V12 engine
Encyclopedia
A V12 engine is a V engine
with 12 cylinder
s mounted on the crankcase
in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 piston
s driving a common crankshaft
.
Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-6
, this configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used and therefore needs no balance shaft
s. A V12 with two banks of six cylinders angled at 60°, 120° or 180° (with the latter configuration usually referred to as a flat-12
) from each other has even firing with power pulses delivered twice as often per revolution as a straight-6
. This allows for great refinement in a luxury car. In a racing car, the rotating parts can be made much lighter and thus more responsive, since there is no need to use counterweights on the crankshaft as is needed in a 90° V8
and less need for the inertial mass in a flywheel
to smooth out the power delivery. In a large displacement, heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower than smaller engines, prolonging engine life.
The first V12 engines were used in aircraft. By the end of World War I
, V12s were popular in the newest and largest fighters and bombers and were produced by companies such as Renault
and Sunbeam. Many Zeppelin
s had 12-cylinder engines from German manufacturers Maybach
and Daimler. Various U.S. companies produced the Liberty L-12
; the Curtiss NC
Flying boat
s, including the four V12 engine powered NC-4
, the first aircraft to make a transatlantic flight
.
V12 engines reached their apogee during World War II
. Fighter
s and bomber
s used V12 engines such as the British Rolls-Royce
Merlin
and Griffon
, the Soviet Klimov VK-107
, the American Allison V-1710, or the German Daimler-Benz
DB 600
series and Junkers-Jumo. These engines generated about 1000 hp at the beginning of the war and above 1500 hp at their ultimate evolution stage. The German DB 605D
engine reached 2000 hp with water injection
. In contrast to most Allied V12s, the engines built in Germany by Daimler-Benz, Junkers-Jumo, and Argus
(As 410
and As 411
) were primarily inverted, which had the advantages of lower centers of gravity and improved visibility for single-engined designs. Only the pre-war origin BMW VI
V12 of Germany was an "upright" engine. The United States had the experimental Continental IV-1430 inverted V12 engine under development, with a higher power-to-weight ratio than any of the initial versions of the German WW II inverted V12s, but was never developed to production status, with only 23 examples of the Continental inverted V12 ever being built.
The Rolls-Royce Merlin
V12 powered the Hawker Hurricane
and Supermarine Spitfire
fighters that played a vital role in Britain's victory in the Battle of Britain
. The long, narrow configuration of the V12 contributed to good aerodynamics, while its smoothness allowed its use with relatively light and fragile airframes. The Merlin was also used in the Avro Lancaster
and de Havilland Mosquito
bombers. In the United States the Packard Motor company was licensed by Rolls-Royce to produce the Merlin as the Packard
V-1650 for use in the North American P-51 Mustang
. It was also incorporated into some models of the Curtiss P-40, specifically the P-40F and P-40L. Packard Merlins powered Canadian-built Hurricane, Lancaster, and Mosquito aircraft, as well as the UK-built Spitfire Mark XVI, which was otherwise the same as the Mark IX with its British-built Merlin.
The Allison V-1710 was the only indigenous U.S.-developed V12 liquid-cooled engine to see service during World War II
. A sturdy design, it lacked an advanced mechanical supercharger
until 1943. Although versions with a turbosupercharger provided excellent performance at high altitude in the Lockheed
P-38 Lightning
, the turbosupercharger and its ductwork were too bulky to fit into typical single-engine fighters. While a good performer at low altitudes, without adequate supercharging, the Allison's high-altitude performance was lacking.
After World War II, V12 engines became generally obsolete in aircraft due to the introduction of turbojet and turboprop
engines that had more power for their weight, and fewer complications in large aircraft.
In automobiles, V12 engines have not been common due to their complexity and cost. They are used almost exclusively in expensive sports cars and luxury cars because of their power, smoother operation, and distinctive sound.
Prior to World War II, 12-cylinder engines were found in many luxury models, including cars from Auburn
, Cadillac, Daimler
, Packard
, Lincoln
, Franklin
, Rolls-Royce
, Pierce-Arrow
, and Hispano-Suiza
.
Until the general adoption of vibration isolating engine mounts in the 1930s, vehicles with 8-, 12-, and 16-cylinders provided higher levels of refinement.
Packard's 1916 "Twin Six" is widely regarded as the first production V12 engine. With a list price of US$1,000, the Auburn was the lowest priced V12 car ever (unadjusted for inflation). Production cost savings were achieved by using horizontal valves, which did not make for an efficient and powerful combustion chamber. Between 1916 and 1921, there was a vogue of V12s, during which National (Indianapolis
) copied the Packard engine, and Weidely Motors (also of Indianapolis) offered a proprietary
engine. Soon after the end of World War I
, Lancia
offered a 22° V12, Fiat
had a 60° model 520
(1921-2), British truck manufacturer Ensign
announced a V12 that did not materialize, and in 1926, Daimler
(Britain) offered the first of a full range of sleeve valve
Double Sixes, 7,136 cc, 3,744 cc, 5,296 cc and 6,511 cc versions remaining available until 1937. In 1927 more entered the market from, Cadillac, Franklin
, Hispano-Suiza
, Horch
, Lagonda
, Maybach
, Packard
, Rolls, Tatra
, Voisin
, and Walter
offering V12 engines. Cadillac (from 1930 to 1940) and Marmon
(1931–1933) even developed V16 engine
s.
Improvements in combustion chamber design and piston form enabled lighter V8 engines to surpass the V12 in power starting from the 1930s; only the smaller, H-Series Lincoln V-12 remained after WWII and it was replaced by a V8 in 1949. Similarly, as they seemed excessive for the postwar market in Europe, production of V12-engined-cars was very limited until the 1960s.
Ferrari
has traditionally reserved their top V12 engine for their top-of-the line luxury sports coupes since 1949. Ferrari's closest rival, Lamborghini
has also used the V12 configuration for many of its road cars since the company's inception in 1963. In 1972, Jaguar came out with the XJ12, equipped with a 5.3 litre V12, which continued (after revisions in 1993) until the 1996 model year, after which the marque discontinued the twelve-cylinder engine.
German manufacturer BMW
returned to V12 designs for its 7-Series
sedan in model year 1986, forcing Mercedes-Benz
to follow suit in 1991. While BMW sells far fewer V12-engined 7-Series vehicles than V8 versions, the V12 retains popularity in the US, China, and Russia, as well as maintaining the marque's prestige in the luxury vehicle market segment. The BMW-designed V12 also appears in Rolls-Royce
cars, while the Mercedes engine is also seen in Maybach
cars. In their full-sized sedans sold in Canada and the USA, Mercedes and BMW have mid-displacement V8s for the entry-level trims, while having the V12 as the flagship vehicle of the brand. For their most expensive Mercedes-Benz nameplates (S-Class, CL-Class, and SL-Class), there are V8-engined AMG models (55, 63)
that have comparable power to their V12-powered cars (600).
In 1997, Toyota equipped their Century Limousine
with a 5.0 L DOHC V12 (model # 1GZ-FE), making it the first and only Japanese production passenger car so equipped.
TVR
made and tested a 7.7 L V12 called the Speed Twelve
, but the project was scrapped after the car it was designed for was deemed too powerful for practical use. The only British marques currently using a V12 configuration are Aston Martin
— whose Cosworth
-developed engine was authorized during the company's ownership by Ford Motor Company
— and Rolls-Royce.
In 2009, China FAW Group Corporation equipped their Hongqi HQE
with a 6.0 L DOHC V12 (model # CA12VG), making it the first and only Chinese production passenger car so equipped.
This is a list of V12-engined production road cars, sorted alphabetically by make (and sub-sorted by year of introduction):
Some tuner companies, such as Brabus
also sell V12 versions of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class
and CLS, which were the fastest street-legal sedans upon their respective introductions.
in many of their truck
s; for instance, the Tatra T813
and uses 19 L air-cooled naturally aspirated or turbo
V12 diesel engine
in Tatra T815
. Some trucks have been fitted with twin V12s, although this is often advertised as a V24
.
