The 12 Best V12 Engines Ever Made

There are many ways to boost an engine's power, but one of the oldest tricks is to add cylinders. The V12 has powered some of the most fascinating and sought-after vehicles of all time. Creating an engine with 12 cylinders was once the best way to achieve the highest power output, and inherent to the V12 architecture are low vibration and smooth power delivery. Furthermore, according to Engineering Explained on YouTube, the mechanics of a V12 engine allow it to be built with much smaller cylinders and reach a much higher RPM, thus delivering more power overall. This advantage does have a trade-off in making the engines more complex and expensive to build while adding a significant amount of weight over engines with fewer cylinders.

V12 engines also have a look and sound unlike anything else. The silky smooth power delivery has made them a choice for luxury cars for the past century. Conversely, the fastest ultra-high-performance cars have long been hailed for their 12-cylinder power plants, with some of the finest of these born from workshops in Italy. As the date approaches when all V12 production ceases, we can take a look back over the last century to appreciate the best V12 engines ever made.

Jaguar Cars got its start during the interwar period and resumed production soon after the end of WWII. By the 1970s, Jaguar had built a reputation as a manufacturer of upscale cars with excellent driving characteristics. Plans to build a V12 went back to the 1950s and Jaguar had drawings ready to begin testing an engine for production. Jaguar initiated plans for a new V12 engine built for LeMans racing with a secondary design meant for road-going vehicles. The V12 was eventually put into production and first went on sale in 1971 mounted in the E-Type 2+2 sports car and the popular XJ6 sedan as the new XJ12 model (via Jaguar Heritage Trust).

Jaguar sold its V12 engine from 1971 to 1997, with its initial size of 5.3 liters growing to 7.0 liters by the time it was retired in 1996. Many improvements were made to the engine over time although it was always a smooth and powerful engine. However, it does have a big drawback in that servicing is highly complicated. Driving mentions its complexity and that it has dual radiators, coolant tanks, fuel tanks, and fuel pumps to keep technicians on their toes. This is compounded by a maze of notoriously unpredictable Lucas wiring that requires exceptional skill to diagnose and repair. Despite this, classic Jaguars are beautiful cars that drive great, and a well-kept V12 model is something to cherish.

In the 1980s, BMW built on its engineering expertise in building high-performance versions of its sedans, releasing the M3 and M5 to critical acclaim. Not wanting to rest on its laurels, the company looked to its rock-solid straight-6 engine and then doubled it to create a legendary V12.

The first V12 out of Bavaria is described loosely as a merging of two of the company's 2.5-liter 6-cylinder engines. This came about in 1988 and offered 295 horsepower with 332 pound-feet of torque. Hagerty lists some of its highly sophisticated technology for the time including a sophisticated mass-air-flow sensor, drive-by-wire throttle, and the block being cast out of Alusil, an alloy of aluminum and silicon. The BMW V12 has been seen in a variety of flagship vehicles including the 7-series and 8-series, as well as the 850i coupe.

In more recent years, BMW added its VANOS variable valve timing and was the first to install direct injection into 12 cylinders. At its peak, the BMW mill placed into a Rolls Royce Phantom made 453 horsepower and more than 500 pound-feet of torque. It seems that this great engine is not long for this world, as BMW has announced its discontinuation with the final model leaving the factory in 2022.

When Ford's Model T took over the world, Packard catered to different customers, the barons of industry and bankers of the era. Packard cars then were precision engineered and hand-built to the highest quality. The cars themselves were the epitome of luxury motoring and featured the most advanced engineering available. These were also large cars being sold to demanding buyers, thus Packard offered them with the most powerful engines possible, and the company created and built the first production V12 in automotive history in the Packard Twin Six in 1915.

Packard developed a V12 engine, according to Hemmings, as an airplane engine that would also have an automobile variant. This was done so that the company could have enough orders to justify the development expense as the volume of luxury cars was comparatively small. The engine was 421 cubic inches and produced 88 horsepower, although the torque was considerable. How Stuff Works lists the 1916-1917 Twin Six selling price starting at $2,750 while the Imperial Limousine ran $5,000, and notable owners of the cars included Tsar Nicholas II, the Emperor of Japan, and President Warren Harding. For comparison, a Model T in 1924 was just $235, per Concept Carz.

[Featured image by Infrogmation via Wikimedia Commons | Cropped and scaled | CC BY-SA 3.0]

While the original Ferrari Colombo V12 powered some of the company's most magnificent automobiles, as the new millennium came to be, Ferrari needed a new engine to match the available technology.

In 2002 Ferrari unveiled its premier supercar, the Enzo, named after the founder of the company. This car was a showcase of the incredible talent of engineers at the company and the most sophisticated technology created by the automaker. Powering the Enzo was an all-new engine called Tipo 140. This new mill made 651 horsepower from a 6.0-liter displacement featuring dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Ferrari scheduled production of 399 cars, which, according to Silodrome, were sold before any were built.

This V12 went on to be found in a variety of cars from the Ferrari 599 GTB to the Maserati MC12. The Drive says it is the engine powering the current 812 Competizione gran tourer with 819 horsepower and, with the aid of hybrid technology, pumped power in the LaFerrari up to 950.

Toyota is well-known for building economical transportation with legendary reliability. While many of its cars are largely plain and practical, it has, at times, released exciting and innovative cars, such as the MkIV Supra. However, Toyota had been building at least one luxury model fit for an emperor since 1967, the Toyota Century.

Built by hand to levels of perfection unattainable by mass production, the Century is built by hand at a special shop. The first generation was powered by a V8 engine as is the current model, although it is augmented with hybrid drive (via Motor Biscuit). In between is the first and only production V12 to come out of Japan. The 5.0-liter 1GZ-FE engine was only built for this single model of car, and it features dual cams, Toyota VVT-i variable valve timing, 48 valves, and most other of Toyota's leading technologies of the time. Power output is a surprisingly low 275 horsepower, but this engine was created to comfortably power executives and dignitaries to important appointments without breaking down. That it is overengineered and underpowered contributes to its high level of reliability.

Some clever tuners have been able to get these engines and stick them in other models, such as a Supra, obtaining up to 1,000 horsepower, proving the engine is way under-stressed in its original form.

Most automotive engineers are given parameters for a task to meet certain goals and work proceeds accordingly. However, sometimes what comes out of the pipeline can appear to be wholly unnecessary and overkill. Such is the case with Audi's Turbocharged Direct Injection 12-cylinder Diesel engine.

Audi released its 2008 model lineup including the Q7 SUV with several engine options. Among them was a highly unusual choice employing Volkswagen's long-running Turbocharged Direct Injection engine technology. This time the TDI diesel engine was a 12-cylinder that produced an abundant 500 horsepower along with an egregious 737 pound-feet of torque. For what amounts to essentially a family wagon, this amount of power is excessive, yet wonderful. Top Gear calls it bonkers for having this kind of ability and notes the original retail price of more than $100,000 puts it out of the reach for all but well-to-do car buyers who likely won't see much benefit to the diesel engine.