QOTD: How Long Will the V8 Live?
Ford said a few days ago that it plans to keep the V8 alive for as long as it can, even as the world moves towards more electrification.
How long will that be?
To be clear, we're talking about the V8 specifically, not the internal-combustion engine. I think the ICE will last a long time, thanks to the fact that four-cylinders and V6s pack more punch now. Also, there will be a lot of hybrids/PHEVs on the market until the day we go full EV -- a day that is probably a lot further off than many think -- and of course, those powertrains use an ICE as part of their setup.
But the eight-cylinder engine is already mostly limited to performance vehicles and trucks/SUVs. And we're already seeing turbocharged V6s replace V8s in some trucks/utility vehicles.
V8 sports cars are also fewer in number than they used to be.
So, given what's happening in the market, how long can the V8 last?
Sound off below.
[Image: Ford]
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Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.
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Most states will soon limit the yearly milage a vintage vehicle can drive, so I figure the old Studebaker V8s will last into the 22nd century. If we see a rise in the use of hydrogen, they might last even longer. It costs nothing to dream.
@jeff s - Today I'm down to one. A 1964 Daytona 2dr hardtop with a V8. I've owned many of the brand's cars & trucks but they're harder to find now and over the years, I've turned to Mopars because I know the engines well. I generally stick with what I know to keep costs down.
If Shevolay and Dodge can't do it, clearly nobody can
I still own a V8 (in a hybrid drivetrain), and it's the last one I'll ebwr own. The hybrid drivetrain attenuates a lot of the things that suck about driving a V8, but it's still a lot of sound, fury, and fuel for very little beneform
My next car purchase will be to replace this pickup truck with similarly capable EV, possibly a Silverado EV WT4 (or better).
After that, I'm done with V8s forever.
I don't care what the rest of y'all do, but my last V8 was made in 2010. That's when the V8 era ended for me.