> V8s have been replaced by turbo engines which respond much more dramatically to modifications than any N/A V8.

While technically true, it’s not the same. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve owned (and enjoyed!) both, but a highly strung big-boost inline 4 is not the same as a big V8. The instant throttle response, torque for days wherever you are in the rev range, the noise, nothing else can match it.

If you want concrete evidence of this, look at the sheer variety of cars that become more fun with a big V8. Yeah, a corvette is an awesome sports car, but the same engine turns grandpa’s Buick into a genuine enthusiast car (Impala SS). You can’t put a 300HP tiny inline 4 in a comfy sedan and expect it to become fun, it just becomes a bit faster.

And anyone who’s ever modified American V8s knows how easy they are to get power out of. Yeah, you can turn up the boost on a 2.0T for a few hundred bucks, but for double that you can take a 260HP 5.7L from the 90s (that costs $500 to buy a whole ‘nother engine, by the way, if you blow it up), slap on some heads and a cam, and make 400HP and 400lb-ft of torque - or more if you don’t mind sacrificing a bit of streetability. Or spend like $5k on heads, cam, an intake port job, and some eBay turbos & manifold and make 550/500 for a few years until you want more, turn up the boost, and blow it up. Or go even cheaper and spend a grand on eBay turbos & manifolds and do nothing to the engine, and still make like 400HP.

Anyways, long/rambling way of saying turbo 4s don’t replace V8s. Pretty much the only similarity in their behaviour is that they both ICEs. People that love V8s won’t be swayed by “but the turbo 4s make just as much power!” because that’s not what they care about.

There is no replacement for displacement.

Have several V8 Mustangs (both NA and supercharged), and an M4 with an S58 (twin turbo). Completely different profiles.

I like all of them, but they aren't even close to the same thing. I like the M4 for the luxury and ridiculous speed, but the raw horsepower from a V8 is so exhilarating

How about intensely torquey EVs? Except for the sound, they seem like they’d be just as fun, even better throttle response than N/A. I guess there’s not the same hackability, though.