On a recent trip to the Auto Shanghai 2025 motor show with GWM, we had a chance to see of their latest innovations. And there were two items caught our eye, while a good majority of brands have shifted to electric or hybrid power trains with small economical gas engines, GWM went in a completely different direction and developed a 4 liter V8 engine for four wheel applications and a surprising 2 liter 8-cylinder boxer engine for their SOUO brand big bike, meant to go up against the likes of long distance cruisers like the Honda Goldwing.
V8 Hi4-T engine
This new 4.0L twin-turbocharged V8 from GWM is configured in a 90 degree V-angle with each cylinder displacing 500cc. perhaps the newest V8 to enter the market soon. GWM has made sure to make this one of the smoothest there is. Output specifics haven’t been published, what we do know is that it this Miller Cycle V8 has a full-MAP oil pump, that can adjust the oil pressure based on the actual load and speed of the engine improving fuel efficiency and reducing mechanical losses. It has a 350-bar high pressure injection system and a 5.5-bar PFI injection system. Different operating conditions allow the engine to utilize the dual injectors in different modes while improving cold start performance and at the same time carbon buildup is reduced.
GWM clains this configuration of dual-injection system is not common in mainstream brands known for V8’s. The drive system reduces energy which causes vibration from the high displacement engine by modulating second-order resonance depth of the engine by using silicon oil dampers in place of rubber belt pulleys. This would be paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission, and initial application would be in the Tank 700, an offroad SUV which would also be a PHEV. A serious offroader, it would have a mechanical four-wheel drive and drive and terrain modes.
It was displayed in sight of a special edition Tank 300 Hooke Trail edition which suggests it may have applications in other models. Being a PHEV suggests power AND efiiciency? We look forward to their reveal of final power and torque numbers.
SOUO S2000
This was a surprise, I really didn’t expect that GWM would have a motorcycle brand as part of its lineup, let alone a Grand Tourer powered by the world’s only 2.0L 8-cylinder boxer engine mated to an 8-speed transmission. With GWM’s display areas dominated by EV’s and vehicles powered by their new Hi4 hybrid powertrain, a motorcycle on display threw me for a spin. If you’re familiar with the Honda Gold Wing, it’s a behemoth of a motor cycle, this SOUO is actually bigger and weighs about 400kgs. If you had the energy to walk around the Auto Shanghai 2025, you’d notice that a good lot of vehicles are New Energy vehicles and their goal of dominating the world market and at the same time be earth friendly.
Back to the SOUO S2000, a gas powered 2.0 liter 8-cylinder boxer engine looks like freedom and fun on the road, unlike the quiet, take you from point A to B as quietly and as efficiently as possible New Energy vehicles. This Touring bike sounds like an American muscle car, and loudly proudly declares it as you make your way from A to B. I assume some wise guy in the higher echelons of GWM probably had a crazy idea and said “what if we…?” and not long after ,this motorcycle was born. There’s a lot to be said about the sound of an 8-cylinder engine powered vehicle and coming from a two wheeler, it seems these guys had fun coming up with this one, and want you to partake of that too. So if you hear the unmistakeable sound of a V8 rumbling past, don’t be surprised if it turns out to be a GWM.