GMC produced a large gasoline
-burning V12 from 1960 to 1965 for trucks, the "Twin-Six"; it was basically GMC's large-capacity truck 351 V6, doubled, with four rocker covers
and four exhaust manifold
s. Fifty-six major parts are interchangeable between the Twin-Six and all other GMC V6 engines to provide greater parts availability and standardization. Its engine displacement
was 702 cu in (11.5 l), and while power
was not too impressive at 250 hp, torque
was 585 lbft. For firetrucks the rev limiter
was increased to produce 299 hp at 3000 rpm and torque was increased to 630 lbft at 1600-1900 rpm. It was possibly the last gasoline engine used in heavy trucks in the U.S.
Detroit Diesel
produced their Series 53, 71, 92, and 149 engines as V-12s, among other configurations.
V12 engines used to be common in Formula One
and endurance racing. From 1965 to 1980, Ferrari
, Weslake
, Honda
, BRM, Maserati
, Matra
, Delahaye
, Peugeot
, Delage
, Alfa Romeo
, Lamborghini
and Tecno
used 12-cylinder engines in Formula One, either V12 or Flat-12
, but the Ford
(Cosworth) V8
had a slightly better power-to-weight ratio and less fuel consumption, thus it was more successful despite being less powerful than the best V12s. During the same era, V12 engines were superior to V8s in endurance racing, reduced vibrations giving better reliability. In the 1990s, Renault
V10 engine
s proved their superiority against the Ferrari
and Honda
V12s and the Ford
V8. The last V12 engine used in Formula One was the Ferrari
044, on the Ferrari 412T2
cars driven by Jean Alesi
and Gerhard Berger
in 1995
.
In the late 1960s Nissan used a V12 in the Japanese Grand Prix
and again in the early 1990s Group C
races.
At the Paris motor show 2006
Peugeot presented a new racing car, as well as a luxury saloon concept car, both called 908 HDi FAP and 908 RC and fitted with a V12 Diesel engine producing around or even surpassing 700 PS. This took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
2007 race, with a podium finish and very competitive performance, coming in second place after the similarly conceived Audi R10 TDI V12 Diesel originally developed for the 2006 season.
V12 is a common configuration for large diesel engine
s; most are available with differing numbers of cylinders in V configuration to offer a range of power ratings. Many diesel locomotive
s have V12 engines. Examples include the 3200 hp 12-710
from Electro-Motive Diesel and the 4400 hp GEVO-12 from GE Transportation.
Large V12 engines are also common in ships. For example Wärtsilä
, the world's leading manufacturers of medium-speed diesel engines, offers V12 engines with various cylinder bore diameters between 26 and 50 cm (10.2 and 19.7 in) with power output ranging from 4080 kW to 14400 kW. These engines are commonly used especially in cruise ships, which may have up to six such main engines. In the past the largest medium-speed diesel engine in the world, Wärtsilä 64, was also offered in V configuration, and a single 12V64 prototype with an output of 23280 kW was produced for an experimental power plant in the late 1990s.
V engine
A V engine, or Vee engine is a common configuration for an internal combustion engine. The cylinders and pistons are aligned, in two separate planes or 'banks', so that they appear to be in a "V" when viewed along the axis of the crankshaft...
with 12 cylinder
Cylinder (engine)
A cylinder is the central working part of a reciprocating engine or pump, the space in which a piston travels. Multiple cylinders are commonly arranged side by side in a bank, or engine block, which is typically cast from aluminum or cast iron before receiving precision machine work...
s mounted on the crankcase
Crankcase
In an internal combustion engine of the reciprocating type, the crankcase is the housing for the crankshaft. The enclosure forms the largest cavity in the engine and is located below the cylinder, which in a multicylinder engine are usually integrated into one or several cylinder blocks...
in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 piston
Piston
A piston is a component of reciprocating engines, reciprocating pumps, gas compressors and pneumatic cylinders, among other similar mechanisms. It is the moving component that is contained by a cylinder and is made gas-tight by piston rings. In an engine, its purpose is to transfer force from...
s driving a common crankshaft
Crankshaft
The crankshaft, sometimes casually abbreviated to crank, is the part of an engine which translates reciprocating linear piston motion into rotation...
.
Since each cylinder bank is essentially a straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
, this configuration has perfect primary and secondary balance no matter which V angle is used and therefore needs no balance shaft
Balance shaft
In piston engine engineering, a balance shaft is an eccentric weighted shaft which offsets vibrations in engine designs that are not inherently balanced...
s. A V12 with two banks of six cylinders angled at 60°, 120° or 180° (with the latter configuration usually referred to as a flat-12
Flat-12
A flat-12 is an internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, having 12 cylinders.The flat-12 is wider than a V12...
) from each other has even firing with power pulses delivered twice as often per revolution as a straight-6
Straight-6
The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six-cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase...
. This allows for great refinement in a luxury car. In a racing car, the rotating parts can be made much lighter and thus more responsive, since there is no need to use counterweights on the crankshaft as is needed in a 90° V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
and less need for the inertial mass in a flywheel
Flywheel
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that is used to store rotational energy. Flywheels have a significant moment of inertia, and thus resist changes in rotational speed. The amount of energy stored in a flywheel is proportional to the square of its rotational speed...
to smooth out the power delivery. In a large displacement, heavy-duty engine, a V12 can run slower than smaller engines, prolonging engine life.
Aviation
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, V12s were popular in the newest and largest fighters and bombers and were produced by companies such as Renault
Renault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
and Sunbeam. Many Zeppelin
Zeppelin
A Zeppelin is a type of rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century. It was based on designs he had outlined in 1874 and detailed in 1893. His plans were reviewed by committee in 1894 and patented in the United States on 14 March 1899...
s had 12-cylinder engines from German manufacturers Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
and Daimler. Various U.S. companies produced the Liberty L-12
Liberty L-12
The Liberty L-12 was a 27 litre water-cooled 45° V-12 aircraft engine of 400 horsepower designed both for a high power-to-weight ratio and for ease of mass production.-History:...
; the Curtiss NC
Curtiss NC
-References:NotesBibliography* Holmes, Tony. Jane's Vintage Aircraft Recognition Guide. London: Harper Collins, 2005. ISBN 0-0071-9292-4.* Steirman, Hy and Glenn D. Kittler. The First Transatlantic Flight, 1919, . New York: Richardson & Sterman, 1986. ISBN 0-931933-19-0.* Wagner, Ray. American...
Flying boat
Flying boat
A flying boat is a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a float plane as it uses a purpose-designed fuselage which can float, granting the aircraft buoyancy. Flying boats may be stabilized by under-wing floats or by wing-like projections from the fuselage...
s, including the four V12 engine powered NC-4
NC-4
The NC-4 was a Curtiss NC flying boat which was designed by Glenn Curtiss and his team, and manufactured by Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company. In May 1919, the NC-4 became the first aircraft to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, starting in the United States and making the crossing as far as Lisbon,...
, the first aircraft to make a transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight
Transatlantic flight is the flight of an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean. A transatlantic flight may proceed east-to-west, originating in Europe or Africa and terminating in North America or South America, or it may go in the reverse direction, west-to-east...
.
V12 engines reached their apogee during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Fighter
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
s and bomber
Bomber
A bomber is a military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets, by dropping bombs on them, or – in recent years – by launching cruise missiles at them.-Classifications of bombers:...
s used V12 engines such as the British Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
and Griffon
Rolls-Royce Griffon
The Rolls-Royce Griffon is a British 37-litre capacity, 60-degree V-12, liquid-cooled aero engine designed and built by Rolls-Royce Limited...
, the Soviet Klimov VK-107
Klimov VK-107
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
, the American Allison V-1710, or the German Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz
Daimler-Benz AG was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motor vehicles, and internal combustion engines; founded in 1926. An Agreement of Mutual Interest - which was valid until year 2000 - was signed on 1 May 1924 between Karl Benz's Benz & Cie., and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft, which had...
