V8 engine, Why do we love it so much?
With every new vehicle that is being released it’s almost a given that at least a certain percentage of people will comment this, “They should’ve put a 8 cylinder engine in it.” We are in a new era of ICE engines (internal combustion engines) where the 6 cylinder engine will put out just as much power as an 8 cylinder.

The modern 6 cylinder engines will most definitely put out more power than a much older V8. engine. So why are people so hung up on an 8 cylinder engine? Theoretically the bigger engine is much more less efficient than the smaller one. the V8 is heavier, uses more fuel, bigger, and more expensive when it comes to maintenance. Well if you haven’t driven an 8 cylinder sports car then it will be really difficult to understand. The feeling the driver gets when you press on the pedal of a V8 is not something you can compare to a 6 cylinder. The moment you press on the pedal you will feel power that the engine produces almost running through your veins. Suddenly everything around slows down and the only two things working together at that moment is just you and that car.

The pedal opens the throttle, the throttle lets air into the manifold, the air travels into the cylinders through the valves where the cylinders move in perfect harmony to create the optimal power. The cylinders will open and close valves making a fusion of air, fuel, and spark. This will make an explosion that will create the necessary power to crank the drive train. All this power will get transferred to the wheels eventually. You as the driver can almost feel all this through the body when you press that foot down. You will hear the sound of the engine roar in the cabin and out the back of the car. This is the reason why people love 8 cylinder engines so much. Companies are not allowing us to experience the same feeling with a 6 cylinder. There is a lag from the moment you press the pedal to when the car responds.

We know that 6 cylinder engines are capable of so much more. The cars from the fastest motorsport in the world, F1 Racing, are equipped with V6 engines. Currently the engines used in an F1 racing car is a turbocharged 1.6 liter V6. Also if you didn’t know the engine Ford used in the 24-hour race of Le Mans in 2016 was a 3.5 Liter turbocharged V6. So yes these V6 have the power necessary to defeat a V8 engine, we’ve seen it time and time again with imports as well. Unfortunately, I believe that the future of V8 is a sad one. Just like the headphone jack, or house phones we must evolve and let go of inefficient things. I can probably bet that the V8 will phase out before then of this decade. Manufactures will move to highly powerful V6 engines or fully electric vehicles, the latter being more likely. At this moment the only company that we can count on to continue to give us that adrenaline is Dodge Chrysler Jeep. They are the only company that continues to develop more powerful V8 engines every couple of years. If there’s any hope left for a V8 powered future then FCA is that silver lining. Thank you, stay buzzed.
['Bernardo Escobedo']
['Automotive', 'Broncos', 'Tradition', 'Cars', 'Technology']