BMW is looking ahead to the future with the Neue Klasse EV platform, but the company isn’t forgetting its internal-combustion past. We recently spoke with BMW’s R&D head, Dr. Joachim Post, and while our conversation focused largely on the Neue Klasse and what comes next, he did touch on internal combustion.
During our conversation, Post revealed something interesting: Last year was BMW’s best for V-8 sales. He said:
‘We want to give the customer the best car, and they can decide what kind of powertrain they want. 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.’
BMW’s V-8s are especially popular here in the US, available as an option in the X5, X6, X7, 7 Series, 8 Series models, and standard in the M5, M8, X5 M, and X6 M. The new M5 also introduced BMW’s new plug-in hybrid V-8 powertrain, and that’s proving to be successful so far.
Photo by: BMW
While BMW is best known for its straight-sixes, the company built V-8-powered luxury cars in the 1950s and 1960s, and brought the V-8 back permanently in the early 1990s for the 5, 7, and 8 Series. It proved to be a popular option in its larger cars, especially SUVs like the X5. BMW’s latest V-8, the twin-turbo 4.4-liter S68, debuted in 2022 and lives in top-end Land Rover and Range Rover models.
Combined with a hybrid system, as in the M5, BMW’s V-8 provides customers the power and character they want, while also satisfying increasingly strict emissions regulations.
Where a lot of other automakers planned to go all-in on EVs, BMW took a more cautious approach. It made great EVs, but it didn’t stop investing in internal-combustion engines. It’s a bet that’s clearly paying off, with strong ICE and EV sales.
