Interest Fades in the Once-Mighty V-8

[csv8]

Interest Fades in the Once-Mighty V-8
By BILL VLASIC,

Ford Motor , which first popularized the V-8 in the 1930s, will start using a turbocharged 6-cylinder in many vehicles, including the next generation of its Explorer sport utility vehicle. The company has named its new engine technology EcoBoost, a nod to consumers’ concern for the environment.

“It’s pretty clear that the V-8 is on its way out of the mainstream,” said Ford’s chairman, William Clay Ford Jr.

Ford executives said they had at times wrestled with the decision to give up V-8s in some models, including a new sedan from the Lincoln luxury division, because they worried about customer reaction.

“I worked on the Lincoln Continental program 20 years ago, and people were vehement that it had to have a V-8,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president for the Americas. “But now people don’t really care if the performance is there.”
Full Story http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_...16121309990001

What a sad day.. : Lets all drown our sorrows with a VB....

[sleekism]

Bad news for the future of the GT.

Good news for the future of the Typhoon.

[Ohio XB]

The new turbo V-6 which also will have Direct Injection (GTDI) will have 340 HP and 340-350 lb. ft. of torque and get about 27 - 30 MPG. This is power of a V-8 with fuel mileage of a V-6.

Americans still want the V-8 but hate buying, what to us, is high fuel prices. Even when it comes to what vehicles are most sold in the US, in a telephone survey the majority of people called wanted cars with smaller, more fuel efficient engines. But when these people went out to but a vehicle they are still buying mostly trucks and SUV's/CUV's. People say one thing because it is the "right" thing to say, but they do another because they buy what they really want.

However, with the new fuel mileage standard that will be effective in 2020 the manufacturers are looking for ways to make vehicles get the fuel mileage that the Government requires while making the power that Americans want in their vehicles. Turbos are already figured out and easy to implement so it is a natural to go in that direction. Its really the Government that is the cause of teh demise of the V-8, not so much the consumer.

I think the turbo 4 cylinder engines will be making 250 HP.


Steve

[ebxr8240]

Bring the weight down somewhat will help also...
Some cars are seem like they are just made...
A compact well designed V8 can "still" be economical....
A tough 4.6 V8 turbo should give good milage if gear ratio's and weight kept
right....

[Polyal]

Ah didn't Holden recently announce a record in their V8 sales? Helps having a good one I guess.

[Professor Farnsworth]

i think that's ridiculous. Anyone who says a turbo 6 has better economy than a v8, when both driven in a spirited manner, is a nut job. It wouldn't matter to me if fuel was $5.00 a litre, i would still own another V8 in a heartbeat. I'm sure there are many people like me out there too.. but that's just my opinion.

The V8 has not seen its day. Isn't GMH still working on a 7 litre v8 for its performance models ?

[mik]

i was speaking to a pommy relo during the week ,and he reckons we have nothing to worry about with fuel prices yet, he reckons they are paying about 3$ a litre australian unleaded in uk, the big engine is doomed down the track unless we can find a cheap decent fuel alternative.

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by mrcrackers

i think that's ridiculous. Anyone who says a turbo 6 has better economy than a v8, when both driven in a spirited manner, is a nut job. It wouldn't matter to me if fuel was $5.00 a litre, i would still own another V8 in a heartbeat. I'm sure there are many people like me out there too.. but that's just my opinion.

The V8 has not seen its day. Isn't GMH still working on a 7 litre v8 for its performance models ?

I'm with you Chris. Sure I drive a 6, but I'm really a V8 fan. If I bought a new car, I wouldn't care that an XR6 Turbo is quicker and more efficient than an XR8, I'd still go the 8. The V8s just sound so good!

[cupic]

Originally Posted by csv8

Interest Fades in the Once-Mighty V-8
By BILL VLASIC,

Ford Motor , which first popularized the V-8 in the 1930s, will start using a turbocharged 6-cylinder in many vehicles, including the next generation of its Explorer sport utility vehicle. The company has named its new engine technology EcoBoost, a nod to consumers’ concern for the environment.

“It’s pretty clear that the V-8 is on its way out of the mainstream,” said Ford’s chairman, William Clay Ford Jr.

