To many enthusiasts, one of the most common arguments regarding cars is the wheels that are being driven by the engine. There always have been, and still are, misconceptions about drive wheels and how they affect the car. Everyone seems to hate on FWD, praise RWD, and are indifferent towards AWD. While it's true that drive wheels can drastically change a car's behavior, just because a certain car isn't RWD, doesn't mean it's necessarily bad or should be disregarded entirely.
Usually, FWD is reserved for compact cars and, in most cases, it requires a transverse engine layout. If the engine has more than four cylinders, chances are the car will be RWD or AWD to decrease the stress that the front wheels have to put up with. Despite this unwritten rule, there were quite a few strange cars a couple decades ago that combined V8 engines with FWD.
10 Cadillac Seville STS
One of the biggest proponents of the transverse V8-FWD movement was General Motors, as you'll see shortly. During the mid 90s, they launched the Seville STS. This was their response to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5 Series. We mean that quite literally, as the STS was one of only a handful of Cadillac models to be officially available in Europe.
Combining a V8 engine with a FWD car is bad enough, but the STS took it a step further with the engine itself; it used Cadillac's infamous Northstar V8. Specifically, a 4.0-liter version. Remember, this car came out in the 90s, at which point the Northstar was known for simply refusing to work after a while. While the STS was an admirable effort, Cadillac thankfully came to their senses with the second generation.
9 Hyundai Equus (First Generation)
Right off the bat, you might be confused. Yes, the Hyundai Equus was available in the US for a short while, and it's one of many absolute luxury car bargains in 2021. What you may not know is that the Hyundai Equus has been around for 20 years, but the earliest models were only available in Asia.
Don't be fooled by the German plates on the car pictured, the first generation Equus was only available in South Korea as the Equus. In the rest of Asia, it was called the Mitsubishi Proudia. Even though the Equus was FWD, the base engine was a V6, and the top-of-the-line version came with a 4.5-liter V8 which was developed by Mitsubishi.
8 Oldsmobile Aurora
Ah, Oldsmobile. Perhaps the most misunderstood (defunct) subsidiary of General Motors, with some truly cool cars to offer. Oldsmobile was placed right in the middle of GM's divisions, meaning it was a premium brand, but not quite luxury. You could almost call them GM's Citroen, as their cars were surprisingly quirky. That includes the Aurora.
Mechanically, the Aurora was related to the aforementioned Cadillac Seville, even using the same powertrain. Like the Cadillac, the Aurora was also FWD, and it featured some very unique styling. While it was entirely forgettable in itself, it did form the basis for a far more special car; the Shelby Series 1.
7 Lancia Thema 8.32
The Thema was one of the four Type Four platform siblings, alongside the Alfa 164, the Fiat Croma and the Saab 9000. But, the Thema had one distinction that definitely set it apart from its siblings; it was available with a V8 engine.
Yes, even though the Thema was FWD and a perfectly standard family sedan, you could get it with a 2.9-liter V8 engine. It was derived from a Ferrari unit, with the biggest change being a crossplane crank. The 8.32 wasn't entirely remarkable, or particularly fast, but as far as Italian cult cars are concerned, it definitely ranks high.
6 Buick LaCrosse Super
Here comes another GM sedan with this bizarre layout. The Buick LaCrosse was an oddball midsize sedan, based on the Chevy Impala, but with tons of added luxury goodies. As General Motors managed to stick a V8 in just about every sedan on the platform, it was only natural that the LaCrosse would get the same treatment.
Thankfully, GM had long abandoned the Northstar V8 by this point, so the LaCrosse Super got something better; a 5.3-liter LS4 V8. It was like any old LS motor for the most part, but the LS4 was specifically designed to work with transverse layouts. In the LaCrosse Super, it made 300 hp and 324 lb/ft of torque.
5 Volvo XC90
Back in the early 2000s, after being acquired by Ford, Volvo finally started to gain some ground in the luxury car market. All that heated up with the introduction of the XC90, which remains one of the best family SUVs ever.
Back then, a V8 engine was basically required to compete in the luxury car segment. Volvo sought help from Yamaha, and they were more than happy to help. The resulting engine, the B8444S as the Volvoheads call it, was a 4.4-liter unit with a 60 degree cylinder angle, making it a perfect fit under the hood of the XC90 and the S80 sedan. While it wasn't particularly popular, the Volvo V8 is definitely a hidden gem.
4 Cadillac Allante
During the 1980s, Cadillac was desperate to move away from the elderly folk that brought them sales. With help from Pininfarina, that includes design and manufacturing, Cadillac brought out the Allante. It was designed as an aspirational model, and it was the brand's halo car. Two seats, a convertible top and a V8 engine.
Unfortunately, the Allante was dynamically inferior to its competitors like the Mercedes SL. While the SL was RWD, the Allante was, you guessed it, FWD. It also used the earliest iteration of the Northstar V8, which was not only unreliable, but the earliest model years were way underpowered.
3 Chevrolet Impala SS
The Chevrolet Impala SS is one of the most iconic and beloved names in the history of American cars. Back in the mid 90s, Chevy decided to revive it for the top of the line version of, and also the swansong to, the final generation full-size Caprice. That car has a cult following to this day. We can't say the same about the successor.
The Impala nameplate was brought back in the late 90s, but rather predictably, it was FWD. That didn't stop Chevy from kicking out another Impala SS, using the same LS4 V8 as the Buick LaCrosse. While it could prove to be an underrated gem and an interesting used buy, it was never as exciting or as cool as the 90s model.
2 Pontiac Grand Prix GXP
Whereas Buick and Cadillac are GM's luxury brands, Pontiac was the sporty one. It's a shame that they died out so soon, because they had a lot of promise. Before they went under, they did produce some pretty cool stuff, including the Grand Prix GXP.
Like some of the aforementioned on the list, the Grand Prix GXP uses the same platform as the Chevy Impala, paired with the 5.3-liter LS4 V8. It made 303 hp and was paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission. The Grand Prix GXP, while it wasn't truly great, it definitely has a unique charm.
1 Buick Lucerne Super
Another Buick with a "Super" badge on the rear. This time, it's the Lucerne. Whereas the LaCrosse was Buick's midsize offering, the Lucerne was the full-size competitor, based on the Chevy Malibu. While the Malibu itself never offered a V8, the Lucerne used the same 5.3-liter LS4 V8.
These days, you're unlikely to find a Lucerne Super in the classifieds. But if you do, it's definitely worth considering as a left-field luxury car with decent power and the pure chaos of a V8-powered sedan that's FWD.