A Look Back as V12 Engines Roar Toward the Finish LineA Look Back as V12 Engines Roar Toward the Finish Line

The beloved V12 engine configuration is poised to whoosh effortlessly off into the sunset.

Dan Carney, Senior Editor

February 14, 2022

12 Slides
Lamborghini Aventador V12.jpg

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Image courtesy of Lamborghini

BMW recently announced that the company will soon conclude production of V12 engines, as it moves toward an electrified future by eliminating its thirstiest combustion engines first.

The company entered the V12 business in 1987 with the naturally-aspirated, 5.0-liter M70 single overhead cam V12 that produced 295 hp in the original BMW 750iL.  

As BMW's V12 reaches the checkered flag in June, the engine is now twin-turbocharged and displaces 6.6 liters. The two single-scroll turbochargers, infinitely variable valve control, and high-precision direct injection combine to help the engine produce 601 hp to push the 760 to mph in 3.6 seconds. 

The V12 remains a rare breed due to its complexity, size, weight, thirst, and cost, but a handful of companies still make them. Historically the engine configuration has been limited to the most exclusive brands and models, so if this is finally the beginning of the end for V12s, we thought it would be good to take a look back at companies that have built cars using these engines over the years.

The V12 is noted for its smoothness and power. That is because it is a pair of inline-six-cylinder engines mated at the crankshaft, and inline sixes have perfect primary balance. Setting the banks of a V12 at 60 degrees (or 120 degrees or 180 degrees) preserves this balance with even more power pulses smoothing the flow.

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About the Author

Dan Carney

Senior Editor, Design News

Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.

A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.

Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.

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He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.

He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.

He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.

He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.

Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.

He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers

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