DB 600
Daimler-Benz DB 600
|-See also:-References:* Green, William. The Augsburg Eagle: A Documentary History - Messerschmitt Bf 109. London: Macdonald and Jane's Publishing Group Ltd. 1980. ISBN 0-7106-0005-4...
series and Junkers-Jumo. These engines generated about 1000 hp at the beginning of the war and above 1500 hp at their ultimate evolution stage. The German DB 605D
Daimler-Benz DB 605
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
engine reached 2000 hp with water injection
Water injection (engines)
In internal combustion engines, water injection, also known as anti-detonant injection, is spraying water into the cylinder or incoming fuel-air mixture to cool the combustion chambers of the engine, allowing for greater compression ratios and largely eliminating the problem of engine knocking...
. In contrast to most Allied V12s, the engines built in Germany by Daimler-Benz, Junkers-Jumo, and Argus
Argus Motoren
Argus Motoren was a German manufacturing firm known for their series of small inverted-V engines and the V-1 pulse jet engine.-History:...
(As 410
Argus As 410
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
and As 411
Argus As 411
-See also:-Bibliography:* Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9* Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
) were primarily inverted, which had the advantages of lower centers of gravity and improved visibility for single-engined designs. Only the pre-war origin BMW VI
BMW VI
|-See also:- External links :...
V12 of Germany was an "upright" engine. The United States had the experimental Continental IV-1430 inverted V12 engine under development, with a higher power-to-weight ratio than any of the initial versions of the German WW II inverted V12s, but was never developed to production status, with only 23 examples of the Continental inverted V12 ever being built.
The Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
V12 powered the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
and Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighters that played a vital role in Britain's victory in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. The long, narrow configuration of the V12 contributed to good aerodynamics, while its smoothness allowed its use with relatively light and fragile airframes. The Merlin was also used in the Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
and de Havilland Mosquito
De Havilland Mosquito
The de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft that served during the Second World War and the postwar era. It was known affectionately as the "Mossie" to its crews and was also nicknamed "The Wooden Wonder"...
bombers. In the United States the Packard Motor company was licensed by Rolls-Royce to produce the Merlin as the Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
V-1650 for use in the North American P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
. It was also incorporated into some models of the Curtiss P-40, specifically the P-40F and P-40L. Packard Merlins powered Canadian-built Hurricane, Lancaster, and Mosquito aircraft, as well as the UK-built Spitfire Mark XVI, which was otherwise the same as the Mark IX with its British-built Merlin.
The Allison V-1710 was the only indigenous U.S.-developed V12 liquid-cooled engine to see service during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A sturdy design, it lacked an advanced mechanical supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
until 1943. Although versions with a turbosupercharger provided excellent performance at high altitude in the Lockheed
Lockheed Corporation
The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace company. Lockheed was founded in 1912 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995.-Origins:...
P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
, the turbosupercharger and its ductwork were too bulky to fit into typical single-engine fighters. While a good performer at low altitudes, without adequate supercharging, the Allison's high-altitude performance was lacking.
After World War II, V12 engines became generally obsolete in aircraft due to the introduction of turbojet and turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
engines that had more power for their weight, and fewer complications in large aircraft.
V12 road cars
Prior to World War II, 12-cylinder engines were found in many luxury models, including cars from Auburn
Auburn Automobile
Auburn was a brand name of American automobiles produced from 1900 through 1936.-Corporate history:The Auburn Automobile Company grew out of the Eckhart Carriage Company, founded in Auburn, Indiana, in 1875 by Charles Eckhart...
, Cadillac, Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
, Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
, Lincoln
Lincoln (automobile)
Lincoln is an American luxury vehicle brand of the Ford Motor Company. Lincoln vehicles are sold mostly in North America.-History:The company was founded in August 1915 by Henry M. Leland, one of the founders of Cadillac . During World War I, he left Cadillac which was sold to General Motors...
, Franklin
Franklin (automobile)
The Franklin Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise.Franklin founded the H. H. Franklin...
, Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Limited
Rolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
, Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow
Pierce-Arrow was an American automobile manufacturer based in Buffalo, New York, which was active from 1901-1938. Although best known for its expensive luxury cars, Pierce-Arrow also manufactured commercial trucks, fire trucks, camp trailers, motorcycles, and bicycles.-Early history:The forerunner...
, and Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
.
Until the general adoption of vibration isolating engine mounts in the 1930s, vehicles with 8-, 12-, and 16-cylinders provided higher levels of refinement.
Packard's 1916 "Twin Six" is widely regarded as the first production V12 engine. With a list price of US$1,000, the Auburn was the lowest priced V12 car ever (unadjusted for inflation). Production cost savings were achieved by using horizontal valves, which did not make for an efficient and powerful combustion chamber. Between 1916 and 1921, there was a vogue of V12s, during which National (Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
) copied the Packard engine, and Weidely Motors (also of Indianapolis) offered a proprietary
Property
Property is any physical or intangible entity that is owned by a person or jointly by a group of people or a legal entity like a corporation...
engine. Soon after the end of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
offered a 22° V12, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
had a 60° model 520
Fiat 520
The Fiat 520 is a name of two different Fiat produced car in 1920s.-520 "Superfiat" :Fiat's entry in the luxury car market, the 520 "Superfiat" was equipped with a V12 engine of 6,805 cc producing a claimed 90 bhp...
(1921-2), British truck manufacturer Ensign
Ensign
An ensign is a national flag when used at sea, in vexillology, or a distinguishing token, emblem, or badge, such as a symbol of office in heraldry...
announced a V12 that did not materialize, and in 1926, Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
(Britain) offered the first of a full range of sleeve valve
Sleeve valve
The sleeve valve is a type of valve mechanism for piston engines, distinct from the usual poppet valve. Sleeve-valve engines saw use in a number of pre-World War II luxury cars and in USA in the Willys-Knight car and light truck...
Double Sixes, 7,136 cc, 3,744 cc, 5,296 cc and 6,511 cc versions remaining available until 1937. In 1927 more entered the market from, Cadillac, Franklin
Franklin (automobile)
The Franklin Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise.Franklin founded the H. H. Franklin...
, Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza
Hispano-Suiza was a Spanish automotive and engineering firm, best known for its luxury cars and aviation engines in the pre-World War II period of the twentieth century. In 1923, its French subsidiary became a semi-autonomous partnership with the parent company and is now part of the French SAFRAN...
, Horch
Horch
Horch was a car brand manufactured in Germany by August Horch & Cie, at the beginning of the 20th century.-History at a Glance:The company was established first by August Horch and his first business partner Salli Herz on November 14, 1899 at Ehrenfeld, Cologne. August Horch was a former production...
, Lagonda
Lagonda
Lagonda is a British luxury car marque, founded as a company in 1906 in Staines, Middlesex by a former opera singer from Ohio, but of Scottish ancestry, named Wilbur Gunn . He named the company after a river near the town of his birth, Springfield, Ohio, United States...
, Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
, Packard
Packard
Packard was an American luxury-type automobile marque built by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan, and later by the Studebaker-Packard Corporation of South Bend, Indiana...
, Rolls, Tatra
Tatra (car)
Tatra is a vehicle manufacturer in Kopřivnice, Czech Republic. The company was founded in 1850 as Schustala & Company later renamed Nesselsdorfer Wagenbau-Fabriksgesellschaft, a wagon and carriage manufacturer, and in 1897 produced the first motor car in central Europe, the Präsident. In 1918, it...
, Voisin
Voisin
- Companies :*Avions Voisin, the French automobile company*Voisin , the French aircraft manufacturer- People :*Catherine Monvoisin, known as "La Voisin" , French sorceress during the reign of Louis XIV...
, and Walter
Walter Engines
The Walter Aircraft Engines was a company that manufactures aircraft engines, particularly the M601 turboprop. Based in Prague, Czech Republic, the company has been a subsidiary of GE Aviation since July 2008.-History:...
offering V12 engines. Cadillac (from 1930 to 1940) and Marmon
Marmon
Marmon Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturer founded by Howard Marmon and owned by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It was established in 1902 and was merged and renamed in 1933. They produced cars under the Marmon brand. It was succeeded by Marmon-Herrington and...
(1931–1933) even developed V16 engine
V16 engine
A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary to balance Straight-4 and odd number of cylinder...
s.