Ford executives said they had at times wrestled with the decision to give up V-8s in some models, including a new sedan from the Lincoln luxury division, because they worried about customer reaction.

“I worked on the Lincoln Continental program 20 years ago, and people were vehement that it had to have a V-8,” said Mark Fields, Ford’s president for the Americas. “But now people don’t really care if the performance is there.”
Full Story http://money.aol.com/news/articles/_...16121309990001

What a sad day.. : Lets all drown our sorrows with a VB....

Still havent learnt there mistake form the 80"s in Australia

Holden are indeed laughing all the way to the bank

[3vXT]

Originally Posted by Polyal

Ah didn't Holden recently announce a record in their V8 sales? Helps having a good one I guess.

+1
I was going to say something similar but didn't want to upset anyone

[irlewy86]

I think this is more a reference to the demise of V8's in your everyday cars. Large and mid size SUV's. Performance market will probably hang onto it a bit longer. Imagine the power outputs from a 5.4L ecoboost.

[Des Flurane]

Isn't the new laws(in the US) by 2020 that across the company range your car fleet must average 35mpg.
If you have V8s doing less than 20mpg you're going to be in trouble.

[fmc351]

As said, the US law change is responsible.

[Nikked]

The V8 will never die, when Ford aus dropped the V8, there was a similer vibe in the air...and it damaged Ford Aus's rep. Engine technology isn't limited to size or configuration...

[wodahs]

bring in e 100 - full ethonal
bring in a ( ford ) v8 that will run full ethonal
they ( the us )can regulate and remove v8's but they canr do anything with gun control :

[Falcon Freak]

Ford is shooting itself in the foot again. Look at how many V8s Holden sold in 2007 and you can see that there still is a big demand for such an engine (if it produces the goods).

FF

[chevypower]

I disagree, even GM are running ads in the US which say we have E85 and hybrids now, but tomorrow it will be hydrogen and electric power. Even GM know the V8 is dead! Will I buy another V8? Maybe an E85 compatible one...by the way, people have realized ethanol is not the long term solution a long time ago, it is not really saving any more money for people, all it did was push the price of food up, imagine if everyone switched to B100! Proof of GM knowing the V8 is dead, is that they just axed the new high tech V8 engine to be built in Tonawanda, New York. (I think it was a Cadillac engine). Which will probably mean they will bring the 4.5L diesel V8 in to production earlier than the planned (fouth quarter of 2009). This is a short-mid term solution to get large pickups and SUVs mileage close to 30mpg. In 2009, the F150 will get a 3.5 or 3.7L V6 with EcoBoost and the new 4.4L V8 diesel. It was less than a decade ago, that GM announced the 8.1 "gas" V8 for the Suburban, Ford announced a 6.8L V10 Excursion.... those days have gone! Thankfully so, the new "little" diesels get more power and torque than any of those. And I have no doubt, electric motors could be even better. This is not like the 80's when Ford Aus dropped the V8, there are much smarter solutions now to still get loads of power. As for sound - the only current V8 in production that has a really nice sound, is the GM 6.2L V8 on the GMC Denali, and Hummer H2. Both vehicles will get the new diesel, and I wonder which engine will sell better? I guess it will find its way in to some sort of Commodore in the near future.
Here's a 1.9L petrol elec hybrid Chevy Suburban that outperforms the 5.3L V8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_09tPHmDR_c
If Detroit had these solutions today, Michigan would probably not be in a recession.

[TruBlu351]

What was MAD MAX running when fuel was scarce?

THAT'S RIGHT, a bloody big Falcon coupe and a 351 Cleveland!!........albeit with two 44 Gal drums in the boot :

That's all the foresight into the future I need. Maybe go easy on the Pal dogfood though.

[GK]

Originally Posted by TruBlu351

What was MAD MAX running when fuel was scarce?

THAT'S RIGHT, a bloody big Falcon coupe and a 351 Cleveland!!........albeit with two 44 Gal drums in the boot :

That's all the foresight into the future I need. Maybe go easy on the Pal dogfood though.

Classic comment.

Here Rover - woof woof! LOL!

GK

[Falcon Coupe]

Originally Posted by TruBlu351

What was MAD MAX running when fuel was scarce?

