joeyr

SANTA MONICA, California — In what may be a telling sign of the times, more vehicle shoppers — perhaps concerned with the high cost of gasoline and/or increasingly interested in environmental issues — appear to be just saying no to that most American of engines, the V8.

Installation rates for V8s — the favored power plant for the horsepower wars that have dominated the U.S. market for more than a decade — are dropping. And data from a new Edmunds.com study extrapolating the purchase intentions of consumers actively shopping for a new vehicle show those potential customers are markedly less interested in V8 power.

Overall shopper demand for V8s has dropped from 19 percent two years ago to just 15 percent today.

And the public's taste for eight cylinders in SUVs has dropped even more markedly: from 24 percent in January, 2006 to 18 percent at the end of 2007. Meanwhile, demand for V8 power in large cars also slid from 36 percent to 29 percent in the same time frame — and the same numbers apply for two-seaters.

Even Chrysler's dominating Hemi V8 is not immune: The average installation rate for all models that offer the Hemi — there are about a dozen — dropped to 38 percent at the end of 2007; in the Hemi's heyday, installation rates for almost all models easily exceeded 40 percent. And at one point, more than 60 percent of Charger buyers, for instance, opted for the Hemi.

One market segment in which V8 consideration is holding strong: full-size pickups. Demand has increased from 55 percent at the beginning of 2006 to a current 59 percent. Edmunds data wonks say this could be because the number of "casual" pickup customers is dropping, leaving a larger ratio of pickup buyers who use their trucks for genuine work duty.

The case against V8s is building from many angles: General Motors recently made headlines when it shelved a mature development program for a next-generation premium V8. California persists in its legal wrangling to define a de facto fuel-economy standard by strictly regulating carbon dioxide emissions, which are linked to global warming; in that environment, V8s will be a big liability. But perhaps most directly for consumers, fuel prices just keep rising.

What this means to you: "That thing got a Hemi?" just doesn't have the playfully insolent ring it once enjoyed — and the ring V8s make for automakers' cash registers is sure to be a casualty, too. — Bill Visnic, Senior Editor, AutoObserver.com

joeyr

Dont mean to jump the gun but that 4.0 V6 is sounding better and better. they'll need to sell a few of them to keep the car (and brand) around.

Jeremiah 29:11

Just a sign of the times. History repeating itself. Just ride the V8 and ride it hard while you can.

tupperware

its all in the media spin on things...this time next year the follow statement will be true...

"Demand for the 6.1L hemi powered Dodge Challenger is falling off at a dramatic rate...The rate of orders for the 6.1L hemi has dropped from 100% in early 2008 to xx% today."

Please remember that these types of stories come from the same media that has told us all the things we have since learned to be untrue about the Challenger..I watched a guy from Motor Trend TV taping a segment immediately after the press intro in Chicago and he said there would be 9000 '08 models built! Where did that number come from???

To sum up my feelings, chicken little would have convinced a lot more people that the sky was falling if he had talked to a reporter first!!!!

Jeremiah 29:11

There has been more than once that a reporter has lied. Look at the pressing reports for the Challenger and how many were wrong.

I don't see how those guys can become reporter with all of the inaccuracies because they just did not do their homework.

That is okay, 6.5L here I come as long as I can get one.........maybe I will get one of the last ones on the planet. Then I will ride off into the sunset.

Justinec101

Maybe american V6s will catch up to japanese ones now.

lear4406

Whats true in California is only true in California. Thay are so out of step with the rest of the USA. I'll be getting a 6.1 or bigger, because bigger is better

1971Chall

I agree it's just a play on numbers. You can manipulate data in a number of ways to fit a certain view. The new Cafe standards are certainly going to change things but I think the V8 will survive, just in smaller cube versions. The biggest issue today is what has been mentioned several times on this forum already: Vehicle weight. If you can reduce weight it's a big help to fuel economy not to mention vehicle performance. A 6.0L Corvette(400hp) with manual trans can almost knock down 30mpg on the highway with no cylinder shut down or other technology. Of course that same car only weighs 3100pds. My hope is Chrysler will work to adapt the Challenger and not give us a repeat of 1974.

DK challenger

Maybe Dodge will make a lighter platform for the chally and reduce wieght to save gas, not to metion it will go faster.

RLSH700

They already have. The new 3.5L Cyclone that Ford is using in the Taurus produces just 5 less hp and roughly the same torque without using the GDI that Toyota is using in the Avalon which Ford is designing for future use. The GM High Feature 3.6L V6 is producing in excess of 300 hp with GDI in the CTS. In a couple years, Chrysler will have a whole new V6 line with the latest technology.

The thing that amazes me is how people have this belief that the big three are the ones who had to catch up to the Japanese. The truth of the matter is that back about 9 years ago, Chrysler's 3.5L was one of the most power NA V6s in its class. It wasn't until 2002 that the luxury competition managed to catch up in the hp department, and 2003 when Infiniti finally managed to outdo the Chrysler's 3.5L in both categories. Lasting about 4-5 years while being on the top in the category of power against full effort luxury performance competitors is quite an accomplishment especially when the competition's engine is listed on Ward's top ten list for a part-time luxury brand. Had Chrysler remained Chrysler and been allowed to continue putting full effort into their V6 engine line, they would probably be competing with the best in the pack, the problem with the equation was Mercedes and their lackluster effort who likes to never update their V6 line-up. The thing that I consider significant to this is that some of these manufactures such as Honda consider themselves to be engine manufacturers first and car manufacturers second, yet the car manufacturer that didn't have a full time effort luxury brand managed to offset the full effort ones. The fact of the matter is things run in cycles. During the 90s until the earily 2000s, we were ahead, now the Japanese caught up and once again it appears we are going to lead once again.

Something to remember, the 5.7L is due for the update that it will receive within a year. Normally about this time in an engine's life is the cash cow to decline stage so nothing but what is logical to take place is what is taking place. When the 5.7L gets the VCT, demand will increase again thanks to the power and fuel economy improvement. Another thing to think about is the fact that due to the unstable economy, some people might not want to shell out $30K for the Hemi due to concerns about future employment and only go for the 3.5L because they can get it for so much less thanks to not coming standard completely loaded to the max. Chrysler needs to look beyond gas/ethanol powered models though in these models. If they would offer a diesel like that 3.0L used in the E-Class Mercedes for a more affordable price for the average person, they would sell quite nicely.