BMW's performance monsters not going away: United States demand for full-on eight- and 12-cylinder motors is keeping bigger engines on the agenda for 2026 BMW M5, M8 performance models to rival Audi RS and Mercedes AMG

BMW will continue to produce V8 and V12 engines for some time yet, according to a report in Auto News. 

Continued big engine manufacturing for BMW was looking bleak as its all-electric plan got underway in 2025.

Read More About BMW

• New EV's amazing claim
• V8 engines to live on!
• Europe to ditch petrol, diesel ban: report

It featured 33 per cent recycled materials and revamped electric power, and was its first model under the new direction for the company. 

Adding fuel to the fire, BMW ceased production of V8s in its Steyr plant in Austria late last year. 

Its Munich plant has been at the forefront of the electric shift, as it is retooled for manufacturing electric vehicles. 

Despite this evidence of a wind down, the German giant's petrol-guzzling engines continue to be a feature across its lineup. 

There are still 400 workers who continue to manufacture cylinder heads, crankcases and crankshafts for eight- and 12-cylinder engines in Munich. 

V8 and V12 engine production has been shifted to BMW’s Hams Hall facility in the United Kingdom, where three- and four-cylinder engines have been produced since 2022. 

The European Union's recent backtracking on its 2035 internal combustion engine sales ban could also re-ignite the BMW's big-engine line-up.

The V12 engines are built for Rolls-Royce models such as the Phantom and Ghost, which employ a 6.75-litre twin turbo-charged variant. 

V8 engines remain available on many of BMW’s high-performance SUVs, including the X5, X6 and X7, with some 7 series sedans also featuring the unit. 

Australia gets this 4.4-litre twin turbo-charged eight-cylinder engine in those SUVs, which also comes in the M8, getting a hybrid twist in the ballistic M5 sedan and newly-added XM SUV.

The United States remains the main driver for ensuring BMW continue to build bigger engines, as they continue to be strong sellers in models.

A spokesperson for the US branch of BMW told Auto News demand for V8 engines remains “above average”.

It was previously thought the brand would bring its engine production to a close by the end of next year, but it is now unwilling to commit to a fixed end date.