It’s understandable to be worried about the potential demise of large-displacement combustion engines. The downsizing era is in full swing across the automotive industry. Cylinder counts are dropping to meet increasingly stringent emissions regulations. BMW has already killed its flagship “N74” engine, a twin-turbo 6.6-liter V12 that powered the old M760i. That said, you can still have it in Rolls-Royce models.
What about the V8? Well, it’s complicated. Its future is not looking good in Europe but the eight-cylinder mill is staying for the long haul in the United States. Why? Because the legislation is more relaxed in North America. Automotive News reports BMW told dealers the big engine is not facing extinction since the company wants to give people what they want. One retailer who wished to remain anonymous said: “BMW believes in EVs, but it will be market-driven.”
Dealers who attended the two-day event held in Las Vegas at the Aria Resort & Casino learned BMW will continue to invest in internal combustion engines, including the V8. The “S68” is still new, having been around since 2022. We’ve already reported the next-generation X5 (G65), X6 (G66), and X7 (G67) are likely to keep all eight cylinders in the United States but not on the Old Continent.
The “S63” isn’t dead just yet since it still powers the M8. However, not for long since BMW is likely to pull the plug on the 8er in the coming years. The previous-generation M5 also had this engine, but its replacement coming later this year will switch to the “S68.” The old “N63” is still used in a handful of cars.
BMW lends its V8s not just to ALPINA, but also to Land Rover. The British marque installs them in the latest Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. It’s worth noting BMW built its last V8 engine in Germany in November 2023. The “N63” and “S63” come alive at the Steyr plant in Austria while the “S68” and “N74” are assembled at the Hams Hall factory in the UK.
Source: Automotive News (subscription required)