Aston Martin Dropping V8s, Going To Hybrid V6

The glorious staccato of an Aston Martin V8, used in such cars as the Vantage, DB11 and even the DBX crossover, will soon become a thing of the past, according to the company’s CEO Andy Palmer.

In a recent interview, Palmer said the AMG-sourced 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engines will be gone in a few years, as AMG plans to replace them with turbo four cylinders. So, the British company will design in-house a new 3.0-litre V6 hybrid powertrain, likely turbocharged. Currently, the two V8 variations on offer deliver 503hp and 542hp, but Palmer says the new V6 will be even more powerful while delivering better fuel economy.

“As you move on, you normally expect a power increase, not a decrease,” said Palmer. “You’re supposed to do that even with a smaller power unit, so there’s no way our customers are going to expect to step backward.”

It’s hard to imagine an Aston Martin with a tweedy whine of a V6, and the engineers will have a big job ahead of them to get it to match the excitement of the sharp crackling of a V8 at full trot. Fortunately, Palmer also said that, while the V12 will have to be dropped at some point, that won’t be anytime soon.

*Images courtesy of Aston Martin