The pace of electrification does not slow down, regardless of more setbacks than advances in sales. But internal combustion engines still have many supporters, as demonstrated by the record that emerges almost simultaneously with the launch of the new generation of 100% electric models, the Neue Klasse, from BMW: the 8-cylinder engines from the Munich brand have never been in such high demand!
In statements to a U.S. website specialized in the automotive sector, Joachim Post from BMW’s research and development department confirmed that 2024 was the best year ever for the brand in terms of sales of cars equipped with V8 engines: “We want to offer the best cars to our customers, and they decide the type of engine they want. No one will have a new car just because they buy an electric one, nor will they be forced to keep an old car if they are fans of internal combustion engines. The world is different, it’s true: 2024 was our best year ever in sales, both of electric drivetrains and of 8-cylinder engines.”
The success of the 8-cylinder engines, obviously, has not been recorded in all markets. But these engines continue to enjoy great popularity in countries like the U.S., especially in SUVs (X5, X6, and X7), and they are also very successful among customers of the Series 7, Series 8, or M5 – in the sports sedan, it should be noted, the engine is available in a variant with plug-in hybrid technology.
