For some time, General Motors (GM) was planning to become an electric vehicle-only maker by 2035. So, no more internal combustion engines, at all. But more recently, customer buying trends and new federal legislation updates resulted in GM changing its ways and its ambitious vision for 2035. Now, GM is diverting a sizable chunk of its future EV technology budget towards the development of a brand new, sixth-generation V8 engine.And GM is not the only major automaker reviving the V8. Porsche, maker of some of the finest sports cars on the planet, has recorded major losses in recent times after jumping on board the electric vehicle train. Porsche is now in the process of developing a new line of internal combustion engines that will meet the required emission standards by 2030. This includes a new V8.This is the story behind the unexpected revival of the V8 engine, and the companies that are back in the V8 game after essentially calling it quits on eight cylinders.We take a look at the car companies that had all but abandoned the V8 engine but have done an about-face after regulatory changes, as well as clear indications from customers that they still want some V8. Ford makes the list because it has walked back its EV plans, with a next-generation V8 expected to play a starring role in future high-performance Extended Range EV models. Ram New Engine Due: Current 2027 Ram 1500 SRT TRX front three-quarterRam discontinued the legendary Hemi V8 engine at the end of 2024, the big V8 making way for the smaller, more efficient 3.0-liter, straight-six Hurricane gasoline engine. The Hurricane engine was designed to provide V8 levels of performance, but with fewer harmful emissions and drinking a lot less fuel. Perfect solution, right?Well, no. Ram customers apparently did not approve of such a move, preferring the legendary V8, no matter the higher fuel costs. And it is not like the Hurricane engine is a dead duck in the water. The High Output version of the twin-turbocharged, straight-six engine produces all of 540 horsepower and 521 pound feet of torque, sending the big Ram 1500 to 60 mph in less than five seconds. It's a powerful thing, to be sure. Still, Ram customers clearly preferred the trusty Hemi V8.And so, after a two-year hiatus, the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is back in the 1500 business, offering customers the V8 option they so dearly wanted. The engine produces 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque... quite a way down on the Hurricane High Output engine. Not that this fact will deter Ram customers from buying the V8 again. For them, it's V8, or bust.Ram now offers essentially four engine options for the 1500 truck, starting with Stellantis' familiar 3.6-liter V6 gas engine, the Hemi V8, and two versions of the Hurricane engine (low and high output versions). Jeep New Engine Due: 2027 2023 Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe front, three-quarterThe Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, like its cousin from the Ram stable, saw the iconic Hemi V8 engine dropped from the range in 2023, making way for the more efficient and less thirsty Hurricane engine. But as good as the three-liter, twin-turbocharged straight-six engine is, or as efficient as the Grand Cherokee Trailhawk 4xe plug-in hybrid may be, some customers still prefer the trusty familiarity of the V8... big on low-end torque, and that familiar V8 rumble higher up in the rev range.Jeep has not confirmed specific timings for the possible return of the Hemi option in specifically, the Grand Cherokee and possibly other models too. It is expected that the Hemi V8 will soon make its return to the Jeep ranks. In doing so, it will be filling an important gap for customers who prefer a meaty, naturally aspirated V8 over a modern but complex engine with all the tricks in the book. Chevrolet New Engine Due: 2027 2026 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 front, three-quarterFor two years, General Motors has been hard at work developing an all-new, sixth-generation small V8 engine, expected to become available in two formats: a 5.7-liter version for more workhorse-oriented applications, and a high-performance 6.6-liter variant, aimed at the performance market. GM's 2023 decision to divert $1.7 billion of the budget it had earmarked for EV powertrain development to a brand-new V8 may yet prove to be a stroke of genius, updating the brand's current range of V8 engines to ever more efficient and powerful levels.Not only is this next-generation V8 engine expected to meet and exceed emission regulations, the recent updates to that legislation may result in the engine finding its way into a lot more GM products than originally planned. Range-extender EVs (REEVs) are a big new thing in the world of American cars, with Stellantis – working in conjunction with Chinese extended-range pioneering company Leapmotor – expected to launch several models on the US market inside the next six months.GM will certainly miss a trick if it doesn't join this REEV party. And the new V8 engine will make the perfect bedfellow for a large truck or SUV. Mercedes-AMG New Engine Due: 2027 2023 Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance front, three-quarterMercedes-Benz certainly paid some expensive school fees with the latest Mercedes-AMG C63 S E Performance, powered by a powerful hybrid set-up combining a turbocharged, two-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor for the rear axle. As spectacularly fast and efficient as it is, AMG fans are missing the thunder previous generation C63 models – all powered by big and loud V8s – had brought to the performance party.Mercedes-Benz basically admitted it had made a blunder, believing AMG fans would take to the four-cylinder hybrid C63 like some activists take to blue hair dye.Now Mercedes-Benz is righting this perceived wrong, and the CLE 63 is expected to be powered by a new, flat-plane crankshaft version of the iconic M177 twin-turbocharged, 4.0-liter V8 engine. An AMG C53 model, powered by a twin-turbocharged straight-six engine, is will likely debut in the future.With a rev limit in excess of 7,000 rpm, and at the very least 540 hp, the new M177 Evo V8 engine should get the AMG fans back smiling from ear to ear, bringing the thunder back. In short, lessons learned, and well noted by Mercedes-Benz. Porsche New Engine Due: 2027 2026 Porsche Cayenne GTS frontIf Mercedes-Benz took some light knocks after it introduced the four-cylinder hybrid AMG C63 S E Performance, Porsche was floored and out for the count with its recent product-planning endeavors, aiming for a pure EV future.To sum up, Porsche invested a massive amount of its resources in the development of its E-Performance models like the Taycan. When the Taycan EV initially launched in 2019, it was a revelation, offering a unique blend of Porsche performance and efficiency. But soon quality issues started tainting the Taycan picture. In time, sales slowed down. Porsche started losing money... big money.In 2025, Porsche reported a massive downturn in its profit margins. The Taycan's lagging sales, the dwindling EV market, tariffs and a lot of its resources stuck in EV development saw the iconic company shaken to its foundations.Porsche is now on the comeback trail, and part of that comeback reportedly includes the development of a new V8 gasoline engine. This engine will be based on the current four-liter, turbocharged V8, but the updated version will be updated to fully comply with emission and noise regulations, heading into the 2030s.We bet the updated V8 engine will be utilized in more than just the Cayenne and Panamera models, as Porsche rolls back on its pure EV-only plans. Ford Updated Engine Due: 2027 2026 Ford F-150 Lightning STX front, gravel roadFord makes this list not because it has completely discarded the V8, like some of the other companies in this line-up, but because it has completely walked back its future EV strategy. A next-generation V8 engine expected to serve in high-performance hybrid and range-extender applications. Ford has, of course, been making V8s for ages. And the company is still very much at it, with the brilliant Coyote V8 doing service in the Mustang. Ford also gets points for slapping a supercharger on the Coyote, and introducing the new Mustang SC.Ford's mission towards a pure EV future, conforming to prevailing trends and regulations that were still in place until recently, saw the company take a hard knock with the commercial failure of the F-150 Lightning electric truck. A great truck, but a tough sell, the Lightning didn't turn the expected profits, and was shoved to the side in 2025.Ford is now said to be repurposing the Lightning platform, adding internal combustion engines to the deal (the engine only serves as a generator), creating a new wave of extended-range trucks. The next-generation V8 engine is expected to provide the generating power for future high-performance, extended-range vehicles.The new Ford Extended Range Electric Vehicle (EREV) is expected to make its debut in 2027. It will have a range of more than 700 miles.