Porsche tacitly reveals new V8

PORSCHE has quietly announced a new turbocharged V8 engine at the Vienna Motor Symposium that will bring 404kW and 700Nm of torque to a number of Porsche and Audi models, starting with the next-generation Panamera.

With the exception of its output, the German car-maker has revealed virtually no official information regarding the new engine, including capacity, efficiency or when it will roll out under a model's bonnet.

An arrival date for a Panamera replacement is yet to be announced but with the large luxury sedan now nudging seven years old, a successor is expected in the next couple of years.

Some reports suggest the new engine is a version of the Audi's new S4 3.0-litre V6 with two extra cylinders which, if confirmed, would stroke the new V8 at 4.0 litres.

In a brief statement made at the Austrian engine show, the only specific detail confirmed was the V8's power and torque, but Porsche said that the eight-cylinder would meet its own “ambitious goals in terms of performance and efficiency”.

With the arrival of the new V8 it is unlikely the car-maker will continue to offer its current eight-pot turbo, which displaces 4.8 litres and has been doing the rounds since it first appeared under the bonnet of the Cayenne large SUV in 2008.

After the Panamera, it is likely that the new engine will also be slotted into the next-generation Cayenne albeit some time later, but given the significant cost of developing a new engine, Porsche's parent Volkswagen Group's other brands may be offered the V8.

Audi's larger and high-performance vehicles, including the Q7 SUV, A8 limousine and R8 sportscar are all candidates to receive the new engine although, as is typical for the German brands, several different states of tune are likely to be offered.

The engine would also make a nice match with a flagship version of Volkswagen's Touareg large SUV and, while Lamborghini has said it is sticking with natural aspiration for now, a pumped version of the turbo V8 may even be seen in the middle of a Huracan replacement at some point.

The Italian brand has confirmed that its first SUV – the Urus – will have at least one turbocharged powerplant, leaving the potential for another application.

Despite the possible downsize in cubic centimetres, the new V8 develops almost as much mumbo as the outgoing V8, which in its most potent form manages 420kW and 750Nm, but Porsche says the smaller capacity will deliver “typical driving performance with significantly reduced CO2 emissions”.