When you think of V10 engines, you probably think of mid-engine supercars. If someone says V8, your mind likely goes to an American muscle car, while you would expect to find a V12 engine in a stunning Grand Tourer.
However, sometimes, these engines can end up in cars that they probably have no right to be in. A V8 could crop up in a sedan, for example, and a V10 engine might simply end up in a car that you wouldn’t expect it to. It doesn’t happen much, but it does.
We decided to take a look at what the V10 engine has ended up in that you typically would not expect it to. We were quite shocked when we saw that it had been in everything from a Dodge pickup truck to a Volkswagen SUV and a BMW station wagon.
This article contains some typical and ordinary cars that you would least expect to hide a big V10 under the hood. Reading through it, you will be surprised at just how many cars the big engine has ended up in, and some of these cars might be a massive surprise.
Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton is one incredible luxury machine. Bentley architecture was used, and it was super comfortable, packed with a great interior, and even had air suspension; it was available in all-wheel drive. That all sounds very relaxing. Yet, incredibly, there was a time when you could buy the Phaeton with a V10 engine.
Under the hood, the Phaeton had the same TDVI V10 that you could find in the Touareg. In the luxury sedan, the engine made 309hp and 553lb-ft of torque, and it was the most powerful diesel sedan on Earth when it was introduced. The V10 was available exclusively with all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic transmission.
Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI
Speaking of the Volkswagen Touareg, it just so happens to be the next vehicle in this article. Mechanically, it shared the same basis as the Porsche Cayenne, which explained why it became so impressive. Add in all-wheel drive, a low-range transmission, and solid styling, and the Touareg was a winner.
Making the SUV even better was the fact that you could find a 5.0-liter turbocharged diesel V10 engine under the hood. The engine made the same power as it did in the Phaeton, and the Touareg proved a big hit on the American market.
Dodge Ram 2500/3500
When Dodge decided to add an 8.0-liter V10 engine to its Ram 2500 and 3500 pickup trucks for the 1994 model year, it had created the world’s first V10 pickup truck. The engine earned the codename Magnum, and it had an iron block and heads, pushrod valvetrains, and two valves per cylinder.
The Dodge engine produced 300hp and 610lb-ft of torque. Dodge wanted to offer heavy-duty Ram buyers an alternative to its diesel-fueled trucks, hence the decision to bring in a V10 engine. When they launched, the 1994 Ram 2500 and 3500 were two of the most powerful trucks on the market.
BMW M5 E60/E61
BMW really did catch the world off guard when it decided to add a massive V10 engine to its mid-size sedan, beginning with the E60 and E61 generations of the M5. The blocks for these engines were actually cast at the Landshut foundry, the same place that did the same for the BMW V10 F1 engines at the time.
The V10 even found itself in the M5 Touring station wagon and two versions of the BMW M6. It produced 500hp and 384lb-ft of torque, and it got all of that power without turbocharging or supercharging, too.