Car brands are handing in more and more cylinders. Previously, engine capacity equaled power (or sound), now it equals consumption and emissions. In short: downsizing is in full swing. Some brands are doing everything they can to slow this down, including Porsche. The German brand does not want to get rid of the V8 engine yet and is doing everything it can to keep it. Porsche is therefore confident that production of the V8 will not stop until at least 2030.
Thomas Freimuth explains to Carsales why Porsche is so sure of this. He is the boss of the Panamera line. The new emission standard, Euro 7, will be introduced in 2030. Freimuth says: 'We know that the V8 is ready for EU7, it is no problem. We still have to add some parts that are in development, so we are ready for the EU7 rules with this V8.'
The emotion of Porsche's V8 is important
Although Porsche is not yet discontinuing the V8, the eight-cylinder will become increasingly quiet. This is due to requirements that will be imposed on the exhaust system. 'Even with the Panamera we have to take into account different rules regarding the level of the exhaust noise. It has to be softer and softer and softer and softer every year and this makes it more difficult to get emotion out of our Panamera V8,” says Freimuth.
The new Porsche Cayenne, expected in 2026, will have an electric drive. At that time, 80 percent of Porsches sold must be electric. The Porsche CEO says that those models will also produce noise: 'That is why we are working hard on it, just look at the Taycan. We still have a long way to go to get emotion into electric cars in terms of sound.'
Porsche's V8 does not require electrical assistance
We talked earlier about the upcoming Euro 7 standard. The Porsche CEO explains why the V8 does not have to be linked to an electric motor to fall within the Euro 7 standard: 'We can meet those requirements without a hybrid system, because the Euro 7 regulations have been adjusted slightly. ' It is of course a shame that the V8 will become increasingly quiet. But hey, at least it doesn't go out – like with Maserati, where they produced perhaps one of the best sounding V8 engines ever.