While the automotive industry continues its relentless march toward heavy, battery-laden EVs, the combustion engine isn’t dead yet. In fact, it just got a seriously impressive new champion ahead of the 2026 Beijing Auto Show. Horse Powertrain – the recently formed joint venture between Renault and Geely – has officially pulled the covers off its first-ever six-cylinder engine, the Horse W30.
On paper, this is exactly the kind of mechanical wizardry enthusiasts pray for. It’s a 3.0-litre, 90-degree twin-turbo V6 that tips the scales at a featherweight 160kg. According to Horse, that makes it the lightest V6 currently on the market, undercutting the next closest rival by a full 10kg.
The output figures are just as staggering. Thanks to integrated exhaust manifolds with the twin turbochargers mounted directly on the cylinder heads, this compact unit churns out up to 400kW and 700Nm of torque. Better yet, it revs out to a screaming 8000rpm.
If you’re currently imagining this featherweight, high-revving V6 dropped into a lightweight, rear-wheel drive sports car with a proper manual gearbox, stop right there. Here is the bitter pill; the W30 is not meant to power a vehicle on its own.
Horse Powertrain has engineered this mechanical masterpiece strictly as a component for mild and full-hybrid setups. It’s designed to pair seamlessly with its 4LDHT hybrid transmission, which ironically weighs 199kg, completely offsetting the engine’s weight savings. That gearbox integrates heavy P1 and P3 electric motors just to support the crankshaft and charge the vehicle’s battery.
As for where we’ll actually see it, Horse Powertrain says the W30 is designed for both transverse and longitudinal mounting across a wide variety of vehicles. While no specific cars have been named yet, the first models are slated to hit the road in 2028. Given the joint venture’s extensive ties, expect this powertrain to show up in future heavy-hitting hybrid applications across the Renault, Geely, Volvo, and Nissan portfolios.
It’s a phenomenal technical achievement, but a highly frustrating reminder of exactly where the modern automotive industry’s priorities lie. Much like GWM’s recently unveiled 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 – which is also being shackled to a massive plug-in hybrid system for its upcoming Tank 800 off-roader – these brilliant pieces of combustion engineering are destined to serve alongside heavy hybrid architectures. But hey, 8000rpm is 8000rpm, whatever way you look at it.
