If there's one thing that all gearheads love to hear, it's the sweet roar of eight cylinders firing in perfect harmony. The V8 engine will always hold a special place in automotive history, even though it's becoming harder to find in the modern turbocharged and hybrid high-performance sports cars.
The V8 engine was first made popular by American automakers in the '50s and '60s, who wanted to build fast cars that didn't cost too much. Since then, the V8 has become so popular that some European manufacturers have ditched their brawny V10s and V12s in favor of the V8. Let's explore ten of the best European sports cars powered by V8 engines.
10 Mercedes Benz SLS AMG
In 2010, Mercedes-Benz wanted to add the ultimate sports cars to its lineup, so it drew inspiration from one of its greatest creations ever - the 1950s Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. The result was the SLS AMG; a limited edition sports car developed entirely by Mercedes-Benz's AMG division.
The SLS AMG is similar to the 300SL in many ways, especially the superb design, featuring a long nose and gullwing doors. It's also extremely fast, thanks to a 6.2-liter naturally aspirated M159 V8 cranking out 563 horsepower.
9 Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada
Giotto Bizzarrini is a renowned engineer best-known for his role in developing some of Ferrari's greatest cars of all time, including the legendary 250 GTO. However, like many other Ferrari engineers, Bizzarrini grew tired of Enzo Ferrari's dictatorship and decided to start his own company.
Bizzarrini's most famous creation was the 5300 GT Strada, a gorgeous sports car designed by Bertone. The stunning sports car was powered by a Chevrolet-sourced 5.4-liter V8 developing 365 hp and 284 lb-ft of torque. Only 133 examples of this masterpiece were ever built.
8 Jensen Interceptor
The popularity of the American muscle car led to some European manufacturers attempting to build a similar version for the European market — Jensen's attempt was the famed Interceptor. Introduced in 1966, the Interceptor had everything one could want in a European 'muscle' car — a gorgeous design penned by Carrozzeria, a comfortable interior, clever driving dynamics, and one of the best model names in history.
In keeping with the muscle car theme, Jensen equipped the Interceptor with a Chrysler-sourced 7.2-liter V8 producing 305 horsepower, making it pretty quick.
7 Audi R8 V8
Audi doesn't make many sports cars, but when it does, it ensures they're good enough to compete against the very best. Such was the case with the R8. Introduced in 2006, the R8 has established itself as one of the top dogs in the high-end sports car world.
Gearheads love the R8 for many reasons; it's based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform, uses an aluminum monocoque, and has its engine in the middle. The first-generation R8 was also quite accessible, as buyers could opt for a V8 engine with up to 424 hp.
6 TVR Griffith
TVR is not as well-known as other British automakers like Aston Martin, Lotus, or Jaguar, but that hasn't stopped the Surrey-based company from making awesome sports cars like the Griffith. The Griffith is probably TVR's most famous car, and it's easy to see why.
The top-of-the-range first-generation Griffith comes with a 5.0-liter V8 engine sending 340 horsepower to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The second-generation Griffith, whose production was supposed to start in 2020, will also have a V8 with 493 horsepower.
5 Jaguar F-Type SVR
The iconic Jaguar E-Type is widely regarded as one of, if not the most gorgeous sports car ever built. So, when Jaguar decided to pay homage to it, it did so with a special car — the F-Type.
Introduced in 2013, the F-Type is a two-door, two-seater grand tourer based on a shortened version of the XK platform. The top trim of the F-Type is known as the SVR, and it comes with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 with 567 horses on tap. The SVR takes just 3.5 seconds to reach 60 mph and goes on to reach a top speed of 200 mph.
4 2018 Aston Martin Vantage
There's no such thing as a cheap Aston Martin, but the V8 Vantage is the most accessible way to join the Aston Martin family. Unlike other Aston Martins that are typically grand tourers for taking on long-distance trips, the V8 Vantage is a small and athletic sports car loved for its hard ride and fast reflexes. It's the kind of car you want to have on curvy roads or a track.
Under the hood of the Vantage lives a 4.0-liter twin-turbo Mercedes-AMG V8 that produces 503 hp and 505 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to accelerate to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds.
3 Maserati GranTurismo
Maserati has lived in the shadow of its big brother Ferrari for many decades, but the Italian marque is now showing that it has what it takes to produce sports cars that are equally as good, if not better, than Ferrari's offerings. The GranTurismo is a perfect example of that.
Introduced in 2007, the GranTurismo is a gorgeous grand tourer that made history when it set the record for the most quickly-developed car in history, going from design to production in just nine months. The GranTurismo was equipped with a 4.2-liter V8 co-developed by Maserati and Ferrari with up to 400 hp.
2 Ferrari F8 Tributo
Ferrari typically uses V10 and V12 engines in its sports cars, but over the years, it has successfully managed to build special V8-powered cars — starting with the 1987 F40. Unveiled at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, the F8 Tributo is another V8-Powered Ferrari with the design, power, and driving feel that Ferrari fans have become accustomed to.
The Tributo has a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 under the hood with 710 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful V8-Powered Ferrari ever produced. A 0-60 mph time of under 3 seconds and a top speed of 211 mph is more than enough for the power-hungry Ferrari enthusiasts.
1 De Tomaso Pantera
The De Tomaso Pantera is a perfect example of the great things that can happen when an Italian-designed car is equipped with a loud American V8. Introduced in the early '70s, the Pantera was the brainchild of Argentinian racer and entrepreneur Alejandro De Tomaso, who wanted to build a sports car with the beauty and power to rival the best sports car of the day, but at a lower price.
The Pantera was powered by a 5.8-liter Ford Cleveland V8 cranking out 330 hp. However, buyers who wanted more power could buy the GTS version, which had 345 hp.