Is the day of the V8 dead ?

Nissan Navara Forum

Help Support Nissan Navara Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
D

Dave

Guest
Post your thoughts if you would or would not consider a V8 these days.

I use to own a U12 Pintara TRX, NA 2.4L inline 4 with a LSD manual gearbox, It would keep up with series 1 VN V6 manual. VP Manual V6 it would slightly pull on and VR and VS it would easily pull away from. VT, VX, VY V6 manual's are heavy and weren't a issue to pull away from.

The V8's I couldn't beat but I know of Silvia's with not alot of work done that easily smashed my other mates old VX SS manual. (you had to check the oil after giving it a flogging)

Post your thoughts.
 
I don't think the V8 is dead just yet, it does have it's place but given fuel prices it's hard to find reasons to have one. For towing heavy loads and the like, it's hard to beat cubic inches.

I think you will see the turbo used at low pressures really come into it's own in the future, not just for sports cars, but for everything, the ease with which turbos increase volumetric efficiency make their benefits too hard to ignore in regards to fuel efficiency. Not that I'd ever own one, but imagine say a 1ltr Yaris with a turbo blowing 3 or 4 psi, the fuel economy would be impressive to say the least.
 
I have owned a few V8s. All Commodores. One had some Come Racing internals. That was my favourite. :)

I loved them at the time but as I grew up and became more responsible I relised they were costly and would get me in trouble and now the family car is a diesel Terracan. lol. (Have I grown old rather than up).

Ive had a Turbo RX7, Turbo TX3 Laser just to name a few. Most were faster than my V8's but none made me smile the same.

I think V8's will always be loved but not always owned.
 
My V8 days are over, V8's were all about going fast and for towing. Nowadays going fast is a waste of money and for towing my D40 is better than i could have ever expected. I have a 6.5mt boat weighing a little over 2.5 tonne and i can tow with family and gear aboard with very little effort. I have also managed to get around the 16/17 per 100 whilst doing this.Totally sold on turbo diesel.
 
Towing with a V8 petrol, Id hate to be paying that fuel bill.

I honestly think that if the V8 boring cars went off tv Holden and Ford would struggle to sell any.

I cant really remember as I was 7 back in 1990 but I have seen the footage of the BMW's, R32 GTR's, Ford Sierra's etc giving the V8's a run for there money with there higher tech smaller motors.

Does anyone else find it boring as hell thinking to yourself "its a 50/50 chance of your fave manufacture winning".

The engines, diffs, gearbox they run are completely different to the road cars. The 5L's died back in 1999 I think, why keep running these motor's when they aren't even under the bonnet of the current Falcon or Commodore. As for the diffs, weren't they last used in like XC Falcons. The gearbox is a racing gearbox, enough said.

Bring back the older series where anything could be raced off the showroom floor.

Dave.
 
Towing with a V8 petrol, Id hate to be paying that fuel bill.

I honestly think that if the V8 boring cars went off tv Holden and Ford would struggle to sell any.

I cant really remember as I was 7 back in 1990 but I have seen the footage of the BMW's, R32 GTR's, Ford Sierra's etc giving the V8's a run for there money with there higher tech smaller motors.

Does anyone else find it boring as hell thinking to yourself "its a 50/50 chance of your fave manufacture winning".

The engines, diffs, gearbox they run are completely different to the road cars. The 5L's died back in 1999 I think, why keep running these motor's when they aren't even under the bonnet of the current Falcon or Commodore. As for the diffs, weren't they last used in like XC Falcons. The gearbox is a racing gearbox, enough said.

Bring back the older series where anything could be raced off the showroom floor.

Dave.
Actualy towing a 6m fibreglass boat with a V8 is more economical then towing with the D40...
I had a BA XR8 ute and towing my boat from Gold Coast to Mackay (1300km) It used 20ltr/100km, and on the way home 21lt/100... Had the peddle to the metal doing insane speeds to overtake trucks on the passing lanes, which were always going up hills... And we were never under 120kph, while we were on the hi-way.. The D40, is crud to tow with compared to a good V8... Buy the way my D40 uses around 25ltr/100 traveling on the hi-way towing the same boat....

I think your story about your Pintara is not quiet correct. I owned one also.. Quick car, but nothing fantastic, on a 1/4 mile it would have it butt handed by most Commies, and Falcons.... Were the TRX had the advantage was they were mostly (if not all) Manual with a good close ratio box, and they were light.. Made then a quickk car of the mark,, but they ran out off puff at about 120-130kph.... The cars you ran gainst would of been auto (except the VP)... Once the Commies got there legs, the TRX would have very little chance keeping up....

Here's my XR8 at Willowbank.... Want a race?
Turn up the volume..
YouTube - Jabba, Mental Health Charity Night 11.91 1/4 Mile
YouTube - Jabba, Mental Health Charity Night 12.04sec 1/4 Mile

Matt
 
Last edited:
I got to admit the V* supercars now bore the sh!t out off me..... Formular Ford s more interesting to watch, Those boys really mix it up.....

My opinion is get rid off there areo to make the V8 more unstable like the old day's, then we will se some good racing.. Not this crap called follow the leader....
 
Actualy towing a 6m fibreglass boat with a V8 is more economical then towing with the D40...
I had a BA XR8 ute and towing my boat from Gold Coast to Mackay (1300km) It used 20ltr/100km, and on the way home 21lt/100... Had the peddle to the metal doing insane speeds to overtake trucks on the passing lanes, which were always going up hills... And we were never under 120kph, while we were on the hi-way.. The D40, is crud to tow with compared to a good V8... Buy the way my D40 uses around 25ltr/100 traveling on the hi-way....

