This Is Toyota’s New Twin-Turbo V8, Features Hot-V Layout

Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in September 2020 and published in May 2021, the engine patent reveals a couple of boosty snails nestled in the valley created by the cylinder heads.

The hot-V layout has a number of benefits over placing turbochargers on the sides of the powerplant, starting with the shorter path of the exhaust flow. That means less turbo lag under acceleration, and the heat energy is used efficiently as well. The packaging also needs to be highlighted, along with better control of the turbos, thanks to their close proximity in the vee.

AMG is a firm believer in the hot-V design, which is why the 4.0-liter V8 utilizes this layout with either wet- or dry-sump lubrication. In the GT 4-Door 63 S 4Matic+, the eight-cylinder lump develops a whopping 639 PS (630 horsepower) and 900 Nm (664 pound-feet) from merely 2,500 rpm.

Turning our attention back to Japanese cars and engines, the yet-to-be-named twin-turbo V8 will premiere in the Lexus LS F and Lexus LC F, according to an unverified report. These bad boys are reportedly coming next year, either as 2022 or 2023 models, and the DOHC engine is reportedly good for 670 PS (661 horsies) from 4.0 liters of displacement.

Don't expect the force-fed interloper to be offered in the full-size Land Cruiser, though, because the TNGA-F vehicle architecture for body-on-frame applications wasn't developed for V8 engines. Instead, the Land Cruiser twins, Tundra, Tacoma, Hilux, 4Runner, LX, and GX are going to rely on a twin-turbo V6 with either parallel-hybrid or plug-in hybrid assistance.

One could make a case for a twin-turbo V8 IS, more so if you remember how Lexus calls the free-breathing V8 model. The IS 500 F-Sport Performance could use a more potent sibling in the guise of the IS F, especially if Lexus intends to draw customers away from AMG and BMW M.