In an age where automakers seem to be tripping over themselves to announce the death of the internal-combustion engine, BMW just proved something kind of radical: people still want V-8s. In fact, according to BMW’s head of R&D, Dr. Joachim Post, last year was the best year ever for the company’s V-8 sales. Let that sink in for a moment — a record year for eight-cylinder engines, right as the world turns electric.
“We want to give the customer the best car, and they can decide what kind of powertrain they want,” Post told Motor1. “Not get a new car only if they choose an EV, an old car if they want a combustion engine. The world is different; last year, we had the most sales of premium EVs, and at the same time, record high sales for eight-cylinder engines.”
It’s a fascinating duality. On one hand, BMW is preparing to roll out the Neue Klasse, its next-generation EV platform that will underpin nearly every electric Bimmer in the coming decade. On the other hand, it’s selling more V-8s than ever — and not just to nostalgic collectors or diehard gearheads, but to regular customers who still crave the effortless torque, sound, and character that a V-8 brings.
The V-8’s Second Wind
BMW’s relationship with the V-8 runs deep. The company first built one in the 1950s for luxury cars like the 502, then resurrected the layout in the early 1990s for the 5, 7, and 8 Series. What started as a symbol of refinement became something else entirely in the age of turbocharging: a weapon of performance.
Today, BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo S68 V-8 powers everything from the M5 to the X7, and even finds its way into Range Rovers. It’s one of the last truly great modern V-8s — buttery smooth, devastatingly fast, and, in the right mode, almost civil. In plug-in hybrid form, as seen in the new M5, it makes even more sense. You get the electric boost for city efficiency and that trademark BMW thunder when you want to remind yourself that internal combustion still has soul.
BMW’s strategy here isn’t nostalgia; it’s pragmatism. While rivals like Mercedes and Audi have been racing toward all-electric lineups, BMW chose to hedge its bets. It developed EVs like the i4, iX, and i7 — which are all excellent — but it also kept refining its gasoline engines. The result? BMW now leads premium EV sales and enjoys record demand for its V-8s.
Why It Works
The success of BMW’s V-8s, particularly in the U.S., speaks to something larger about car culture. Electric cars might be the future, but the emotional pull of a combustion engine — the boom, the throttle response, the power — still resonates deeply. You can’t replace that with software.
BMW gets that. It’s not trying to shame drivers into a certain future; it’s letting them choose. The company’s hybrid V-8s, like the one in the upcoming M5, represent a bridge.
For BMW, the message is clear: electrification doesn’t have to mean extinction. In fact, as long as there are drivers who appreciate the magic of an eight-cylinder engine, there’s still room in the future for combustion.
Source: Motor1