Early in the 1900s, the first V12 engine came to life. It was originally used in racing boats but soon enough evolved into an automobile engine. The W12 engine shares a similar story. It was used in airplanes during World War I until years later, in the early 2000s, the first W12 engine fit for automobiles was released.
The V12 and W12 are both amazing engines designed by world-known companies. They are both extremely powerful, efficient, and pretty similar to each other, to the point where one would not notice any differences other than their physical shape. Not car lovers, though. They know that even the smallest details can have big impacts.
The differences between these two come from their manufacturers' goals and expectations of what they wanted in an engine. If you want to know more about these two engines, how they are different, and what the results of those differences are, this article is for you.
What is a V12 engine?
The V12 is a piston engine with two banks of six cylinders arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft.
Although this engine was originally designed for use in racing boats in 1904, its balance and smoothness were so satisfactory that it was adapted to be put in aircraft and automobiles too.
What is a W12 engine?
The W12 is a piston engine with four banks of three cylinders. They also call it "The Double V" since it gets its W configuration from the mating of two VR6s that are attached to one common crankshaft.
It was during World War I when the W12 engine first came about. It was intended for use in airplanes because of its phenomenal power. Later, the Volkswagen group who had recognized the true power of this engine worked on the W12 further and made the needed adjustments so it could be used in cars, too.
Each Engine Has Its Own Priorities And The W12 Is All About Power
The W12 engine, with four banks and fewer cylinders per bank, is shorter and wider than the V12. This cylinder and crankshaft arrangement allows for more torque compared to the V12.
If the ancient World War W12 engine produced up to 900HP, and Volkswagen's 2002 W12 broke records on the race ring, then the upgraded version today will certainly blow your mind. The 2020 W12-powered Bentley Bacalar makes a massive 650HP and an astonishing 667 lb-ft of torque.
Volkswagen, the main W12 producer, keeps improving the engine, especially in terms of power. The 2016 W12 saw a 27% power and 38% torque increase compared to the 2003 version.
The V12's Advantages Are More About Engine Balance
Though longer than the W12 in shape, the V12 is smoother and sounds much better because it has fewer cylinders in each bank. Each bank in the V12 is similar to a straight-six engine which has great primary and secondary balance. If these straight-sixes are put together in the correct V-angle which is 60 degrees, the balance of the V12 reaches its peak.
When it comes to four-stroke V12 engines, the even firing order has an interval of 60 degrees. That's why the V12 performs best only when the V-angle is 60 degrees. Those V12s with other V-angles are equipped with crankpins to reduce the unbalanced vibrations and maintain smoothness.
There's also another factor contributing to V12's smooth power delivery. And it's the fact that half of the cylinders in a V12 are constantly in their power stroke, which eliminates gaps between power pulses.
While the V12 is pretty common, W12 is exclusive to Volkswagen
You can see V12s in a lot of car types from multiple companies. McLaren F1, one of the best supercars ever made; Toyota Century, which is a luxury car; and the Roll-Royce Cullinan, which is an SUV are all equipped with V12s.
The W12, however, is only produced by Volkswagen. So W12 engines are only found on Volkswagen cars or those of the companies that Volkswagen owns. Audi A8L, Touareg, Bentley Continental GT, and Bugatti Veyron are the most famous W12-powered cars.
V12 engines used to be popular in Formula One. Between the 1965 to 1994 seasons, cars of brands like Ferrari, Maserati, and Weslake had V12 engines. While using a V12 was pretty common in car racing, Volkswagen did something out of the norm. They started the W12 project to prove to the world that they were able to produce sports cars too. As expected, their W12 concept car broke records on the Nardo Ring back in 2002, and that is how the W12 automotive engine made its debut.