BMW confirms V8 engine future as new X5 range expands beyond launch lineup

BMW has confirmed that its V8 engine will remain part of its long-term line-up, even as the new X5 ushers in a wide range of electrified and alternative powertrains.

The latest generation of the BMW X5 is set to make history as the brand’s first production SUV offered with five different powertrain options: petrol, diesel, plug-in hybrid, fully electric and hydrogen. However, at launch, buyers expecting a V8 will be disappointed, as the initial line-up will be limited to inline-six engines on the internal combustion side.

Despite that, BMW has confirmed that a V8-powered variant is in development. The confirmation is subtly included within the press material for the new Spartanburg-built SUV, indicating that the larger engine is set to return in an M Performance model rather than a full X5 M.

While the model has not been officially named, it is widely expected to be called the X5 M60. BMW is also dropping the “i” designation from petrol models, reserving it exclusively for electric vehicles, meaning future combustion-powered variants will follow this revised naming structure.

The V8 model will not be available at launch alongside the X5’s initial line-up. Instead, BMW plans to introduce the V8 variant in 2027. Enthusiasts will be pleased to learn that the model is expected to retain a traditional V8 configuration rather than adopting a plug-in hybrid system, although a mild-hybrid setup remains likely.

Alongside the future V8 model, BMW will also offer other M Performance versions of the X5 at launch. One of these is expected to be the X5 M60e plug-in hybrid, although it will not be sold in the United States. The company is also developing a higher-performance electric variant based on the iX5.

BMW has not yet confirmed whether a full X5 M will arrive in either internal combustion or electric form, though industry expectations suggest a flagship performance version could follow in 2028 or later.

The wider BMW Group strategy suggests that V8 engines will continue well into the next decade, supported by upcoming models such as the next-generation X7, expected in 2027, which is also likely to feature the brand’s largest engines. The recently updated 7 Series is also expected to gain a V8-powered M Performance variant in the same period. Alpina is additionally understood to be developing V8 versions of future BMW Group flagship models.

While BMW still produces a larger engine, the twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre V12 built at the Hams Hall plant in the United Kingdom is reserved exclusively for Rolls-Royce models. Although Rolls-Royce had previously aimed to transition fully to electric vehicles by 2030, that plan has shifted, allowing the V12 to remain in production into the next decade. A return of the V12 to BMW or Alpina models, however, remains highly unlikely.

BMW V12 continues, but not in BMW models

As a result, the twelve-cylinder engine will continue in production, but only within the Rolls-Royce range. A revival in BMW or Alpina vehicles is not expected.

Motor1's Take: While Mercedes-AMG is making a big deal about recommitting to V8 engines, the eight-cylinder X5 is little more than a footnote in a press release. The reason is simple: BMW never said it would move away from large-displacement engines or combustion engines in general. Even with stricter Euro 7 emissions regulations on the horizon, there's still life left in the V8.

The only concern surrounds output. BMW had to detune its largest engine in the M5 and XM to comply with tougher emissions rules in markets that follow the Euro 7 standard. We'll have to wait and see whether the X5 M60, or whatever it ends up being called, will also lose some of its Bavarian-bred horses in Europe.