British manufacturers have long lived under the mantra "bigger means more power." As a result, humongous engines found homes in British cars. Famous manufacturer Rolls-Royce has an affinity for supplying their vehicles with the largest engines. The list spans a century of excellent vehicles.
British luxury dominates the largest engine category aside from a couple of stand-out racecar-type vehicles. We take a deep dive into the ten largest engines British manufacturers ever put in their cars. Regardless of their size, they powered some of the most iconic models in British history.
10 Napier-Railton: 23.9L 12-Cylinder
The Napier-Railton aero racecar was, without a doubt, the largest engine ever stuffed into a British car. At an astonishing 23.9L, the W12 configured engine was capable of 572 horsepower.
Amazingly, the Napier-Railton still holds the all-time Brooklands racetrack lap record. The W12 engine that powered the Napier-Railton was a compressed version of the Napier Lion, an aircraft engine. Regardless of how crazy this car was, it had one of the largest engines a British manufacturer ever put into their sports car.
9 Lister Storm: 7.0L V12
The Lister Storm was indeed a storm coming at you full speed ahead. As a homologated car, Lister only made four Storms, of which three survive. Under the hood, however, sat the largest V12 engine used in a production car since WWII!
The V12 powering the Lister Storm was a 7.0L Jaguar unit used in motorsports. It could hit 540 horsepower, had a 0-60 in 4.1 seconds, and was considered the fastest car for most of the 90s and early 2000s.
8 Aston Martin One-77: 7.3L V12
Only 77 of these beauties were available, as the name would imply. The Aston Martin One-77 does have a secret 78th show, One-77, but that’s not important. What’s important is the massive 7.3L V12 that powers this particular Aston Martin.
The engine is an AM Cosworth V12 with 750 horsepower. It was so powerful that Aston Martin claimed it to be the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 in the world upon reveal. While more powerful engines have since debuted, the 7.3L V12 in the One-77 propelled it to 220 mph!
7 Rolls-Royce Phantom II: 7.7L Inline-Six
Rolls-Roye is known for its luxury. In the 1920s, Rolls established that luxury with elegant vehicles that produced 40 and 50 horsepower. Then, the Phantom II hit British roads in 1933 with an enormous 7.7L inline-six that could generate a refined 50 horsepower.
Rolls-Royce produced only 1,281 of the Phantom IIs. Still, it helped set the standard for forward-thinking, thoughtful design with upgraded components that the company marketed for an elegant upper class.
6 Rolls-Royce Phantom III: 7.3L V12
The last pre-WWII Phantoms and the last British V12 for almost 60 years was the Phantom III’s 7.3L V12. The Phantom III hit roads in 1936, and unlike the 40/50 horsepower Phantoms of yesteryear, the Phantom III put out 120 horsepower.
Although the Phantom III had decent power thanks to the large V12, it also had a ton of weight, limiting top speed to 87 mph and a 0-60 in 16.8 seconds. Only 727 Phantom IIIs rolled off the line, partly due to WWII. Still, the Phantom III has an iconic V12 that marked history for Britain.
5 Bentley 8 Litre: 8.0L Inline-Six
Before Bentley became Rolls-Royce property, the British manufacturer produced the 8-Litre. With a name like that, a large engine is obviously powering this beast, and it did. The engine was a massive 8L inline-six that produced an insane 217 horsepower.
The enormous 8L inline-six was ahead of its time, using components like overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and twin-spark ignition. It inhabited Bentley’s largest rolling chassis and could hit 125 mph.
4 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow: 6.75L V8
The Silver Shadow, and the later Silver Shadow II, make up the largest running model for the brand. It was produced between 1965 and 1980 and featured one of the largest V8 engines a British manufacturer put into a car.
The V8 powering the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a 6.75L V8 that was Britain’s most famous V8. It bore the engine code L410 and powered several Bentley, and Rolls vehicles, including the Phantom VI, the Bentley Eight, and Continental R.
3 Jensen Interceptor: 7.2L Big Block V8
Jensen famously used the Interceptor name for two models. The latter version came with an American secret – A Chrysler 440 Big Block V8. The one powering the Jensen Interceptor for 1971 was a 440 with three 2-barrel carburetors and a total production of 330 horsepower.
Unfortunately, Jensen dropped the three carburetors 440 in 1972. The 1971 will forever hold the title as the most potent car Jensen ever created. The 440 Big Block powered the Interceptor to a top speed of 133 mph and 0-60 in 7.3 seconds.
2 Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph: 5.4L V12
Rolls-Royce loves to stuff large engines into its cars, and that trend continued with the Silver Seraph. The Silver Seraph used a 5.4L V12 engine and was the first time Rolls-Royce returned to a 12-cylinder engine since the Phantom III.
The Silver Seraph’s V12 produced 322 horsepower. These Rolls were hand-built in the UK and were an attempt at capturing the title of ‘World’s Best Car’. Only 1570 of these beautiful Silver Seraphs exist, but they are iconic nonetheless.
1 Aston Martin DB7 V12 Vantage: 5.9L V12
The Aston Martin DB7 is a modern classic, and the V12 Vantage upped the performance. This more potent model proved far more popular than the inline-six version. Aston Martin used a V12 engine for the DB7, and it was able to put out 420 horsepower from the 5.9L unit.
The DB7 V12 Vantage comes paired with two transmission options – either a six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed automatic. The manual’s top speed was rated at 186 mph, while the automatic was much slower at 165 mph.