The days appear to be numbered for Toyota’s V8 engine as a number of upcoming models are rumored to adopt a twin-turbo V6.
While we’ve heard this countless times before, The Drive spoke to a source who filled in some details.
According to the insider, Toyota will phase out mass production of their V8 engine over the course of the next three years. As part of this effort, the company’s plant in Huntsville, Alabama will reportedly amass a collection of components to build 30,000 V8 engines for the current Tundra and Sequoia.
Also Read: Lexus Confirms It’s Making A New Twin-Turbo V8 – Is It For The LC F?
Once all those components have been made, the company will begin replacing V8 tooling with new machinery for V6 engines. The plant will then assemble its last V8s before being fully converted over to building the new turbocharged V6s.
The company also builds V8 engines in Japan, at their Tahara plant, but it will reportedly stop mass production in the next two or three years. The facility will then be converted to building turbocharged V6s, but it could retain some limited production for V8 engines.
Toyota declined to comment on its future product plans, but a number of upcoming models are expected to eschew V8 engines. These include the next-generation Tundra and Sequoia.
However, Toyota won’t phase out V8s altogether. Last December, Lexus confirmed a new twin-turbo V8 for its LC race car and noted the engine was also “destined for use on future road cars such as sports cars.” That engine is expected to power the upcoming LC F and could also be installed in the next-generation LX.
While nothing is official, increasing fuel economy and emission standards are pushing automakers to become more eco-friendly and that likely means V8s won’t be as common as they once were.
