediate plans to take that EV into showrooms.

“The Corvette name means something,” Roma emphasized. “Nobody wants it on a car that doesn’t live up to its legacy.”

More Than Just Speed

While electric powertrains can offer blistering acceleration and staggering performance figures, Roma argues that those metrics alone don’t make a Corvette. For him, the real essence of the car lies in the emotional connection between driver and machine—the “visceral” experience of starting up a V8 and feeling every pulse through the steering wheel.

“It has to be engaging,” Roma said. “The art of driving is still central to what we do.”

He acknowledged that many EVs are excellent from a technical standpoint, but believes they often lack the soul that defines a true sports car. “The computer does so much of the work,” he explained. What he craves on a weekend drive isn’t just speed—it’s sensation.

Hybrid, But Not Plug-In

That’s why the C9 is likely to adopt a hybrid powertrain, but with a twist. GM has no interest in adding a plug-in system to the Corvette lineup, according to Roma. The drawbacks—added weight, higher cost, and operational complexity—don’t align with the Corvette’s mission of raw, intuitive performance.

Instead, GM is following the path laid out by the current E-Ray model. A self-charging hybrid that blends performance and practicality, the E-Ray offers seamless operation. “You just fire it up and drive it,” Roma said. “It charges the battery for you. It does everything. Keep it simple, keep it usable.”

This philosophy stands in contrast to some plug-in hybrid supercars, which require owners to navigate layers of drive modes, battery settings, and complex controls just to extract full performance. With the E-Ray—and by extension, the future C9—GM aims to provide performance that feels natural, not engineered.

The Road Ahead: C9 and Beyond

While the Corvette C9 is still several years away, the current generation isn’t done just yet. Roma hinted that the upcoming 1,250-horsepower ZR1X will not be the final act for the C8. “It’s just the latest chapter,” he teased, suggesting more high-performance developments are on the horizon.

But when the C9 does arrive, expect it to retain the V8 soundtrack that has defined the Corvette for over seven decades. Paired with a lightweight, self-charging hybrid system, the next-generation Corvette will aim to evolve without abandoning its DNA.

“Our cars will be all-electric when an all-electric car is better than what we have right now,” Roma concluded. “Until then, we’ll continue to do what we’re doing… Everybody should just take a deep breath and relax. We’ll get there when it’s time.”

Source: Autocar