The Best V8 Engine Cars in India and the World

The sound of a sports car is one of the main things that set it apart in a sea of people commuting. The style and extravagant design are, of course, the other aspects. And among the cream of the sports car arena are the cars with V8 engines.

The list of the best V8 engine cars isn’t just limited to sports cars. Many of them are sport utility vehicles (SUVs) or luxury sedans. The qualities which set a V8 apart are high power with low effort, and a tremendous amount of peak torque, which makes getting a move on very easy.

In this article, you will see some of the most exclusive, most attractive, as well as most affordable V8 engine cars in India.

What is a V8 Engine Car?

Well, it’s a car that has an engine with eight cylinders. Except here, unlike most ordinary engines with three or four cylinders in line, the V8 uses two rows of four cylinders. These are called “banks” and are joined at an angle of usually 60-90° which results in the namesake “V” shape. They power a single crankshaft which results in huge displacement and equally high power.

The reason for this is mainly compact packaging. An in-line eight-cylinder engine would be very long and require a long bonnet. There are a few examples of those, with cars from Bugatti, Duesenberg, Alfa Romeo and Mercedes. A notable example is the iconic Bugatti Atlantic from the 1930s.

The V8 engine layout allows for large capacity engines to be fit into reasonably-sized engine bays of road cars. That means these cars comfortably fit within the average road lane width  with ease.

The nature of the V8 motor depends a lots on the bore and stroke dimensions of the engine cylinder. , A wider bore and shorter stroke means the piston travels a shorter distance, which means more revs (RPM) and higher power for a mad V8 engine. On the other hand, narrower bore and longer stroke make for stronger performance and higher torque at lower RPMs. For the carmaker, finding the balance is crucial, making sure the engine  the character of the car.

1. Best V8 Engine Cars: Lamborghini Temerario – Most Powerful V8 Sports Car

The newest Lamborghini sports car model is also the first of its kind with a V8 engine. The Temerario replaced the Huracán. It is available in India starting from a base ex-showroom price of ₹ 6 crore. It packs a plug-in hybrid V8 engine powertrain comprising a 4.0 L V8 petrol engine, a 3.8-kWh high-voltage battery pack, and three electric motors for a total of 907 bhp. It uses an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

The Lamborghini Temerario can sprint from 0-100 kmph in just 2.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 343 kmph. The flat-plane crankshaft allows the engine to rev to 10,000 rpm, making the Temerario one of the highest-revving V8 engine cars in production.

2. Best V8 Engine Cars: Mercedes-Benz S-Class – Best V8 Engine Luxury Car in India

The Mercedes S-Class is arguably the most revered German luxury car on sale. The most powerful version of the S-Class lineup is the Mercedes-AMG S 63 E Performance, boasting a massive 790 bhp of peak power. The S-Class combines top-shelf luxury with outstanding performance and driving efficiency. The asking price is a steep ₹ 3.34 crore (ex-showroom). There are quite a few used Mercedes cars in India available at attractive prices.

The S 63 is capable of sprinting from 0-100 kmph in just 3.3 seconds and achievingt a  top speed that’s limited to 250 kmph. This is thanks to the V8 engine combined with a plug-in hybrid set-up comprising a 140-kW electric motor and a 13.1-kWh battery pack.

2. Best V8 Engine Cars: Range Rover – Best V8 Engine Luxury SUV in India

The Range Rover is recognised as the last word in capable luxury SUVs. Nothing balances luxurious travel with off-road capability like the iconic Range Rover. Further, it has almost always had the best V8 engine option available, at times both petrol and diesel. From the 4.2 L and 5.0 L V8 with and without the supercharger, to the new 4.4 L V8 twin-turbo, it has always delivered Solid performance.

Several Range Rover models with seven seats as well as luxurious four-seat layout were sold in India, including some of them being assembled here. While a new Range Rover starts from ₹ 2.4 crore, you can buy used LandRover cars including the 4.4 L V8 diesel Range Rover SUVs at unbelievable prices.

3. Best V8 Engine Cars: Audi Q7 – Best Diesel V8 Engine Car in India

This Audi Q7 is a car that rarely needs an introduction. The Q7 seven-seater SUV single-handedly established Audi as a brand in India. Primarily it was the potent and efficient V6 TDI diesel engine which made up the numbers. Audi also offered the 4.2 L V8 petrol and, later with the facelift, the 4.2 L V8 TDI diesel as well.

The V8 diesel produced 345 bhp and a whopping 800 Nm of torque from its 4.2 L turbo-diesel V8 engine. The new Q7 is only available with a V6 petrol engine in India but you can buy a used Audi Q7 at an astonishing price today.

4. Best V8 Engine Cars: Land Rover Defender – Cheapest V8 Engine Car in India

A true-blue big off-road SUV, the Defender is available in three sizes, 90 (two-door), 110 (four-door) and 130 (extended four-door). However, the Defender 110 with the supercharged petrol V8 engine is the cheapest new car on sale in India. The Defender 110 P425 X-Dynamic HSE variant is priced at ₹ 1.49 crore (ex-showroom).

The V8 engine produces 419 bhp and 550 Nm of torque. This is enough for the 2.3-tonne premium SUV to dismiss 0-100 kmph in 5.8 seconds and go on to a top speed of 191 kmph. Few SUVs can match the presence and capability of the Defender.

5. Best V8 Engine Cars: Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT – Best American V8 SUV in India

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a luxurious model from the iconic off-road brand. But, it was the SRT which came packing the 6.2 HEMI V8 engine, which is a revered icon among enthusiasts and a popular 6.2 V8 for sale.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT was even sold in India with the 470-bhp HEMI 6.4 L V8 petrol engine. It was the cheapest V8 engine SUV in 2016 and still remains a sought after model. While you may not easily find one now, there are some great second hand Jeep models in India to be found.

6. Best V8 Engine Cars: Koenigsegg Agera RS – Fastest V8 Engine Car

The officially recognised fastest V8 engine car in the world is the Koenigsegg Agera RS. The Swedish megacar packs a 5.0 L twin-turbocharged V8 producing one megawatt (1,341 bhp). It achieved a GPS-verified top speed of 447.2 km/h on the two-way average. The performance on tap shows the spectrum of performance that the best V8 engine cars are capable of.

7. Best V8 Engine Cars: Cadillac Eldorado – Biggest V8 Engine Car in the World

The car with the biggest V8 engine ever produced on a line was the Cadillac Eldorado, introduced in the USA in 1970. It had a massive 8.2 L V8 “big block” petrol engine. Some performance “crate” engines available aftermarket had displacements of 9.4 L. Some COPO crate engines are still available with a capacity of 10.4 L, producing over 1,000 bhp.

8. Best V8 Engine Cars: Ferrari Dino 208 GT4 – Smallest V8 Engine Car in the World

The Ferrari F40 may have been extremely popular with its rather small 2.9 L turbo V8 engine making an incredible 478 bhp. Even Formula 1 cars used 2.4 L V8 engines from 2006 to 2013. But the car which actually had the smallest V8 engine ever was the Ferrari Dino 208 GT4. It had a 2.0 L (1990.64 cc) V8 making 178 bhp. It continued until 1980 in the 208 GTB and 208 GTS sports car models. 

Conclusion

Some of the most fun cars to drive and enjoy driving with are V8 engine cars. While some offer smooth and effortless performance in luxury car form, some others have only two doors, weigh less than 1.8 tonnes and rev sky high for some breathtaking action. Yes, V8s sit between V6 and V12 engines but they have a character of their own, with a soundtrack and torque delivery which needs to be experienced first-hand to be properly savoured.