THAT'S RIGHT, a bloody big Falcon coupe and a 351 Cleveland!!........albeit with two 44 Gal drums in the boot :

That's all the foresight into the future I need. Maybe go easy on the Pal dogfood though.

Being a Pilot i thought this would be more you're style mate :

[flappist]

Originally Posted by cupic

Still havent learnt there mistake form the 80"s in Australia

Holden are indeed laughing all the way to the bank

Only if GM continue to make the LSx V8s. If not then they will have to import something else and there is not a lot that will meet the Euro4 standards.

So if the 2012 GT and GTS are turbo V6s rather than V8s I suspect it will have very little effect on sales except for a few die hards who will scream and jump up and down with little tantrums until NOTHING happens.

Ford and holden are both yank companies and we in Australia buy less cars than are sold by some single dealerships in USA.


This is a fact of life and there really is nothing we can do about it....

[sleekism]

Originally Posted by flappist

Only if GM continue to make the LSx V8s. If not then they will have to import something else and there is not a lot that will meet the Euro4 standards.

So if the 2012 GT and GTS are turbo V6s rather than V8s I suspect it will have very little effect on sales except for a few die hards who will scream and jump up and down with little tantrums until NOTHING happens.

Ford and holden are both yank companies and we in Australia buy less cars than are sold by some single dealerships in USA.


This is a fact of life and there really is nothing we can do about it....

There are dealerships in America that sell 1 million cars??

I wouldn't exactly call the Australian market insignificant. We sold 1 million cars in 2007 where I think the U.S sold 17 million.

1 million is quite significant. I remember reading somewhere that Australia is Mazdas second biggest market. Add to that, that Australia is one of the few markets with a growth in new car sales with Japan and America in decline.

Personally I would find it hilarious if GM stopped building V8's tomorrow so we could watch Holden attempt to sell their junk V6's as performance engines.

[5.4 GT]

Originally Posted by flappist

So if the 2012 GT and GTS are turbo V6s rather than V8s I suspect it will have very little effect on sales except for a few die hards who will scream and jump up and down with little tantrums until NOTHING happens.

They would just drop the model names of the GT and GTS and pick up a new line of models. I can imagine the outcry if a GT was a V6!! (It wouldn't even sell as well as a Force series car)

[Falcon Freak]

Originally Posted by sleekism

Personally I would find it hilarious if GM stopped building V8's tomorrow so we could watch Holden attempt to sell their junk V6's as performance engines.

Barra I6 craps on the Alloytech V6. It will be interesting to see how the Direct Injection alloytech V6 goes when Holden releases it in the Commodore in 2009.

FF

[TruBlu351]

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Being a Pilot i thought this would be more you're style mate :

hehe!..........yeah, that thing looks like it'd run on an oily rag and you can go as the crow flies..........but man, it looks like a death trap ;)

[BionicGT]

If they can make a V6 Turbo sound like a V8, they will be on winner

[fmc351]

Originally Posted by BionicGT

If they can make a V6 Turbo sound like a V8, they will be on winner

I can see computer programs with soundtracks linked to the pedal box/gearbox that respond to acceleration/deceleration and idle pumped from external speakers. The new aftermarket HiPo bit of choice will be a deeper external speaker system.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by TruBlu351

What was MAD MAX running when fuel was scarce?

THAT'S RIGHT, a bloody big Falcon coupe and a 351 Cleveland!!........albeit with two 44 Gal drums in the boot :

That's all the foresight into the future I need. Maybe go easy on the Pal dogfood though.

Of all the cars I own only two are 6 pots , that leaves 3 v8 , I just bought a used 7 litre Merc as it may be the last v8 I can buy for some time , on gas its incredibly cheap to run and so comfortable
It's seems picking on cars for the cylinders is politically expedient but not at all close to the truth about efficiency and economy .

[70caprigt3k]

Out of 3 cars i've owned since i got my license 2 have been V8's, my old mans last 3 cars have been V8's. The V8 is far from faded in my eyes.

[apolloxbgt]

Originally Posted by atec77

It's seems picking on cars for the cylinders is politically expedient but not at all close to the truth about efficiency and economy .

This is true,the govt,s around aus. have banned v8's in there fleets,but the new landcruiser utes are v8's (ableit turbo deisel,with better economy than the old 6's),what are all the rangers going to drive?