First the Ford F-150 went V6. Then the RAM 1500 lost its V8 for a straight-six of just three litres (plus a pair of turbos, of course). Even before that, the Toyota LandCruiser wagon switched from a 4.5-litre V8 to a 3.3-litre V6. And everywhere else you looked, it appeared as though the V8 was on the edge of extinction.

But GWM clearly didn’t get that memo, because it recently dropped a proper bombshell, announcing that a V8 engine would be coming, probably to a Tank 500 (or Tank 700) near you. It may also find its way into GWM’s luxury car models under various brand names.

Also, because the Tank 500 and 700 use the same chassis architecture as the Cannon Alpha Plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute, it’s probably not too much of a stretch to suggest the V8 driveline might end up in that vehicle as an option, too. Why do we think the Tank models will be first with the V8? Mainly because the V8 engine was displayed on the Tank section of GWM’s Shanghai Motor Show stand. Makes sense, right?

Technical details are still a bit sketchy as the engine was only unveiled this week, but it has also been hinted that the V8 might also be fitted to the Tank 300 Hooke model – a hard-core off-road variant of the 300.

1

What we do know is that the new engine runs on petrol and measures four-litres of capacity. Outputs haven’t been discussed yet, but since GWM already has a turbocharged V6 hybrid driveline good for 380kW and 800Nm, it makes sense that the V8 would outpunch that.

Based on the photographs coming out of Shanghai, the V8 is a DOHC design with coil-on-plug ignition and a pair of turbochargers mounted in the hot side of the Vee (much like the LandCruiser 300’s V6 and a slew of current Euro V8 road cars). There’s also an intercooler for each turbocharger and, on the photos we’ve seen, the electric motor appears to be sandwiched between the engine and the transmission. That would suggest the electric motor also acts as the V8’s starter motor.

So what’s the catch? Mainly that you won’t be able to buy a GWM off-road wagon with a howling, turbocharged V8 engine and start giving Y62 Patrol owners a hard time. Nope, the V8 will only be fitted to vehicles where it’s paired with a hybrid system, including plug-in hybrids.

1

Of course, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise as GWM is heavily invested in hybrid tech. But it also suggests that the vehicle would rely heavily on electric propulsion with the V8 making its presence felt when towing or chugging up cliff-faces in the scrub. But the emergence of the V8 also proves that GWM continues to have faith (and investment) in the internal combustion world.

The fact that the V8 would only be teamed with a hybrid driveline comes straight from the top, too. GWM’s boss of global right-hand-drive markets (which includes us, of course), James Yang, has gone on record as saying  the new V8 won’t be offered as a stand-alone powerplant. Intriguingly, James recently spent some time in Australia, too.

The hybrid-only thing makes sense in the context of ever-tougher fleet emission targets, and GWM has previously said that its hybrids are slanted towards running on pure electricity with the petrol engine predominately used to maintain performance in hard-use, high-speed situations. In the context of a Tank 500 or 700, that would surely mean while towing or when properly off-road and, say, smashing sand dunes all day.

1

Which, again, makes lots of sense, as the EV’s inherent short-suit is its ability to maintain output when it gets used hard and starts to generate more heat than it can get rid of.

The other intriguing piece of speculation is that the projected huge peak power and torque outputs could make the V8-hybrid version of a Tank 700 some kind of towing monster. Nobody at GWM is saying anything, but a towing capacity of four tonnes or even more is on the cards, we reckon. You read it here first.