V8 cars are special
Holden has the largest share in V8 engines with more models than any other company sold in Australia.
Even at a time when fuel economy is a top priority with a growing number of Australian drivers, there is plenty of room on the road for Commodores and Falcons with an old-fashioned V8 engine under the hood. They gurgle menacingly at idle. They are the backbone of V8 Supercar racing.
However, V8 engines in the 21st century are no longer what they were in the days when they first summited Mount Panorama, and the GTHO Falcon or Monaro - or even the Valiant V8 - was the dream car of a generation of Australian youth.
Since 1970, the price of crude oil has jumped from $20 a barrel to doubling that amount during the Iranian Revolution, over $70 during the first Gulf War, broke the $100 barrier before the global financial crisis and has now settled at just under $100. .
In Australia, gasoline prices have risen accordingly, from about 8 cents a liter in 1970 to about 50 cents in 1984 and to nearly $1.50 today.
Despite all this, and despite Ford's one attempt at a death sentence in the 1980s, the V8 has not been wiped from Australian showrooms. Holden and Ford continued to produce large cars with alternative V8 engines and continue to work hard on it in Bathurst.
But Australian cars, even those that now have American V8s imported for local use, aren't the only curved-eight blasters on the road.
The Germans are prolific V8 engine makers and produce some of the most powerful engines in the world thanks to AMG-Mercedes, BMW and Audi. English V8s are made by Aston Martin, Land Rover and Jaguar, while the Americans supply V8s to the Chrysler 300C sold here. Even Japanese luxury brand Lexus has a V8 in its IS F hero and LS460 luxury sedan, as well as a cloned LandCruiser LX470.
Most V8 engines are powerful enough to breathe regular air, but there are many forced induction models either turbocharged or supercharged to unleash even more power. Walkinshaw Performance does work in Australia for Holden, BMW is on the road with turbocharged V8s for its latest M cars, and Benz has spent time with supercharged AMG V8s.
But the V8 isn't just about unlimited power. The drive for greater fuel economy has also reached V8 land, and so Chrysler and Holden have a V8 with multiple displacement technology that shuts off half of the cylinders when the car is just moving to improve fuel economy. Formula XNUMX racing engines now do the same when idling on the Grand Prix starting grid.
Holden's Active Fuel Management (AFM) was introduced on the V8 Commodore and Caprice in 2008, and the Red Lion brand is committed to this engine - with future technology updates - despite near-record fuel prices.
“We have a responsibility to stay relevant and continue to introduce new technologies that meet the needs of our customers,” says Holden's Shaina Welsh.
Holden has the largest share in V8 engines with more models than any other company sold in Australia. A total of 12 V8 models with four nameplates and four body styles, including the Commodore SS, SS V, Calais V, Caprice V and the recently introduced Redline line. V8 engines account for about a quarter of Commodore sedans and almost half of Ute sales.
“We think it's more than just a V8 engine, it's about the whole car. It's a complete set of features that people love and we want to keep making cars that people are proud of,” says Welsh.
“The combination of features and technology, excellent handling and braking, and outstanding value is typical of the entire V8 range.”
Ford fans are also committed to the V8, according to company spokesperson Sinead McAlary, who says a recent Facebook poll was overwhelmingly positive.
“We asked if they were worried about gas prices and they said, 'No, we like the sound of a V8 and we're willing to pay that price,'” she says.
Both Ford and Holden also have divisions where the V8 was and still is king. Ford is Ford Performance Vehicles (FPV) and Holden is Holden Special Vehicles (HSV).
HSV marketing manager Tim Jackson says their sales are "on par" with last year.
“This is despite the fact that last year we had a limited edition GX-P, which for us is an entry-level product,” he says. “We don’t have this model in our range at all this year and you can expect the numbers to go up, but we were able to maintain sales volume.”
The entire HSV range is powered by a naturally aspirated V8 engine (6200cc, 317-325kW), while FPV rivals gain a kilowatt advantage through forced induction (5000cc supercharged, 315-335kW).
Jackson says their LS3 V8 has been "tested" by customers.
“We don't make guys yell at us to go turbo. LS3 is an unusual unit. It is a light engine with good power density. There is no turbo engine that can do it for us at the right development cost. But I wouldn't rule it out and rule it out (turbo)."
Jackson says there have been no repercussions from rising gasoline prices.
“Our clients have no other choice in their repertoire,” he says. “A small car doesn't suit them and they don't like an SUV. They are at a certain level where it is easy for them to bear all the costs of operating a car.”
The top selling HSV is the ClubSport R8, followed by the Maloo R8 and then the GTS.
However, the largest HSV in history is debatable, Jackson says.
HSV's head of engineering, Joel Stoddart, prefers the all-wheel-drive Coupe4, while sales head Darren Bowler prefers the SV5000.
"The Coupe4 is special because of its design, but I like the W427 because it's the fastest," says Jackson.
FPV boss Rod Barrett says they are also seeing strong sales growth. He says they sold about 500 vehicles in the first quarter, up 32% from the previous year. He also says sales of the F6 have slowed since the launch of supercharged V8 engine options late last year as customers "choose power." Ford no longer offers V8s with the demise of the XR8 and ute sedan last year.
“Our middle name is performance, which is why we have all V8 engines,” says Barrett. "When we launched this new supercharged car, all V8 engines came across here."
Barrett says their supercharged engine changed people's minds about "V8 dinosaurs."
“The turbocharged F6 was a cult hero car in its day, and people thought the V8 was a low-tech dinosaur,” he says. “But when we came out with a high-tech, supercharged, five-litre, supercharged V8 built in Australia, people started to think that V8s weren't so bad. I don't see the end of the V8 yet, but the future is high tech for us."
The supercharged 5.0L V8 335kW FPV GT continues to be the top selling FPV vehicle, followed by the 8L V5.0 supercharged 315kW GS sedan and GS ute.
Barrett believes the current GT is the best FPV vehicle with best-in-class power, light weight and improved fuel efficiency.
“However, I think our most iconic car was the 2007kW BF Mk II 302 Cobra in white with blue stripes. This machine brought back the passion of the '78 with the original Cobra. If you look at used prices, they are still holding up very well,” he says.