Improvements in combustion chamber design and piston form enabled lighter V8 engines to surpass the V12 in power starting from the 1930s; only the smaller, H-Series Lincoln V-12 remained after WWII and it was replaced by a V8 in 1949. Similarly, as they seemed excessive for the postwar market in Europe, production of V12-engined-cars was very limited until the 1960s.
Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
has traditionally reserved their top V12 engine for their top-of-the line luxury sports coupes since 1949. Ferrari's closest rival, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
has also used the V12 configuration for many of its road cars since the company's inception in 1963. In 1972, Jaguar came out with the XJ12, equipped with a 5.3 litre V12, which continued (after revisions in 1993) until the 1996 model year, after which the marque discontinued the twelve-cylinder engine.
German manufacturer BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
returned to V12 designs for its 7-Series
BMW 7 Series
The BMW 7 Series is a line of full-size luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, it is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine...
sedan in model year 1986, forcing Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
to follow suit in 1991. While BMW sells far fewer V12-engined 7-Series vehicles than V8 versions, the V12 retains popularity in the US, China, and Russia, as well as maintaining the marque's prestige in the luxury vehicle market segment. The BMW-designed V12 also appears in Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
cars, while the Mercedes engine is also seen in Maybach
Maybach
Maybach-Motorenbau GmbH is a German luxury car manufacturer. It was founded in 1909 by Wilhelm Maybach and his son. The company was originally a subsidiary of Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH and was itself known as Luftfahrzeug-Motorenbau GmbH until 1912.Today, the ultra-luxury car brand is owned by...
cars. In their full-sized sedans sold in Canada and the USA, Mercedes and BMW have mid-displacement V8s for the entry-level trims, while having the V12 as the flagship vehicle of the brand. For their most expensive Mercedes-Benz nameplates (S-Class, CL-Class, and SL-Class), there are V8-engined AMG models (55, 63)
Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes-AMG GmbH, commonly known as AMG, is a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz car company specializing in high-performance luxury cars....
that have comparable power to their V12-powered cars (600).
In 1997, Toyota equipped their Century Limousine
Toyota Century
The Toyota Century is a large four-door limousine produced mainly for the Japanese market, serving as Toyota's flagship car. Production of the Century began in 1967 and the model received only minor changes until a redesign in 1997. The Century derived its name from the 100th anniversary of the...
with a 5.0 L DOHC V12 (model # 1GZ-FE), making it the first and only Japanese production passenger car so equipped.
TVR
TVR
thumb|right|240px|TVR No.2, the oldest surviving TVR, located at [[Lakeland Motor Museum, Newby Bridge, Cumbria]]TVR was an independent British manufacturer of sports cars. Until 2006 it was based in the English seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire, but has since split up into several smaller...
made and tested a 7.7 L V12 called the Speed Twelve
TVR Speed Twelve engine
The TVR Speed Twelve engine is the name of a V12 engine manufactured by TVR for use in the TVR Speed 12 race car, and later the TVR Cerbera Speed Twelve road car in which on the Cerbera Speed 12 went into production....
, but the project was scrapped after the car it was designed for was deemed too powerful for practical use. The only British marques currently using a V12 configuration are Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...
— whose Cosworth
Cosworth
Cosworth is a high performance engineering company founded in London in 1958, specialising in engines and electronics for automobile racing , mainstream automotive and defence industries...
-developed engine was authorized during the company's ownership by Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
— and Rolls-Royce.
In 2009, China FAW Group Corporation equipped their Hongqi HQE
Hongqi HQE
The Hongqi HQE is a large four-door limousine built by FAW Hongqi. It is the first Chinese-built V12 cylinder engine-equipped luxury car. As Hongqi's most advanced top-of-the-line vehicle type, the HQE will serve as the high-end vehicle for VIPs and high-ranking national officials...
with a 6.0 L DOHC V12 (model # CA12VG), making it the first and only Chinese production passenger car so equipped.
Postwar V12 production cars
This is a list of V12-engined production road cars, sorted alphabetically by make (and sub-sorted by year of introduction):
- Aston Martin DB7 Vantage
- Aston Martin Vanquish
- Aston Martin DB AR1Aston Martin DB AR1The Aston Martin DB AR1 is a limited-edition grand tourer that was made by Aston Martin and Zagato for the United States market in 2003. The AR1 name stands for American Roadster 1...
- Aston Martin DB9Aston Martin DB9-DB9 Volante:The Aston Martin DB9 Volante is the convertible version of the DB9 coupe. It is built by hand in limited numbers and has enhanced styling. It is powered by the same 6.0 litre, DOHC 48 valve V12 as the DB9 and is completed with 470 bhp and a top speed of 186 mph...
- Aston Martin DBSAston Martin DBS V12The modern Aston Martin DBS is a high performance GT sports car from the UK manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston has used the DBS name once before on their 1967–72 grand tourer coupe...
- Aston Martin V12 Vantage
- Aston Martin One-77Aston Martin One-77The Aston Martin One-77 is a two-door coupé built by Aston Martin.It first appeared at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, although the car remained mostly covered by a "Savile Row tailored skirt" throughout the show, before being fully revealed at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.There was a limited run of 77...
- Aston Martin RapideAston Martin RapideThe Aston Martin Rapide is a four-door, high-performance sport saloon, which British luxury marque Aston Martin introduced in early 2010. It was first presented as a concept car at the North American International Auto Show in 2006. The Rapide name is a reference to the Lagonda Rapide, a saloon car...
- Audi Q7Audi Q7The Audi Q7 is a full-size luxury crossover SUV unveiled in September 2005 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Production of the Q7 began in autumn of 2005 in Bratislava, Slovakia. It is the first SUV offering from Audi and went on sale in 2007. Later, Audi's second SUV, the Q5, was unveiled as a 2009...
- B Engineering EdonisEdonisThe Edonis is a car created by Italian automobile manufacturer B Engineering.It is based on the Bugatti EB110 Super Sport but has been extensively re-engineered. About the only thing retained from the original Bugatti is the carbon-fiber chassis. Both the exterior and interior of the car have...
- BMW 750i/750iL/760i/760LiBMW 7 SeriesThe BMW 7 Series is a line of full-size luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, it is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine...
- BMW 850i/Ci/CSiBMW 8 SeriesThe BMW 8 Series is a V8- or V12-engined 2-door 2+2 coupe built by BMW from 1989 to 1999. While it did supplant the original E24 based 6 Series in 1991, a common misconception is that the 8 Series was developed as a successor...
- Bugatti EB110Bugatti EB110The Bugatti EB110 is a mid-engine sports car from Bugatti Automobili SpA. It was unveiled on September 15, 1991, in both Versailles and in front of the Grande Arche at La Défense in Paris, France, exactly 110 years after Ettore Bugatti's birth....
- Daimler Double SixJaguar XJJaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
- Ferrari 125Ferrari 125 SThe Ferrari 125 S was the first vehicle produced and built by automaker Ferrari of Modena, Italy. Although preceded by Enzo Ferrari's Auto Avio Costruzioni 815 of 1940, the 125 S was the first vehicle to bear the Ferrari name when it debuted on May 11, 1947 at the Piacenza racing circuit...
- Ferrari 166Ferrari 166 InterThe Ferrari 166 Inter was Ferrari's first true grand tourer. An evolution of the 125 S and 166 S racing cars, it was a sports car for the street with coachbuilt bodies. The Inter name commemorated the victories claimed in 166 S models by Scuderia Inter. 37 166 Inters were built from 1948 through...
- Ferrari 195Ferrari 195 InterThe 195 Inter is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari in 1950. Introduced at the 1950 Paris Motor Show, it was similar to the 166 Inter shown a year earlier and was aimed at the same affluent clientele. Like the last of the 166 Inters, the wheelbase was stretched by to , but the larger 2.3 L ...
- Ferrari 212Ferrari 212 InterThe Ferrari 212 Inter replaced Ferrari's successful 166 and 195 Inter grand tourers in 1951. Unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show that year, the 212 was an evolution of the 166 — a sports car for the road that could also win international races....
