8 Cars With Front-Mounted Transverse V8 Engines
Transverse-mounted, front-engine layouts are popular with small to mid-size cars. Most engines mounted transversely have either four, five or six cylinders, but as these eight cars prove, it is possible to shoehorn a V8 in sideways between the front wheels, however mad that might seem…
Cadillac Allante
With a body styled and built by Pininfarina, the Allante was Cadillac’s first attempt at creating a rival to the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class. Yet, despite the long bonnet and GT-esque styling, the Allante featured a transverse, front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. Powered by a series of V8 engines paired up to four-speed automatic gearboxes, the Allante was nothing if not the quirkiest vehicle in its class.
Volvo XC90 V8
It might be a school-run staple, but the first-generation Volvo XC90 could be had with a 4.4-litre, Yamaha-designed V8. This wonderful engine, codenamed B8444S, was also available in the second-generation Volvo S80. In both cases, the engine was mounted transversely, feeding around 300bhp to all four wheels.
A twin-turbocharged, longitudinally-mounted version of the B84444S was used in the Noble M600 supercar, producing a lairy 650bhp.
Ford Taurus SHO (third generation)
When it comes to the Ford Taurus SHO, the third-generation model is often considered to be the ugliest and least popular. But it came with a rather special transverse-mounted 3.4-litre V8 engine with heads made by Yamaha and a block from Cosworth. The double overhead cam eight-banger produced over 250bhp, had a 7000rpm redline, and was only available with a four-speed automatic transmission.
Buick LaCrosse Super
Sharing its platform and drivetrain with the Chevrolet Impala SS and the Pontiac Grand Prix GXP, the Buick LaCrosse Super is the textbook definition of a sleeper. The reason? It has a transverse-mounted, 5.3-litre LS4 V8 providing over 305bhp to the front wheels exclusively. Although it looks like something a senior citizen might drive, this beefed-up Buick will go from 0-60mph in under six seconds.
Lancia Thema 8.32
A little over a week ago, we told you that Rowan Atkinson’s ‘Lancia Ferrari’ was set to cross the auction block. Lancia has always had a flair for the bizarre, and the Thema 8.32 is one of its quirkiest efforts. ‘8.32’ refers to the eight cylinders and 32 valves on the 2.9-litre, transverse-mounted Ferrari engine wedged under the bonnet. Considering that the Thema was derived from the Saab 9000, we can’t help but wonder what kind of beautifully eccentric individual thought this was a good idea. Especially considering 8.32 ended up being barely faster than the considerably cheaper and less complicated Thema Turbo…
Mitsubishi Proudia
Did you know that Mitsubishi made a V8 engine? The 8A80 was a 4.5-litre V8 engine that was used in the Mitsubishi Proudia (and its limousine variant, the Dignity). The transverse-mounted 8A80 produced 280bhp, and is extremely rare today. Of the 1227 Proudias produced between 1999 and 2001, only a fraction of them were V8-powered.
Lincoln Continental (ninth generation)
The ninth-generation Lincoln Continental was definitely one of the strangest luxury cars of the 1990s. It was powered by the same 4.6-litre DOHC V8 engine that was used in the Ford Mustang GT, but shared much of its chassis with the front-wheel-drive Ford Taurus. As a result, the V8 was mounted transversely and de-tuned to avoid overwhelming the front end.
Oldsmobile Aurora
The first-generation Aurora was probably the most modern-looking Oldsmobile ever made, and it had the powertrain to match. The front wheels were powered by a transverse-mounted, 4.0-litre version of Cadillac’s Northstar V8. Although the swoopy Oldsmobile wasn’t exactly a race car, every car that won the Indianapolis 500 from 1997 to 2001 was powered by a heavily modified Aurora V8.
Comments
Love this, Kyle! It reminds me of the time, we, as a family, owned an XC90 V8. It’s the most handsome, brilliant SUV, we’ve ever owned. That engine was the most durable at many times, clocking in at 300k Miles. I still miss it a lot. Even Surprising was that, it was in that exact spec. Love our new X5 as well. Euro Cars😍😍💯💯
My mom owns an xc90 too, same generation but it’s a v6
Let’s go back to the Good ol’ days Mitsubishi
Lets take a trip down memory lane. We had the Lancer, Pajero, Eclipse, Proudia, Galant, etc. Man those cars were awesome. One day, we will praise that guy that makes Mitsubishi great again. He will descend from heaven and make Mitsubishi golden again. Let’s hope!!!
Lanci thema 8.32. The number explaining the time it takes to shred it’s tires. Get the reference
Its*
I never knew the XC90 had a transverse V8
Do custom cars count too?
The most dangerous car ever: too fast to avoid, too robust to hold a chance against it
Is that an example not the Volvo S80 mentioned in the article?
OOOOOOOOOOLDSMOBILE <3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Funny story about that one: at one of the local wrecking yards where I live, someone pulled the V8 motor out of an Aurora, welded a couple of spotlights on top of it, gave it some arms, and made a WALL-E lawn ornament. It was beautiful.
Is anyone else reminded of a VW Corrado when looking at that Cadillac Allanté. Those wheels and wedge shaped lights and grille are so similar. Even the lines on the bonnet are similar! Scary…
Now I can’t unsee that…
The whole concept is retarded.
So much weight on the front axle…
Yep + less grip, since tires have to be smaller and wheels are also responsible for turning.
Lancia really shot themselves in the foot with the Thema, if it would have been RWD I’d have one on my bucket list instantly.
I guarantee this post will soon become a video.