Toyota to kill its V8 in favour of boosted V6

Saturday, 25 April 2020

Toyota: Top Brand

Toyota is about to off its longstanding V8 engine in favour of a twin-turbocharged V6, a new report from The Drive is claiming.

The report cites an anonymous insider who claims to have knowledge of Toyota's American manufacturing operations. The source claims Toyota's engine plant in Alabama is building around 30,000 V8 engines to stockpile for the existing models using the powerplant.

As components are completed, the various sections of the plant would be retooled in preparation for V6 production. Additionally, a factory in Japan will continue producing the V8 for the next two to three years. It will also eventually shift to building the V6.

Toyota is planning to retire its V8 in favour of a smaller, twice-boosted V6.

This switch isn't entirely unforeseen. Other carmakers have been ditching high-displacement engines in favour of smaller donks with forced induction.

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Lexus, meanwhile, has just minted a new biturbo V8 destined for sports car use. To each their own?

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Toyota's upcoming Tundra full-size truck refresh has been linked with a hybrid-assisted twin-turbo V6, coming with a shift in platform to TNGA-F. A version of the Lexus LX large SUV will also get the electrified engine, while the new Land Cruiser will apparently get the powertrain in hybrid and unassisted forms.

However, these plans were made before coronavirus brought the world to a halt. That means there's a good chance the powertrain change-up will be delayed so Toyota can get its other operations back up to speed.

Speaking of Lexus, Toyota's luxury brand won't entirely abandon the V8 architecture. In December 2019, Lexus announced it would use a new biturbo V8 in its LC race car. At the time, the company confirmed the engine was 'destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars.'

An unconfirmed rumour pegged output at a healthy 447kW, which would put Lexus' sporty offerings right up against the likes of Aston Martin, Mercedes-AMG, and Jaguar. There has been no word on the output of Toyota's new boosted V6, regardless of electrical assistance.