Ford confirms the V8 isn't going anywhere

Wednesday, 30 September 2020

The original advertisement for the original Ford Mustang Mach 1.

While the motoring world has slowly but surely seen a decrease in engine sizes and cylinders in favour of more fuel-friendly turbocharged and electrified units, some brands still hold Fort Displacement. One of those is Ford, which has had a V8 in its lineup since the 1930s.

Fans of the burbling bent-eight will no doubt be wary of restricting emissions standards dropping the engine to the sidelines but Ford has confirmed that the V8 will stay for the foreseeable future.

In an exclusive interview with Ford Authority, Kumar Galhotra, Ford Motor Company Vice President and President of the North American region, said that while the engine will remain, he couldn’t say for how long.

Two classic Ford V8s. Hard to imagine a car world without Ford’s rumbling bent-eight...

'The transition [from combustion to battery-electric] is happening before us right now, but when it will happen depends on so many things, like battery costs, fuel cost, and regulation. The input factors are so numerous that I don’t think anybody can predict precisely when it will happen, but the shift is happening.”

**READ MORE:

While the demise of the V8 will be sad, at least electric power can deliver some serious thrills in its place.

* Five Things: Fun cars at a reasonable price

* Five Things: iconic performance cars with their engines in different places

* Next-gen Mustang to get V8 plus electric power?

* A four-door Mustang could be the sedan Ford needs right now

* A four-cylinder Mustang is now the coolest one

That means Ford will eventually kill the V8 but it will hold out for a while yet.

The Blue Oval is already progressing with all-electric models like the Mach-E and hybrid variants of other models like the Escape, Transit and F-150 truck. Rumour has it the next-generation Mustang will get a plug-in version to boost performance and reduce emissions.

The hybrid Mustang will use a 'twin-motor drive system,' according to a U.S. patent filing, working in tandem with a V8 engine. The motors would power the front wheels, 'mounted directly to opposing sides of the engine,' while the V8 would motivate the rear wheels.

It'll be interesting to see if the hybrid systems trickle down to lesser Mustangs, like the turbocharged Ecoboost version. We would imagine it would be a matter of money as opposed to packaging issues.

A hybrid Ecoboost could be a great affordable option, as well as giving Ford a powertrain for the recently deceased next-gen Focus RS.

Alternatively, give the GT500 the hybrid gubbins and create a 745kW beast to take on the rumoured top-tier hybrid Corvette.