- Ferrari 340/342/375/375 AmericaFerrari AmericaThe first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
- Ferrari 250Ferrari 250The Ferrari 250 is a sports car built by Ferrari from 1953 to 1964. The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. It was replaced by the 275 and the 330.-Similarities:...
- Ferrari 410 Superamerica & 400 SuperamericaFerrari AmericaThe first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
- Ferrari 275Ferrari 275The Ferrari 275 was a 2-seat front-engined Gran Turismo automobile produced by Ferrari between 1964 and 1968. It used a 3.3 L Colombo 60° V12 engine and produced 280-300 hp. The Pininfarina-designed body was a graceful evolution of the car's predecessor, the 250, and strongly contrasted...
- Ferrari 330Ferrari 330The 1963 330 America shared the outgoing 250 GTE's chassis but not its engine, being powered by the new Type 209, at 6600 rpm, 4.0 L engine.Socialite Sandra West is buried with her blue 330 America at the Alamo Masonic Cemetery at San Antonio, Texas....
- Ferrari 500 SuperfastFerrari AmericaThe first America cars were the 340, produced between 1950 and 1952. Using the new Lampredi V12 developed for Formula One racing, the 340 America could produce over...
- Ferrari 365 California
- Ferrari 365 GT 2+2
- Ferrari 365 GTC & GTS
- Ferrari 365 GTB/4 & 365 GTS/4 "Daytona"
- Ferrari 365 GTC/4
- Ferrari 365 GT4 2+2
- Ferrari 400, 400i & 412Ferrari 400The Ferrari 400 and Ferrari 412 are front-engined 2+2 coupé cars from Italian manufacturer Ferrari. They were available with 5-speed all synchromesh or an optional 3-speed automatic transmission unit from General Motors. Their design was derived from the almost identical looking 365 GT4 2+2...
- Ferrari 456Ferrari 456The Ferrari 456 and 456 M is a front-engined grand tourer. The 456 was produced from 1992 until 2003. It was an overdue replacement for the defunct front-engined 412 as the company's premium 4-seat V12 car. The updated 456M was replaced in 2004 by the 612 Scaglietti...
- Ferrari F50Ferrari F50The Ferrari F50 is a mid-engined range-topping sports car made by Ferrari. The F50 was introduced in 1995 to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary. The car is a two door, two seat convertible with a removable hardtop...
- Ferrari 550 Maranello & 550 Barchetta PininfarinaFerrari 550The Ferrari 550 Maranello and 550 Barchetta are 2-seat grand tourers built by Ferrari. Introduced in 1996, the 550 was an upmarket front-engined V12 coupe of the kind not seen since the Daytona. It shared its platform and 5.5 L engine with the 2+2 456 but was positioned as the company's...
- Ferrari 575M Maranello & 575M SuperamericaFerrari 575M MaranelloThe Ferrari 575M Maranello is a two-seat, two-door, grand tourer built by Ferrari. Launched in 2002, it is essentially an updated 550 Maranello featuring minor styling changes from Pininfarina...
- Ferrari EnzoEnzo Ferrari (car)The Enzo Ferrari is a 12 cylinder mid-engine berlinetta named after the company's founder, Enzo Ferrari. It was built in 2002 using Formula One technology, such as a carbon-fibre body, F1-style electrohydraulic shift transmission, and Carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide ceramic composite...
- Ferrari 612 ScagliettiFerrari 612 ScagliettiThe Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a grand tourer produced by Ferrari between 2004 and 2010. It is a large two door fastback coupé. The 612 Scaglietti was designed to replace the smaller 456 M; its larger size makes it a true 4 seater with adequate space in the rear seats for adults.The design,...
- Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano/GTOFerrari 599 GTB FioranoThe 599 GTB Fiorano is an Italian gran turismo produced by Ferrari. It is the brand's two-seat flagship, replacing the 575 M Maranello in 2006 as a 2007 model....
- Ferrari FFFerrari FFThe Ferrari FF is a grand tourer presented by Ferrari on March 1, 2011 at Geneva Motor Show. It is Ferrari's first production four-wheel drive model and has been described as a shooting-brake. It will replace the 612 Scaglietti. The FF has a top speed of and it accelerates from zero to in 3.7...
- Hongqi HQEHongqi HQEThe Hongqi HQE is a large four-door limousine built by FAW Hongqi. It is the first Chinese-built V12 cylinder engine-equipped luxury car. As Hongqi's most advanced top-of-the-line vehicle type, the HQE will serve as the high-end vehicle for VIPs and high-ranking national officials...
- Jaguar E-Type V12
- Jaguar XJ-S
- Jaguar XJ12 & XJ12CJaguar XJJaguar XJ is the designation that has been used for a series of luxury saloon cars sold under the British Jaguar marque. The first XJ was launched in 1968 and the designation has been used for successive Jaguar flagship models since then. The original model was the last Jaguar saloon to have had...
- Jaguar XJR15
- Lamborghini 350GTLamborghini 350GTThe Lamborghini 350 GT was the first production vehicle produced by Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. Production started in May 1964, after its well-received debut at the March 1964 Geneva auto show...
- Lamborghini 400GTLamborghini 400GTLamborghini 400GT is the name given to two gran tourismos produced by Italian manufacturer Lamborghini.The first 400GT, commonly referred to as simply the 400GT or 400GT Interim, was essentially the older 350GT featuring an enlarged, 3929 cc V12 engine, with a power output of...
- Lamborghini IsleroLamborghini IsleroThe Lamborghini Islero is a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1968 and 1969. It was the replacement for the 400GT and featured the Lamborghini V12 engine...
- Lamborghini MiuraLamborghini MiuraThe Lamborghini Miura was a sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1966 and 1972. The car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars...
- Lamborghini EspadaLamborghini EspadaThe Lamborghini Espada is a grand tourer which was built by Italian car manufacturer Lamborghini between 1968 and 1978.Based on the Marzal show car, displayed at the 1967 Geneva Auto Show, and the Bertone Pirana, a radically rebodied Jaguar E-type, it was to fill the spot of a true four seat car in...
- Lamborghini JaramaLamborghini JaramaLamborghini Jarama is a sports coupé which was built by Lamborghini between 1970 and 1976. It was designed by Bertone designer Marcello Gandini. Feruccio Lamborghini was concerned the car would be thought to be named after the Jarama racing circuit near Madrid, while he meant the car to be named...
- Lamborghini CountachLamborghini CountachThe Lamborghini Countach is a mid-engined supercar that was produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini from 1974 to 1990. Its design both pioneered and popularized the wedge-shaped, sharply angled look popular in many high performance sports cars...
- Lamborghini LM002Lamborghini LM002The Lamborghini LM002 is an SUV that was built by the Lamborghini automobile company between 1986 and 1993. The LM002 was an unusual departure for Lamborghini which, at the time, was primarily known for high-performance grand tourers and sports cars...
- Lamborghini DiabloLamborghini DiabloThe Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of . After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the...
- Lamborghini MurciélagoLamborghini MurciélagoThe Lamborghini Murciélago is a two-door, two-seat sports car produced by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 2001 and 2010. Successor to the Diablo and flagship of the automaker's lineup, the Murciélago was introduced as a coupé in 2001. The automaker's first new design in eleven years, the car...
- Lamborghini ReventónLamborghini ReventónThe Lamborghini Reventón is a mid-engine sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is the most expensive Lamborghini road car to date, costing one million euros . Its top recorded speed was recorded in Dubai, UAE at...
- Lamborghini AventadorLamborghini AventadorThe Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is a two-door, two-seater sports car publicly unveiled by Lamborghini at the Geneva Motor Show on 28 February 2011, five months after its initial unveiling in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Internally codenamed LB834, the Aventador was designed to replace the ten-year-old...
- Lincoln ContinentalLincoln ContinentalThe Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
- Lincoln-ZephyrLincoln-ZephyrLincoln-Zephyr was a marque for the lower priced line of luxury cars in the Lincoln line 1936-40. Lincoln-Zephyr and Mercury, introduced 1939, bridged the wide gap between Ford's V-8 De Luxe line and the exclusive Lincoln K-series cars. This served a purpose similar to Cadillac's smaller LaSalle...
