The New Toyota Hybrid V8 Engine Could Be Used in Sports Cars, Trucks, SUVs, and Luxury Cars

• The upcoming Lexus sports car will feature a new V8 engine based on the automaker’s four-cylinder powertrains.

• This new engine will be paired with a traditional hybrid system and could spawn diesel-powered variants.

• Toyota could use this engine in a wide range of products, not just sports cars.

While downsizing was the overwhelming trend in terms of automotive powertrains until just a few months ago, the tide is turning, with more and more automakers keeping or launching larger engines.

Among those is Toyota, which is currently putting the final touches on a new generation of hybrid V8 engines that will be introduced in the upcoming Lexus sports car.

Built on the automaker’s four-cylinder engine family, this new V8 will be highly modular, with versions expected to be based on the 1.5L and 2.0L units.

The first one out of the gate is said to be a 4.0L twin-turbocharged hybrid that could generate over 900 horsepower, but this has yet to be confirmed.

What’s more interesting is that Takashi Uehara, president of Toyota’s powertrain division, says that there could be “more gentle” or “more heavy-duty” versions, which strongly suggests this engine will be employed in more than just sports cars.

This means that the next generation of Toyota trucks could return to V8 power, for example.

Another likely recipient of the new eight-cylinder powertrain is the newly unveiled Century luxury coupe.

Not many details about the new engines have been revealed, but we know that they won’t be used as part of a plug-in hybrid system, at least for now.

Instead, traditional hybrid technology will provide the reduction in fuel consumption and emissions that will be required to make a V8 engine meet environmental regulations in major markets.

Toyota’s powertrain chief also hinted at possible diesel-powered versions of the new V8, which would make it more attractive for markets where durability and range on a tank of fuel are key priorities, such as in the Middle East and Africa. Diesel V8s could also use a hybrid system.

A prime candidate for such an engine is the Land Cruiser, and while nothing is currently in the works, Uehara confirmed that the new V8 could fit under this model’s hood.

According to him, the decision to go back to a V8 engine instead of a twin-turbo V6 with equivalent power was driven by the need for reliability rather than sentimental value, but enthusiasts will be happy to see more displacement under the hood of a variety of Toyota and Lexus models anyway.

As a reminder, the current generation of the Toyota Tundra pickup abandoned the old naturally-aspirated V8 in favour of a twin-turbo 3.5L V6, which had more theething troubles than what the automaker is used to.

It will be interesting to see what comes of this and if more automakers end up following a similar path, with larger or similar-displacement engines utilizing electrification to provide better power, refinement, and fuel efficiency than smaller four and six-cylinder powertrains.

At the moment, Mercedes-Benz and General Motors have both confirmed a new generation of V8 engines, and others, such as BMW and Porsche, have added electrification to their current engines to extend their lifespan. Stellantis also famously brought back the Hemi V8 after a year’s hiatus, to significant commercial success in RAM trucks, proving that there is still a significant market for larger engines.

Source: Drive and GoAuto