American brand has big V8 ambitions

The V8 engine may be about to make a big resurgence.

Speaking to US website Mopar Insiders, Ram CEO Tim Kuniskis says the company is expecting to build more than 100,000 V8 engines in 2026 – up from 30,000 in 2025.

Mr Kuniskis says demand for the V8 is still strong in the US, despite Ram's introduction of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo ‘Hurricane’ six-cylinder engine in 2025.

Even with 30,000 ‘Hemi’ V8 engines built, the company says it received more than 50,000 orders from North American buyers following its reintroduction in 2025.

CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal.

“But specifically on [the Hemi V8] – quite frankly, I didn’t know that it was going to be such a lightning-rod statement,” Mr Kuniskis admitted.

“When we said that we got 10,000 Hemi orders in one day, everyone went, ‘Oh my God.’ It became like a life of its own,” he said, explaining Ram then went on to take a further 40,000 orders.

Ram reintroduced the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 last year, and recently revealed the supercharged 6.2-litre Hellcat V8 is also returning in the resurrected Ram 1500 TRX. A 6.4-litre V8 called the Apache has continued to be available in heavier-duty Ram pickup trucks in North America.

While the automaker is working on expanding production of engines within the Hemi V8 family, the Ram boss says the true take-up rate of the Hemi compared to the Hurricane hasn’t been determined.

“So 2026 is going to be really telling of what is the real mix between [Hurricane sixes] and [Hemi V8s]. Because I’m adamant that [turbocharged six-cylinder] is a great engine,” he said.

“When you drive them back-to-back, the take rate of the Hemi is going to be maybe 35-ish per cent.”

Ram isn’t the first manufacturer to commit to the V8, with rivals Ford and General Motors continuing to produce the engine, while European brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz say they have no plans to axe their eight-cylinder engines at this point.

MORE: Explore the Ram showroom