Back in March 2020, we heard rumors that Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz could part ways as the German firm will phase out the AMG-built 4.0-liter V-8. But the two brands renewed their partnership in October. The new agreement transfers 20 percent of Aston Martin shares to Mercedes, while the Brits get hybrid and EV technology in exchange. But this doesn't mean that Aston Martin is giving up on internal combustion power. Speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit, Aston Martin chairman Lawrence Stroll said that the British company will continue to offer gasoline-only sports cars alongside hybrids and EVs.

Is Aston Martin keeping the 4.0-liter V-8?

The initial partnership between Aston Martin and Mercedes-Benz saw the twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V-8 engine developed by AMG find its way into the British company's vehicles. Three out of four Aston Martin vehicles currently use the V-8, including the Vantage, the DB11, and the DBX SUV. } The V-8 will remain in use for a few years, but it will no longer be an option once it goes out of production at Mercedes-AMG. But this doesn't necessarily mean that AMG won't create a brand-new, more efficient V-8 for high-performance cars.

The German company is working on a replacement for the AMG GT as we speak, and the sports car will probably still feature a V-8, albeit with a 48-volt system for improved efficiency. It will also be part of a full hybrid setup, but Aston Martin could use the regular V-8 for a few extra years in limited-edition models. According to Lawrence Stroll, Aston Martin plans to keep at least five percent of its vehicle output on gas-only engines by 2030 and even beyond that.

“By 2030, 5% of business will still always be ICE. I never see it going down to zero," he said, adding this strategy is simply a response to market demand.

Aston Martin will probably have a hard time selling them in the United Kingdom, its home market, as the British government will ban the sale of such cars from 2030. But it could still export them to other countries in Europe, Asia, and maybe even the United States. What's more, regulations could change by 2030, or automakers could simply find new loopholes to exploit.



Aston Martin is currently building a new V-6 engine

A turbocharged, 3.0-liter unit, the V-6 is codenamed TM01 and will debut in the mid-engined Vanquish supercar. The engine will then trickle into other Aston Martin products, but its fate in the long run is still unknown.

The V-6 is a good candidate for a hybrid combo that could outperform the 4.0-liter V-8, but the gas-electric tech set to be borrowed from Mercedes should include a different ICE engine. Whether also a V-8 or a six-cylinder, it will be a Mercedes product, so Aston's very own V-6 might end up being a limited-production engine for a few sports cars.

The fate of the twin-turbo V-12 made in the U.K. is likewise unknown. Currently available in the DB11 and the DBS Superleggera, the 5.2-liter unit may also end up being a short-lived powerplant.

Aston Martin's first electric car is coming in 2026

The British firm has already confirmed plans to roll out its first electric vehicle in 2026. It will be powered by EV technology borrowed from Mercedes-Benz, but details are unknown as of this writing. The German company is already offering a couple of all-electric EQ models, but higher performance tech is not yet available. As Mercedes begins to roll out all-electric AMG models in a couple of years, the technology will probably become available to Aston Martin as well.

This won't actually be Aston's first EV. The Brits have already developed an electric version of the Rapide sedan, called the Rapide E, but Aston Martin eventually cancelled the production model, leaving just a few prototypes on the road.

While we don't know much about the future EV, Lawrence Stroll confirmed that it will feature an Aston Martin badge. The company's initial plan was to produce electric vehicles under the Lagonda brand, but Aston Martin had a change of heart. "It should be Aston, so we changed it back to Aston. When we go electric, brand will become critical," Stroll said.