The first automaker to put V-8s in popularly priced cars may be the first to take them away. Ford Motor Company is investing--big--into gas turbocharged direct-injection engines, says Derrick Kuzak, group vice president for global product development (Ford's Bob Lutz). Ford plans to build a half million vehicles per year with the engine technology in five years.

Why GTDI, as Ford calls it? The technology was also formerly known as TwinForce, but Ford has renamed it EcoBoost. Beside better performance and fuel economy, "combined with downsizing engines, direct injection allows less turbo lag and higher compression for more boost," Kuzak explains. It produces better torque curves than diesels.

And it's a substitute for cubic inches. A 2.0-liter GTDI can perform comparably with a 3.0-liter V-6 (which can generate as much as 275 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, according to Ford) and add five mpg, per Kuzak. A 3.5-liter GTDI V-6 has a two-mpg advantage over a 4.6-liter V-8 and can see power numbers of 340 horsepower and over 340 lb-ft of torque. And the higher cost of GTDI pays off in better fuel economy (20-30 percent gains, according to Ford) much more quickly than with a hybrid or diesel.

So is the V-8 dead? "I'm not sure," Kuzak replies. Ford will have to educate buyers that a GTDI V-6 can be torquier than a 4.6-liter V-8. One thing is certain: With the Energy Bill's higher CAFE standards, the V-8 will become more of a niche engine, more likely found only on low-volume sports cars, luxury sedans, and trucks.

 

heres another link
http://www.blueovalnews.com/index.ph..._articleid=631

 

You are loony if you think there wont be V8s in mustangs and trucks in the near future.

 

not so loony...remember the mustang2 and those "golden" years of weak so called musclecars....makes sense...the s197 might be the end of this era...just like the boss was back in 71....hold on to your gts boys...last time this happened lasted over a decade...honestly though...like that link said....my stang was stock 300hp v8....infinity is making more than that on their stock q37 v6 so the argument for a v8 is getting weaker anyway...then again...it'll be interestin to see what happens to the v8 with the challenger, the camaro, and the new m3 on the way

 

Honestly, I think it's awesome that they are doing this. Ford does need to focus on boosting the power of it's smaller cars and such. They haven't had a strong good gas mileage car in a while and it's about time they make it happen. I think Ford will see a gain in sales with this move. And face it, the V8 will never die. They will just simply move to what Chevy is doing with the selective cylinder thing to get a better average on gas mileage but that V8 grunt will still be there for when you punch it.

And it's not just the V8's out there, look at all those V10 and V12 supercars out there. You really think this little crisis is going to shut down big companies like Lamborghini and Ferrari, I don't think so. If people want it, they'll buy it.

 

****, if you can give me a car that has 340lbs/tq and get good gas mileage then i'm all in.

 

I agree! However I will kick myself even harder in the azz if they get rid of
v-8's and I got rid of my mach....it would make it all that much more valuable in the future. crap.

 

Call me crazy, but i like everything about mustangs, not only all the stuff mustangs do right, but all the stuff they do wrong too.

scrap the V-8, pack a 340hp V6 in a mustang and im gonna be scratching my head wondering why the mustang turned into a 350z.

I want the V8, i want the lousy gas mileage, i want the massive aftermarket availability, and i want the attitude and mentality of the mustang.

I agree a hybrid mustang would be better for the enviornment, a high performance v6 will get better feul economy, yeah, great, but i dont want that.

If they decide to get rid of the V8 i hope the just retire the ol steed and pack all that high performance super v6 stuff into a new ford probe or something.

some things are sacred, and not worth the sacrifice.

 

its cus they're all skerred of the evo turbod 4

 

Well they can make some decently powered v6's.... but I still wouldn't want a world without the sound of a muscle car.

 

Lol.. yeah, i bet they all sleep under thier sheets at night with a flashlight, knees knocking in fear as they worry about the evo.

lol

 

cycling back to the mustang 2....i cant wait....my gt is about to be such a collectible....first "i am legend" has all the kids pointing....then "knightrider" is gonna have everyone staring....now this new law if it puts the v8 on ice is gonna make my exhaust note legendary....bring it!!!

 

it would be weird without the rumbling v8s around be sad

 

there will still be the old ones. and the custom ones.