Over the last year, automakers have solidified plans to keep the combustion engine alive for the foreseeable future. Many expect the powertrain to power new cars into the next decade, with Mercedes-Benz's head of product management and global training predicting that the V8 will be around for another decade.
In an interview with CarExpert, Klaus Rehkugler said that the V8 “remains very popular in North America and the Middle East.” When he lived here, he said he was proud to say he drove a V8 and believes there are plenty of customers who want one. He told the publication:
'Overall, I think there’s enough global demand to keep the V8 alive for at least another 10 years, but maybe not so much in Europe with stringent CO2 regulations, which are very restrictive and punitive.'
European regulations are putting a kibosh on fun-to-drive cars in that market, going beyond emissions. New cars from Mercedes-Benz and others must meet strict decibel limits and come with speed limit warnings.
V8-Powered C63 Coming When?
While Mercedes-Benz has big plans to continue building V8 engines, it’s still up in the air if the automaker will shove one in the AMG C63. The four-door performance car remains popular in several markets, but Rehkugler admitted that the company is unlikely to recoup development costs this far into the current C-Class's lifecycle.
Instead, Mercedes will offer a “true V8-powered performance car in the form of the CLE coupe and cabrio,” according to the head of product management. The automaker is open about the fact that the four-cylinder hybrid in the now-defunct current-generation C63 was a huge miss for the brand.
It’s unclear if the next-generation C-Class will offer a V8. It might be a new AMG or a high-end trim, but if Mercedes is continuing to make V8s, putting one in the new C-Class makes sense.
Motor1’s Take: It can’t be all good news all the time, but anyone worried that the whirl of electric motors would replace the fierce growl of a V8 engine can rest easy. Western automakers have recommitted themselves to combustion engines, and consumers win.
