The age of electrification may be nigh, but that doesn’t mean the mighty V8 is vanquished quite yet. Plenty of car brands still use the classic configuration.
The V8 engine is in an interesting place at the moment. Sure, HEMI-powered muscle cars are becoming a thing of the past, but that doesn’t mean the V8 is dead. Ford and Chevy are sticking to their guns with pure gasoline V8s in their performance cars, while automakers like Lamborghini and Aston Martin are pushing the envelope with hybridized V8s that put out staggering amounts of power.
So, really, rumors of the V8’s demise are perhaps somewhat exaggerated. Even the HEMI is alive and well in Dodge’s Durango and the Ram trucks. The landscape may not be quite the same as it was in the V8’s heyday, sure, but the future still looks quite rosy for fans of eight-cylinder power. Well, provided they have deep enough pockets. Many of the brands we’ll discuss here don’t exactly make cheap cars, but that seems to be the price you’ll have to pay for that signature V8 burble.
A quick note before we begin. This list focuses on mass-production automakers — the Fords, Chevrolets, and BMWs of the world — and not ultra-limited hypercar builders like SSC or Hennessey, some of which still use V8s in their cars.Ford
Let’s kick things off with probably one of the most predictable names on this list: Ford. Unlike Dodge and its 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona, Ford has stuck with traditional V8 power for its signature muscle car, the Mustang. As with almost every Mustang since the launch of the first generation in 1964, the modern-day Ford Mustang is available with V8 power under the hood.
Ford currently sells two versions of the Mustang: the EcoBoost and the GT. The former has a four-cylinder EcoBoost engine under the hood, while the latter packs Ford’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8. The V8 makes 480 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, climbing to 486 and 418, respectively, with the active exhaust and premium gasoline. Would-be Mustang owners who want even more grunt can step up to the Mustang Dark Horse, which squeezes 500 horsepower out of the same engine.
Ford’s trucks also use V8 engines, with higher-end trims of its ever-popular F-150 sporting eight-cylinder engines. The F-150 Tremor has a 5.0-liter V8 making 400 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, while the Raptor R is available with a supercharged 5.2-liter V8 that puts out an impressive 720 horsepower.Chevrolet / GMC
Ford isn’t the only automaker out of Detroit still building V8-powered performance cars. General Motors (GM) is also still at it, with the current mid-engined Corvette C8 still getting its propulsion from an old-school V8. From the entry-level Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to the bonkers 1,000-horsepower Corvette ZR1, Chevy’s supercar killer continues flying the flag for V8 power — even if the latter’s flat-plane V8 is a bit of a departure from the more common cross-plane V8s.
The V8 engine is also featured in Chevy’s truck and SUV offerings, such as the Silverado. Certain trim levels of the Silverado 1500, like the LTZ and High Country, come with GM’s 5.3-liter EcoTec3 V8 as standard and can be optioned with a larger 6.2-liter EcoTec3 V8. Silverado 2500 HD models, on the other hand, come with GM’s 6.6-liter V8. Most models of the 2025 Chevrolet Suburban have the same 5.3-liter EcoTec3 engine and can be optioned with the larger version if needed. The only exception is the Suburban High Country, which has the latter from the factory.
Fellow GM brand GMC also sells a few V8-powered vehicles, with products like the Sierra 1500 having V8s like its close Chevy counterparts. The lower trim levels of the Sierra have optional 5.3-liter V8s, with the first factory-equipped V8 coming in the $55,000 Sierra SLT.Dodge / Ram
Dodge caused quite a stir when it announced it would discontinue its legendary HEMI engine, replacing it in its muscle cars with V6s and electric motors. But the months since the announcement have shown that the company isn’t quite ready to give up on the HEMI completely.
While there’s no indication that Dodge will bring the iconic name back to its performance cars, prospective buyers who want some HEMI power can get it with the company’s Durango SUV. The 2025 Dodge Durango R/T has Dodge’s 360-horsepower, 5.7-liter HEMI V8 under the hood, while the Durango SRT Hellcat takes things a whole lot further with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI producing 710 horsepower and 645 lb-ft of torque — making it one of the most powerful SUVs money can buy. Rumors indicate that the HEMI is sticking around for 2026, too, so it looks like HEMI fans aren’t out of luck just yet.
Advocates of the V8 have slightly more choice if they’re interested in pickups, though. The modern Ram 2500 and 3500 pickups come with 6.4-liter HEMIs that make 405 horsepower and 429 lb-ft of torque. McLaren
Let’s go from the utilitarian to the exotic and turn our gaze to McLaren, the maker of legendary cars like the McLaren F1 and its spiritual successor, the recently-announced McLaren W1. The W1 hypercar, coincidentally, is one example of the company’s V8-powered offerings, with an all-new MHP-8 V8 engine paired with electric drive for a total power output of 1,275 horsepower. Zero to 60 mph times are expected to be well under 3 seconds, and McLaren estimates that the W1 will hit 124 mph in just 5.8 seconds.
That sort of performance won’t come cheap, of course. The W1 starts at $2.1 million, making it unattainable for all but the most well-off petrolheads. However, those who want V8-powered McLaren action have more options in the form of the touring-focused McLaren GTS and surprisingly accessible 750S sports car. Both of these have twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8s and are just that little bit more attainable than the W1 — although we’re sure that the $300,000-plus MSRP of the latter is still out of the reach of most.