- Lister Storm
- Lotec SirusLotecLotec is a German sports car manufacturer. The company was founded in 1962 by Kurt Lotterschmid. By 1969, the firm began building race cars, and would turn their attention to modifications for Porsches in 1975...
- Maserati MC12Maserati MC12The Maserati MC12 is a two-seater sports car produced by Italian car maker Maserati to allow a racing variant to compete in the FIA GT Championship. The car entered production in 2004 with 30 cars produced...
- Maybach 57 and 62Maybach 57 and 62The Maybach 57 and 62 were the first automobile models of the Maybach brand since the brand's revival by DaimlerChrysler AG . They are derived from the Mercedes-Benz Maybach concept car presented at the 1997 Tokyo Motor Show...
- McLaren F1McLaren F1The McLaren F1 is a supercar designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive. Originally a concept conceived by Gordon Murray, he convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and engaged Peter Stevens to design the exterior of the car...
- Mercedes-Benz CL600/CL63 AMG (W215 only)/CL65 AMGMercedes-Benz CL-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz CL-Class is a luxury coupé automobile produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The name CL stands for the German Comfort Leicht ....
- Mercedes-Benz S600/S63 AMG (W220 only)/S65 AMGMercedes-Benz S-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a series of luxury sedans produced by Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler AG. The classification was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116 S-Class, which succeeded previous Mercedes-Benz models dating to the mid-1950s...
- Mercedes-Benz SL600/SL65 AMG/SL70 AMG (R129)/SL73 AMG (R129)Mercedes-Benz SL-ClassThe Mercedes-Benz SL is a grand tourer manufactured by Mercedes since 1954. The designation SL derives from the German Sport Leicht, or Sport Lightweight — and was first applied to the 300SL 'Gullwing' named also after its gullwing or upward-opening doors.The term SL-Class refers to the...
- Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR road carMercedes-Benz CLK GTRThe Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a sports car and race car that was built by Mercedes-AMG, performance and motorsports arm of Mercedes-Benz. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car, with the road cars necessary in order to...
- Pagani ZondaPagani ZondaThe Pagani Zonda is a sports car built by the Italian manufacturer Pagani. It debuted in 1999, and production ended in 2011. As of June 2009, 206 Zondas had been built, including test mules. Both 2-seat coupe and convertible versions have been produced. Construction is mainly of carbon...
- Pagani HuayraPagani HuayraThe Pagani Huayra is an Italian mid-engined sports car produced by Pagani. Succeeding the company's previous offering, the Zonda, it will cost £850,000 when it goes on sale in Spring 2012. It is named after Huayra-tata, a South American wind god.- Performance :Like the Zonda, the Huayra uses a...
- Panther De VillePanther De VilleThe Panther De Ville was a neo-classic luxury model from Panther Westwinds, the British specialty maker. Offered from 1974 to 1985, the De Ville was conceived by Robert Jankel to appeal to the taste of nouveau riche customers, including singer Elton John and actor Oliver Reed...
- Panther J72Panther J72The J.72 was the first product of the Panther Westwinds company, sold from 1972 through 1981. It was an ultra-exclusive luxury roadster, intended to compete with the best of the 1970s motor industry. It used mechanicals from the XJ12, including the 5.3 L Jaguar V12 engine, and was styled like...
- Rolls-Royce Silver SeraphRolls-Royce Silver SeraphThe Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, produced from 1998 to 2002, was first unveiled on March 3, 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Silver Seraph replaced the Silver Spur, which ended production in 1997....
- Rolls-Royce Park WardRolls-Royce Park WardRolls-Royce Park Ward may refer to one of several vehicles manufactured by Rolls-Royce Motors between 1995 and 2002:*The limousine version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit Mark IV*The extended wheelbase version of the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph...
- Rolls-Royce PhantomRolls-Royce Phantom (BMW)The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a saloon automobile made in England by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a BMW subsidiary. It was launched in 2003 and is the first model introduced during the BMW era. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé, and the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, are both based on the 2003 Phantom...
- Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead CoupéRolls-Royce Phantom Drophead CoupéThe Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé is a British handmade convertible manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, on 7 January 2007. The platform is based on the 2003 Rolls-Royce Phantom and has styling heavily derived from...
- Rolls-Royce Phantom CoupéRolls-Royce Phantom CoupéThe Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé is a British handmade luxury coupe manufactured by Rolls-Royce that debuted at the 2008 Geneva International Auto Show in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6 March 2008...
- Rolls-Royce Ghost
- Toyota Century
- Tramontana RTramontana (sports car)The Tramontana is a Spanish single or twin seat sports car with styling inspired by open wheel racing cars. It is built by Advanced Design Tramontana in Palau de Santa Eulalia, Girona, Catalonia , and costs €500,000 or more...
- Vector M12Vector M12The Vector M12 was a vehicle designed by the Vector Motors Corporation, and was the first vehicle produced after the hostile takeover of the company from Jerry Wiegert by the Indonesian company Megatech. The model was produced from 1995 to 1999, when production was halted, partly due to slow sales...
Some tuner companies, such as Brabus
BRABUS
Brabus, founded 1977 in Bottrop , Germany , is a high-performance aftermarket tuning company which specializes in Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Maybach vehicles....
also sell V12 versions of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz E-Class
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is a range of executive-size cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz in various engine and body configurations. The E initially stood for Einspritzmotor, ; a new feature in volume production vehicles at the time that the E-Class first appeared, with the E as a suffix to the...
and CLS, which were the fastest street-legal sedans upon their respective introductions.
Prototypes/custom made with V12 engines
- Audi R8 Le Mans ConceptAudi R8 Le Mans ConceptThe Audi R8 V12 TDI , was unveiled as a diesel engined concept car based on the Audi R8 , was presented at the 2008 North American International Auto Show on 13 January, and the Geneva Motor Show in March...
- BMW Nazca M12BMW Nazca C2The BMW Nazca C2 or Italdesign Nazca C2 or Italdesign Nazca M12, was a 1991 concept sports car. The car was designed by famed automotive engineering company Italdesign, home of Giorgetto Giugiaro, and features a similar frontal design of a BMW. The car was equipped with the Neuromotion FC6 engine...
(a concept by Pininfarina) - BMW CS ConceptBMW CS ConceptThe BMW CS Concept was a concept car displayed by BMW in 2007 at several international motor shows and again in April 2008 at the New York International Auto Show...
- Bertone GenesisBertone GenesisThe Bertone Genesis or sometimes referred to as the Lamborghini Genesis was a Bertone designed concept car using Lamborghini parts. It was first displayed to the public at the 1988 Turin Auto Show....
- Cadillac CienCadillac CienThe Cadillac Cien was a concept car created by Cadillac and unveiled at the 2002 Detroit Auto Show to celebrate Cadillac's 100th anniversary...
- Ferrari FXXFerrari FXXThe Ferrari FXX is a high performance race car built by automobile manufacturer Ferrari in Maranello, Italy. The FXX is based on the street-legal Enzo. Production of the FXX began in 2005.- Overview :...
(cannot be used on the road) - Ferrari P540 Superfast ApertaFerrari P540 Superfast ApertaThe Ferrari P540 Superfast Aperta is a one-off front mid-engined, rear-wheel drive sports car produced by the Italian sports car manufacturer Ferrari, based on the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano....
- Ford GT90Ford GT90The Ford GT90 is a concept car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company. It was unveiled in January 1995 at the Detroit Auto Show as "the world's mightiest supercar"...
- Ford IndigoFord IndigoThe Ford Indigo is a concept car developed by Ford for the 1996 auto show circuit and designed by Claude Lobo. Only two examples were built, and only 1 was actually functional. It took Ford only six months from the original computer designs to the finished show car. The functional concept is still...
- IsderaIsderaISDERA or Ingenieurbüro für Styling, DEsign und RAcing is a privately-run automaker based in a small workshop in Hildesheim, Germany. The company was formerly based in Leonberg, Germany. Each high-performance sports car is hand-built by a small team of craftsmen, and the only way to purchase an...
