Get any kid to mimic the sound of a car, and between their vibrating lips you'll hear the approximation of a V8. That's just how cars ought to sound. It's the law. Not only that, it's a great form of packaging: two banks of four cylinders connected (usually) at 90 degrees provide plenty of power and torque, plus a suitably low center of gravity, all in the space taken up by a straight six. The V8 engine is an icon because it has not only provided the soundtrack to virtually every car chase on TV and in the movies, all our lives are lived with one or near one. We've watched them compete on track, in Formula One, IRL, Champ Car and NASCAR. It's the great American engine.
Like many great American things, the V8 came from Europe. The first documented car to use one was the 1904 Rolls-Royce Legalimit. A 3.5-liter example propelled the early Roller to what was the legal speed limit at the time: a quaint 20 mph. Ten years later, Cadillac came out with the L-Head. But it wasn't until 1932, when Ford made the Flathead, that V8s would proliferate. In one form or another, the Flathead was in production for nearly 40 years.
After World War II, most American makers had a V8: Chrysler's famed 331 Hemi debuted in 1951. And capacities kept growing, reaching a peak in 1970 with the Cadillac Eldorado's 8.2-liter big-block. Then came the fuel crisis. American drivers still wanted V8s, but the more efficient (everything is relative) small-block models took over. Even so, Corvettes, Chargers, Camaros, Firebirds, Thunderbirds and Mustangs all got their mythical muscle from this motor.
The continent that invented the 2CV did not turn its back on the V8, however. An all-aluminum derivation of a Buick V8 powered many Rovers, MGs and Triumphs. The Jensen Interceptor had a Chrysler V8. Daimler used V8s designed by Edward Turner. Mercedes-Benz and BMW indulged (the E39 540i was an absolute joy). Beneath the hood of a Bentley Arnage T throbs a fine and torquey example. The beautiful Alfa Romeo Montreal had one. So did the Lotus Esprit. Porsche even put one in its 928. And Ferrari's illustrious history is dotted with them: 1978's Bertone-styled 308 GT4 was the first production model to have the V8 mid-engine layout that now dominates the company's sales.
Engines configured this way have also been made by Spanish, French, Russian, Czech and Japanese manufacturers. But it's worth noting that the V8 comes in two distinct flavors: flat-plane crank or cruciform crank. Both have been around for most of the V8's life, the flat-plane version being only slightly older.
The crank pins on a cruciform crank are joined at 90 degrees, so when viewed end-on, it takes the shape of an X (or a plus sign if you wanted to be really pedantic). Look down a flat-plane crank and, because the crank pins are joined at 180 degrees, it looks, predictably, flat. The former has a greater mass (it uses counter-weights, whereas the flat-plane deploys balance shafts to cancel out second-order vibrations), so it's slower in building up revs and less willing to lose engine speed. But because of where the exhaust pulses occur, it provides that much-loved and iconic V8 burble. The flat-plane crank gives the engine more of a metallic bark under acceleration. Because they are more responsive and able to achieve higher revs, flat-cranked V8s are used in racing, such as Cosworth's legendary DFV-the most successful race engine in history.
The V8 has now come full circle, back to Europe, where powerplants from AMG and Audi are the newest and most beautiful shoots from this illustrious family tree. AMG's 6.2-liter can develop 510 bhp at 6800 rpm and 465 lb-ft of torque at 5200 rpm. Yes, we've all seen bigger figures, but this is still serious and, crucially, usable power.
The other highly accomplished iteration is Audi's 4.2-liter FSI. Thanks to its Fuel Stratified Injection system, the new R8 sports car is graced with 420 bhp at 7800 rpm and 317 lb-ft of torque at 4500 rpm. This means a zero to 60 mph time of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 187 mph. Also, like the AMG, it's clean enough to satisfy stringent European emissions regulations. It has a flat-plane crank and Audi has still allowed it to sound good. The next best thing to driving a car with a V8 is hearing one-and the R8's growl is distinctly Audi-ble.