Porsche may be best known for their flat-six engines, but they also know how to make great V8s, the first of which was found in the front-engined 928 from the 70s-90s. Now the German automaker is celebrating the 45th anniversary of both the 928 and the Porsche V8 as a whole, and in doing so they’ve released a special video to pay tribute and show their love – appropriately- on Valentine’s Day.
After the 928’s nearly 20-year production run, the next Porsche to receive a V8 was the Cayenne SUV in the early 2000s, followed by the RS Spyder American Le Mans Series (ALMS) racer a few years later, then the Panamera sedan at the start of the 2010s. Three years later, the 918 Spyder, one of hypercars in the so-called “Hypercar Holy Trinity”, was the next Porsche to receive a V8 alongside its two electric motors. That high-revving naturally aspirated V8 was actually derived from the one used in the RS Spyder, and when combined with the aforementioned electric motors, it showed the world that hybrids didn’t have to be boring.
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Currently, Porsche’s V8 lives on in the Cayenne with the GTS, Turbo, Turbo S E-Hybrid, and Turbo GT, as well as in the Panamera with the GTS, Turbo S, and Turbo S E-Hybrid. But those vehicles won’t be the only Porsches with V8s for too long, as the automaker’s upcoming LMDh prototype for the 2023 season will also feature an eight-cylinder engine alongside a performance hybrid system.
Overall, the Porsche V8 has had quite the rich history that only looks to continue in the coming years, and to watch Porsche’s tribute to it for yourself, you can check it out below.