As automakers the world over fall out of love with the V8 engine, a report from The Drive maintains that Japan's Toyota could be preparing to nix V8s altogether from its lineup over the next few years, replacing them with a twin-turbocharged V6. That's similar to the process Ford might have started in making the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 the range-topping engine in its best-selling F-150 pickup truck, although the continued popularity of the Mustang GT means Ford's "Coyote" V8 likely isn't going away anytime soon.

Granted, it's unclear whether Toyota will do away with its V8s altogether, or simply in most of the mainstream products that offer V8s today.

According to The Drive's source, the next-generation versions of the Toyota Tundra, Sequoia, and Land Cruiser will all lose their UR-series V8 engines in favor of a "GR"-series twin-turbo V6 displacing 3.5 liters. Toyota's Huntsville, Alabama plant, which is one of just two factories in the world that mass-produces Toyota V8 engines, will reportedly amass a stockpile of parts - enough to build 30,000 V8 engines - before retooling for V6 duty.

Toyota's Tahara plant will reportedly continue to churn out new V8s only until the Huntsville facility is up and running producing the new V6. As soon as Toyota passes that milestone, that factory, too, will switch over to V6 production.

Bear in mind: this is all unconfirmed, and Toyota has declined to comment on the matter. But the rumor does more or less conform with some alleged secret product plans that leaked online just last month. That leak implied that both the next-generation Sequoia and Tundra would lose their 5.7L V8s, making do with a twin-turbo V6 instead.

But that leak also implied that V8s might stick around in vehicles priced at around $90,000 or higher, alleging that the 2022 Lexus LC-F would make use of a twin-turbo V8 with Ferrari-like power. Granted, Toyota's actions to replace its V8s are expected to take a full three years, which would leave plenty of time for a twin-turbo V8 to enter production for 2022 before retiring abruptly.