The downsizing era is in full swing. BMW stopped selling a V-12 7 Series in 2022 when the M760i was retired. You can still have twelve cylinders in a Rolls-Royce, but the V-12 is never coming back in a car featuring the famous roundel. The V-10 has been dead for 15 years, so you might wonder when the axe will fall on the V-8. Thankfully, that won't happen anytime soon. You can primarily thank Americans for keeping the eight-cylinder engine alive.
In an interview with Automotive News, BMW development boss Frank Weber clearly stated, "V-8s are here to stay. We will continue to offer V-8s." He explained that an electrified inline-six engine can't fully replace a brawny V-8 in the eyes of buyers from the United States and the Middle East. The R&D head honcho argued that even though a downsized hybrid powertrain delivers roughly the same performance and acceleration, customers "like the smoothness, sound, and feeling of a V-8." Can't argue with that.
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