Commendatore 112i - Jaguar XJ13Jaguar XJ13The Jaguar XJ13 was a prototype racing car developed by Jaguar to challenge at Le Mans in the mid-1960s.It never raced, and only one was ever produced...
- Jaguar XJ220 ConceptJaguar XJ220The Jaguar XJ220 is a mid-engined supercar produced by Jaguar in collaboration with Tom Walkinshaw Racing as Jaguar Sport between 1992 and 1994. It held the record for the highest top speed of a production car , until the arrival of the McLaren F1 in 1994...
- Lamborghini Flying Star IILamborghini Flying Star IIThe Lamborghini Flying Star II was a prototype concept car built by Carrozzeria Touring in 1966 on a Lamborghini front engine chassis....
- Lamborghini LM004Lamborghini LM004The Lamborghini LM004 was a prototype off-road vehicle designed and built by Lamborghini.The LM004 was essentially a modified LM002, but in order to try to make it appeal to a new range of customers it was outfitted with bucket seats, a phone, a refrigerator, and several other luxury features...
- Lamborghini MarzalLamborghini MarzalThe Lamborghini Marzal was a prototype concept car presented by Lamborghini at the 1967 Geneva Motor Show.Designed by Marcello Gandini of Bertone, it was created to supply Ferruccio Lamborghini with a true four-seater car for his lineup which already included the 400GT 2+2 and the Miura. It was...
- Laraki Fulgura
- Lincoln ContinentalLincoln ContinentalThe Lincoln Continental is an automobile which was produced by the Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company from 1939 to 1948 and again from 1956 to 2002...
(2002 concept) - Maybach ExeleroMaybach ExeleroThe Maybach Exelero is a high-performance sports car designed and built by German luxury car manufacturer Maybach. It was presented in May 2005 in Berlin, Germany. The two-seater with a twin turbo V12 engine is a one-off design built on request for Fulda Tires. Fulda is using this car as a...
- Méga Monte CarloMéga Monte Carlo-Design and development:In 1989, Fulvio Maria Ballabio designed a carbon fibre monocoque sports car under the newly established brand MCA . The car being born Monegasque, it was decided to name it the Centenaire for the 100 year anniversary of the Automobile Club of Monaco. Guglielmo Bellasi Joined...
- Peugeot 907Peugeot 907The Peugeot 907 was a concept car built by Peugeot. First revealed at the Paris Motor Show in 2003, the car was created by styling chief Gérard Welter and designer Jean-Christophe Bolle-Reddat to celebrate the closure of the firm's 40- year-old design centre at La Garenne, and the opening of a new...
(Peugeot's first V12, 2004) - Toyota Century Royal
- TVR Cerbera Speed Twelve (never entered production)
- Volga V12 Coupe (a one-off custom rebody)
- Yamaha OX99-11Yamaha OX99-11The Yamaha OX99-11 was a sports car designed by Yamaha subsidiary Ypsilon Technology and IAD, an English engineering consultancy, which was supposed to enter production in 1994....
- Zagato RaptorZagato RaptorThe Zagato Raptor, sometimes referred to as the Lamborghini Raptor, is a concept car design created in 1996 by Zagato in partnership with Alain Wicki for Lamborghini. The body features the Zagato "double bubble" design and an innovative door design where the whole middle section of the car swivels...
Heavy trucks
Tatra used a 17.6 l (1,073.2 cu in) air-cooled naturally aspirated V12 diesel engineDiesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
in many of their truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
s; for instance, the Tatra T813
Tatra T813
Tatra T813 was a truck produced in Czechoslovakia by the Tatra company.-History:The first prototype already built in 1960 utilized existing Tatra T138 assemblies in 4x4 full time all wheel drive, which was also another first for Tatra. After the initial trials however the designers decided to...
and uses 19 L air-cooled naturally aspirated or turbo
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
V12 diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
in Tatra T815
Tatra T815
Tatra T815 is a truck family, produced by Czech company Tatra. It uses the traditional tatra concept of rigid backbone tube and swinging half-axles giving independent suspension. The vehicles are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, 10x8, 10x10, 12x8 and 12x12 variants. There are both air-cooled and...
. Some trucks have been fitted with twin V12s, although this is often advertised as a V24
V24
V24 may refer to:* V24 * V24 engine* V.24, a standard similar to RS-232* Mil V-24, designation for early Mil Mi-24 mockup/prototype...
.
GMC produced a large gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
-burning V12 from 1960 to 1965 for trucks, the "Twin-Six"; it was basically GMC's large-capacity truck 351 V6, doubled, with four rocker covers
Rocker covers
Rocker covers, in relation to the internal combustion engine, are covers that are bolted on over rocker arms. They are called valve covers in the United States and Canada. and rocker boxes in the UK....
and four exhaust manifold
Exhaust manifold
In automotive engineering, an exhaust manifold collects the exhaust gases from multiple cylinders into one pipe. The word manifold comes from the Old English word manigfeald and refers to the folding together of multiple inputs and outputs.In contrast, an inlet manifold is the part of an engine...
s. Fifty-six major parts are interchangeable between the Twin-Six and all other GMC V6 engines to provide greater parts availability and standardization. Its engine displacement
Engine displacement
Engine displacement is the volume swept by all the pistons inside the cylinders of an internal combustion engine in a single movement from top dead centre to bottom dead centre . It is commonly specified in cubic centimeters , litres , or cubic inches...
was 702 cu in (11.5 l), and while power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
was not too impressive at 250 hp, torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
was 585 lbft. For firetrucks the rev limiter
Rev limiter
A rev limiter is a device fitted to an internal combustion engine to restrict its maximum rotational speed. This is usually carried out to prevent damage to the engine, however sometimes these devices are fitted to prevent an engine reaching the point at which it develops maximum power...
was increased to produce 299 hp at 3000 rpm and torque was increased to 630 lbft at 1600-1900 rpm. It was possibly the last gasoline engine used in heavy trucks in the U.S.
Detroit Diesel
Detroit Diesel
As a corporation, Daimler Trucks North America has decided to rename the company "DETROIT".Detroit Diesel Corporation is an American-based diesel engine producer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA...
produced their Series 53, 71, 92, and 149 engines as V-12s, among other configurations.
Auto racing
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and endurance racing. From 1965 to 1980, Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
, Weslake
Weslake
Weslake Research and Development was founded by Harry Weslake, with premises in Rye, East Sussex, England. Weslake was a cylinder head specialist who had been instrumental in modifying the side valve standard engine used in the first SS sports car. He also worked on the larger SS engine: "The...
, Honda
Honda F1
Honda Racing F1 Team was a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda, from 1964 to 1968 and from 2006 to 2008. Honda's involvement in F1 began with the 1964 season; their withdrawal in 1968 was precipitated by the death of Honda driver Jo Schlesser during the 1968 French Grand Prix. ...
, BRM, Maserati
Maserati
Maserati is an Italian luxury car manufacturer established on December 1, 1914, in Bologna. The company's headquarters is now in Modena, and its emblem is a trident. It has been owned by the Italian car giant Fiat S.p.A. since 1993...
, Matra
Matra
Mécanique Aviation Traction or Matra was a French company covering a wide range of activities mainly related to automobile, bicycles, aeronautics and weaponry. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of the Lagardère Group and now operates under that name.Matra was owned by the Floirat family...
, Delahaye
Delahaye
Delahaye automobile manufacturing company was started by Emile Delahaye in 1894, in Tours, France. His first cars were belt-driven, with single- or twin-cylinder engines. In 1900, Delahaye left the company.-History:...
, Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, Delage
Delage
Delage was a French luxury automobile and racecar company founded in 1905 by Louis Delage in Levallois-Perret near Paris; it was acquired by Delahaye in 1935 and ceased operation in 1953.-History:...
, Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
, Lamborghini
Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., commonly referred to as Lamborghini , is an Italian car manufacturer. The company was founded by manufacturing magnate Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963, with the objective of producing a refined grand touring car to compete with established offerings from marques like...
and Tecno
Tecno
Although Tecno is primarily remembered as an Italian kart and racing car constructor they started out as a conventional engineering business manufacturing hydraulic pumps...
used 12-cylinder engines in Formula One, either V12 or Flat-12
Flat-12
A flat-12 is an internal combustion engine in a flat configuration, having 12 cylinders.The flat-12 is wider than a V12...
, but the Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
(Cosworth) V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
had a slightly better power-to-weight ratio and less fuel consumption, thus it was more successful despite being less powerful than the best V12s. During the same era, V12 engines were superior to V8s in endurance racing, reduced vibrations giving better reliability. In the 1990s, Renault
Renault F1
Lotus Renault GP, formerly the Renault F1 Team, is a British Formula One racing team. The Oxfordshire-based team can trace its roots back through the Benetton team of the late 1980s and 1990s to the Toleman team of the early 1980s. Renault had also competed in various forms since , before taking...
V10 engine
V10 engine
A V10 engine is a V engine with 10 cylinders in two banks of five with a distinct exhaust note.- Mechanics :The V10 is essentially the result of mating two even-firing straight-5 engines together. The straight-5 engine shows first and second order rocking motion...
s proved their superiority against the Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
and Honda
Honda F1
Honda Racing F1 Team was a Formula One team run by Japanese car manufacturer Honda, from 1964 to 1968 and from 2006 to 2008. Honda's involvement in F1 began with the 1964 season; their withdrawal in 1968 was precipitated by the death of Honda driver Jo Schlesser during the 1968 French Grand Prix. ...
V12s and the Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
V8. The last V12 engine used in Formula One was the Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
044, on the Ferrari 412T2
Ferrari 412T
The Ferrari 412T was the type name for the cars used by Ferrari in the 1994 and 1995 Formula One Season. It was designed by John Barnard and Gustav Brunner....
cars driven by Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi
Jean Alesi is a French racing driver of Italian origin. His Formula One career included spells at Tyrrell, Benetton, Sauber, Prost, Jordan and most notably Ferrari where he proved very popular among the tifosi...
and Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
in 1995
1995 Formula One season
The 1995 Formula One season was the 46th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1995 FIA Formula One World Championship, which was contested over 17 races from March 26 to November 12, 1995. For the second year in succession, the Drivers' Championship was won by Michael Schumacher,...
.
In the late 1960s Nissan used a V12 in the Japanese Grand Prix
Japanese Grand Prix
The is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of the last, if not the last race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 27 World Championship Japanese...
and again in the early 1990s Group C
Group C
Group C was a category of motorsport, introduced by the FIA in 1982 for sports car racing, along with Group A for touring cars and Group B for GTs....
races.
At the Paris motor show 2006
Mondial de l'Automobile 2006
The 2006 Paris Motor Show took place from September 30 to October 15, 2006, in Paris Expo, Porte de Versailles.- Introductions :* Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione* Audi A3 1.8 TFSI* Audi A4 2.8 FSI* Audi R8...
Peugeot presented a new racing car, as well as a luxury saloon concept car, both called 908 HDi FAP and 908 RC and fitted with a V12 Diesel engine producing around or even surpassing 700 PS. This took part in the 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
2007 race, with a podium finish and very competitive performance, coming in second place after the similarly conceived Audi R10 TDI V12 Diesel originally developed for the 2006 season.
Large diesel engines
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
s; most are available with differing numbers of cylinders in V configuration to offer a range of power ratings. Many diesel locomotive
Diesel locomotive
A diesel locomotive is a type of railroad locomotive in which the prime mover is a diesel engine, a reciprocating engine operating on the Diesel cycle as invented by Dr. Rudolf Diesel...
s have V12 engines. Examples include the 3200 hp 12-710
EMD 710
The EMD 710 is a line of diesel engines built by Electro-Motive Diesel . The 710 series largely replaced the earlier EMD 645 series. The EMD 710 is a large two-stroke diesel engine that has a displacement per cylinder. Since its introduction, EMD has continually upgraded the 710G diesel engine...
from Electro-Motive Diesel and the 4400 hp GEVO-12 from GE Transportation.
Large V12 engines are also common in ships. For example Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä is a Finnish corporation which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include large combustion engines...
, the world's leading manufacturers of medium-speed diesel engines, offers V12 engines with various cylinder bore diameters between 26 and 50 cm (10.2 and 19.7 in) with power output ranging from 4080 kW to 14400 kW. These engines are commonly used especially in cruise ships, which may have up to six such main engines. In the past the largest medium-speed diesel engine in the world, Wärtsilä 64, was also offered in V configuration, and a single 12V64 prototype with an output of 23280 kW was produced for an experimental power plant in the late 1990s.
Tanks and other AFVs
The V12 is a common configuration for tank and other armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs). Some examples are:- German Maybach HL120TRM gasoline engine, used on World War II Pz Kpfw III and Pz Kpfw IV tanks.
- British Rolls-Royce MeteorRolls-Royce MeteorThe Rolls-Royce Meteor was a British tank engine of the Second World War.It was developed from the Rolls-Royce Merlin aero-engine by W. A. Robotham and his chassis design and development division at Belper, as they were not involved in aero-engine work...
gasoline engine, derived from the MerlinRolls-Royce MerlinThe Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
aero-engine, used on World War II CromwellCromwell tankTank, Cruiser, Mk VIII, Cromwell ,The designation as the eighth Cruiser tank design, its name given for ease of reference and its General Staff specification number respectively and the related Centaur tank, were one of the most successful series of cruiser tanks fielded by Britain in the Second...
and CometComet tankThe Tank, Cruiser, Comet I was a British cruiser tank that first saw use near the end of World War II. It was designed to provide greater anti-tank capability to Cromwell tank squadrons. It was armed with a 77mm HV, a derivative of the 17 pounder, with the result it was one of the few British...
tanks and the post-WWII CenturionCenturion tankThe Centurion, introduced in 1945, was the primary British main battle tank of the post-World War II period. It was a successful tank design, with upgrades, for many decades...
and ConquerorConqueror tankThe FV 214 Conqueror, also known as "Tank, Heavy No. 1, 120 mm Gun, Conqueror" was a British heavy tank of the post-war era. It was developed as a response to the Soviet Joseph Stalin IS-3 heavy tanks and carried a larger 120 mm gun compared to the 20-pounder gun carried by its peer the...
tanks. - Russian V-2 (В-2) V-12 diesel engine, used on World War II T-34T-34The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
, KV-1, KV-2 and IS-2 tanks. Most modern Russian diesel engines for MBT'sT-90The T-90 is a Russian third-generation main battle tank that is a modernisation of the T-72 . It is currently the most modern tank in service with the Russian Ground Forces and Naval Infantry...
goes back to V-2 base design. - American Continental AV1790Continental AV1790The Continental AV1790 was an American tank engine. Produced by Continental Motors, the AV1790 was used in a variety of limited production or pilot heavy tanks, including the T30, T34 , T43 , T57, and T58, as well as the production M103 tank and the M51 recovery vehicle...
engine, produced in gasoline and diesel variants, used on all versions of the Patton tankPatton tankPatton tank may refer to:*M46 Patton, a tank model operational during the Korean War*M47 Patton, a tank model in service from 1952 through 1959 with the U.S. Army, and through the mid 1990s in foreign service...
and on the M103 heavy tankM103 heavy tankThe M103 heavy tank served the United States Army and the US Marines during the Cold War. Until the development of the M1A1 in the mid 1980s, it was the heaviest and most heavily armed tank in US service...
. One of these engines was used to power a hot rodHot rodHot rods are typically American cars with large engines modified for linear speed. The origin of the term "hot rod" is unclear. One explanation is that the term is a contraction of "hot roadster," meaning a roadster that was modified for speed. Another possible origin includes modifications to or...
style car called the Blastolene SpecialBlastolene SpecialThe Blastolene Special is a unique, specially built car, designed and built by Randy Grubb currently owned by the entertainer Jay Leno. Created from a military tank engine and a custom-made aluminium body, it produces 810 bhp and 1560 pound-feet of torque...
.