Seriously... who needs a petrol V8 for cruising on the highway, if a diesel V6 can do the same and be a lot more fuel efficient at the same time? Even the sound of modern diesels isn't bad anymore. Different but not bad. Kind of angry and grumpy. I like it.
Of course I see the greatness of a petrol V8 and can understand the temptation. And surely that's the engine of choice for the likes of a Corvette or Camaro, no doubt about that. But hey, in a limousine? Or a truck? Come on, that is obscene and you know it.
Investing so much money into an engine for niche cars? That's like putting millions into developing an alternative to windscreen wipers: Wasted money.
GM clearly hasn't learned their lesson yet. No one in their right mind can justify a petrol V8 in mass market cars anymore. Not even in "Oh my God, we just ruined the Mississipi Delta for cheap fuel prices"-America. The alternatives are much more convincing. That's why hardly anyone here buys V8's anymore.
Sad in a way, yes. But their end doesn't mean the end of fun with driving cars. Defending them is defending a lifestyle, a philosophy maybe. But not a technical necessity. Not anymore.