V8s are still on sale in 2025: 5 carmakers keeping them alive

Ford, Ferrari, GMC, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac all still sell V8-powered vehicles in 2025. That alone tells you the V8 isn’t gone yet. It’s hanging on in a handful of models, even as the rest of the industry keeps moving toward smaller turbocharged engines, hybrids, and EVs.

Tighter emissions and fuel-economy rules have pushed a lot of brands toward turbo six-cylinders, hybrids, and fully electric drivetrains. So these days, V8s mostly show up in full-size trucks , flagship SUVs, and halo performance cars, not the mainstream vehicles they used to dominate.

Ford has kept a V8 in production continuously since the Flathead showed up in 1932, and the company says it’ll keep building V8s for as long as regulations let it. You can still see that commitment in the Ford Mustang and in Ford’s full-size trucks.

General Motors is on a similar track. GMC and Chevrolet still depend on V8s for trucks and performance models, while Cadillac keeps the formula alive in the 2025 Cadillac Escalade and the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

Still, the numbers show where things are headed. Registration data say V8 registrations in half-ton pickups fell from 64.6% in 2020 to 38% in 2024, while six-cylinders pulled ahead for the first time in decades.

At the luxury end, Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and even BMW are proof that the formula still has a place, and hybrids such as the Ferrari SF90 Stradale may help extend its life a little longer. You can still walk into a dealership and buy a V8 today, but you’ll mostly find it in trucks, luxury flagships, and high-performance cars.