I think your story about your Pintara is not quiet correct. I owned one also.. Quick car, but nothing fantastic, on a 1/4 mile it would have it butt handed by most Commies, and Falcons.... Were the TRX had the advantage was they were mostly (if not all) Manual with a good close ratio box, and they were light.. Made then a quickk car of the mark,, but they ran out off puff at about 120-130kph.... The cars you ran gainst would of been auto (except the VP)... Once the Commies got there legs, the TRX would have very little chance keeping up....
Matt

I will let talk to my mates who use to own a Series 2 VS ute, another mate had a VS series 3. I have been in a few other TRX's and they weren't as quick as this one I had. I dont know why it was quick, I bought it stock and put a 2.5 inch system through with a high flow cat and extractors and high flow panel air filter. Unless it had some work that I didn't know about but my mates will admit it.

I will take your word on the economy, as I haven't owned either. I have driven a auto diesel D40 and they ain't really impressive on fuel.

Dave
 
Nah, V8's still rock! I drove a mates new VE Clubbie that he'd got tricked with a chip and exhaust and stuff, and it was awesome! If you buy a V8 you buy it to drive it and I reckon you can't beat the sound.
 
Actualy towing a 6m fibreglass boat with a V8 is more economical then towing with the D40...
I had a BA XR8 ute and towing my boat from Gold Coast to Mackay (1300km) It used 20ltr/100km, and on the way home 21lt/100... Had the peddle to the metal doing insane speeds to overtake trucks on the passing lanes, which were always going up hills... And we were never under 120kph, while we were on the hi-way.. The D40, is crud to tow with compared to a good V8... Buy the way my D40 uses around 25ltr/100 traveling on the hi-way towing the same boat....

I think your story about your Pintara is not quiet correct. I owned one also.. Quick car, but nothing fantastic, on a 1/4 mile it would have it butt handed by most Commies, and Falcons.... Were the TRX had the advantage was they were mostly (if not all) Manual with a good close ratio box, and they were light.. Made then a quickk car of the mark,, but they ran out off puff at about 120-130kph.... The cars you ran gainst would of been auto (except the VP)... Once the Commies got there legs, the TRX would have very little chance keeping up....

Here's my XR8 at Willowbank.... Want a race?
Turn up the volume..
YouTube - Jabba, Mental Health Charity Night 11.91 1/4 Mile
YouTube - Jabba, Mental Health Charity Night 12.04sec 1/4 Mile

Matt


Matt
if your Navara is getting 25lt per 100 then best you get it checked by Nissan, my boat is a 6.5 fibreglass HH with twin 115hp's. Towing it at between 100/110 to Portland family on board all our holiday gear no worse than 17lt/100k. This included putting the foot down to pass as well and i can honestly say is doesnt struggle to do that.
Peter
 
Matt
if your Navara is getting 25lt per 100 then best you get it checked by Nissan, my boat is a 6.5 fibreglass HH with twin 115hp's. Towing it at between 100/110 to Portland family on board all our holiday gear no worse than 17lt/100k. This included putting the foot down to pass as well and i can honestly say is doesnt struggle to do that.
Peter

I think Jabba is talking of a petrol model and yours is diesel. Is that correct?

PeterD
 
Matt
if your Navara is getting 25lt per 100 then best you get it checked by Nissan, my boat is a 6.5 fibreglass HH with twin 115hp's. Towing it at between 100/110 to Portland family on board all our holiday gear no worse than 17lt/100k. This included putting the foot down to pass as well and i can honestly say is doesnt struggle to do that.
Peter

I have a Diesel Auto D40 2007... My boat & trailer weighs 2.5 tonne all up, and I get 25lt/100 doing 110kph, I hate driving slow... Highway driving without a load I get 9.9lt/100 at an average speed 120kph.
 
I have a Diesel Auto D40 2007... My boat & trailer weighs 2.5 tonne all up, and I get 25lt/100 doing 110kph, I hate driving slow... Highway driving without a load I get 9.9lt/100 at an average speed 120kph.

The word "auto" sums it up. Have heard nothing other than thirsty reports of auto's towing.
 
Yup as far as i am concerned V8's are dead. Why have something so heavy up front, sure it goes fast straigh but what about steering? Its just not fun. My old 200B used to cain my mates V8 VP thru the hills simply because i could stay on 100Km's thru some serious twists while he could do no more than 70k's and the front tyres would be squeeling like a mad bitch. Then enter the world of an SR20 turbo in a datsun, 160kw's in a car weighing 800kg's; my fave past time when i was living in melbourne was dragging off brand new beamers and monaro's in a shit box looking rocket. After driving such a car i could never go back to a V8, as much as i loved em as a teenager.

And yeah, supercars=boring. Much prefer watching the classic cars do there things on the same track before the main race.
 
id love a v8 commo ute, currently looking for one for a daily driver
 
I have owned a few v8's in my day. Both comodores, one was a 79 VB with massive work done. That was a lot of fun but even back then I was spending around $90 a week in fuel.....I then had a VN SS with a little work done and again heaps of fun but expensive to run....

I had a 87 toyota corolla that had $$$$$ thrown at it and used to race it at Eastern Creek, Oran Park and Wakefield Park.....The straights were the only spots that the big V8's would even come close to this little monster:thefinger:

There is nowhere you can drive these quick anymore except on the track so there is no real need for them. I must admit one of my current bosses has a new 4.5ltr V8 twin turbo Landcruiser and this is a beast
 
i got an au xr8 5.0 ltr, standard work done( aka. exhaust, cams, and air intake). It has an 80 ltr tank and i get around 800ks(highway) to a tank with varying speeds up to 180kmh.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top