Dawn of Toyota V8 Engines Will See Rise of New Twin Turbo V6
The Drive reports that V6 setup is planned for Toyota and Lexus flagship vehicles, with V8s being phased out within two years.
An anonymous source within Toyota has reportedly informed The Drive that most V8 engines will soon be a thing of the past for the brand. According to the report, this source has reported that the UR line of V8’s – currently made at Toyota’s Huntsville Alabama plant along with their Tahara plant in Japan – will be phased out in about one year. The report continues, with the source having “personally seen a prototype for the 3.5-liter twin-turbo V-6 that’s allegedly destined for the next-generation Tundra, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser.”
Toyota’s UR line took over from the UZ back in 2006. It was first in the Lexus LS, but since then everything from F-line sports cars and SUV’s and trucks have put it to use. But, it is quite an old engine platform now. With Toyota at the forefront of engine tech, it is no wonder this engine will phase out in favor of the efficiency and power offered with turbocharging.
Unfortunately, the source did not forward specs of the new engine. We speculate that if the V6 will take over, it’ll have to be at least as powerful as the outgoing naturally aspirated V8. In the Lexus LX, the 5.7-liter version of the UR V8 makes 383 horsepower and 401 lb/ft of torque. As it sits for a baseline, Toyota’s GR series V6 engine currently makes 295 horsepower and 268 lb/ft of torque. In larger vehicles, that torque number will be the most important measure to match. Adding two turbos to the GR engine would presumably allow engineers to tune this engine for SUVs. Or on the other hand, engineers can tune for other F-line sporty vehicles as well.
It’s important to note that not all V8 engines will go away. As we know from our sister site, Club Lexus, a twin turbo V8 is going to land in their flagship LC coupe. As well, The Drive continues in their report, suggesting that a V8 hybrid could find itself under the hood of some high-end sedans sold overseas.
Photo: The Drive
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