BMW is laughing at one of its German rivals. While Mercedes is ditching V8s in some of its highest-performance cars, like the C63 AMG, the Bavarians are proudly planting their eight-cylinder flag on North American soil. BMW development boss Frank Weber told Automotive News that not only will V8s live on, but they’re sticking around specifically because the U.S. and Middle East markets want them. You’re welcome, world.
“V8s are here to stay,” Weber told AN. He’s been at BMW since 2011 and held several leadership roles. His official title is now Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG Development. “There are markets such as the U.S. and Middle East where you cannot replace V8s with inline-six hybrids. This is not about performance. They are comparable in terms of acceleration, but customers like the smoothness, sound, and feeling of a V8. We will continue to offer V8s.”
It should come as no surprise that U.S. customers care less about the actual performance and more about vibes. We still buy the ancient Hemi-powered Dodge Challenger despite many lower-displacement sports cars providing far better performance for similar money.
However, don’t take that to mean that BMW is staying behind in the stone age, while its competitors go electric. BMW is doing both. Its most recent performance car, the new M5, packs a hybrid V8 with 717 horsepower. So the Bavarians feel they can have their cake and eat it. Admittedly, one significant penalty for having a hybrid V8 powertrain is weight. The BMW M5 shares a curb weight with only Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. But, hey, it’s still got a V8.
The M5 won’t be alone, either. BMW still has future performance SUVs to build, the 7 Series, and perhaps even something to replace the dying 8 Series. So there isn’t an end in sight for Roundel-wearing V8s.
BMW is also heavily invested in electric vehicles, though. The upcoming Neue Klasse platform will underpin an entire portfolio of various EVs, and its first models are set to hit roads in two years. But Neue Klasse is just one of three different chassis BMW will use moving forward. V8s will live in another chassis, and front-wheel drive cars will be built on the remaining one, so the Bavarians will be able to cover all customer bases for the foreseeable future.
“What pulls people into BMW showrooms is that they have the choice of different powertrain solutions in the model they want,” stated Weber
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