The V12 has been the top engine choice for any manufacturer when producing either a super-fast hypercar or an over-the-top luxury vehicle. Unfortunately, due to the ever-increasing price of fuel, the stricter automotive regulations, and environmentalists calling for more efficient engines, the V12 is steadily on its way out.
This, however, does not mean that we need to wave goodbye to this titan of an engine configuration. Instead, we can celebrate the V12 and be glad that it still exists. Automakers still use the smooth, powerful engine for their top-end cars – such as the Mercedes-Maybach S680, the Lamborghini Aventador, and the Ferrari 812 Superfast. Some companies like BMW and Aston Martin are discontinuing their V12s and are selling special edition versions to celebrate them. Others like Ferrari and Lamborghini have stated that they will keep their V12s alive for as long as possible – even if it means hybridization.
So, while the number of auto manufacturers who still sell V12 engines can be counted on two hands, some have promised to still utilize them until they are legally not allowed to. With that, here are the most powerful production V12 engines ever produced, ranked.
10 BMW M760Li “The Final V12” (602 hp)
The top-level trim of the current BMW 7-Series – before the G70 model arrives later in the year – is the M760Li, which features a 6.6-liter twin-turbo V12. BMW has been building a V12 engine for most of the last 30 years, but this engine configuration is coming to an end for the German marque.
BMW’s V12 is in the same family as that of the Rolls-Royce 6.75-liter, mostly because both are built by BMW themselves. The M760Li’s V12 produces 602 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque – not the most powerful, but still quite potent when unleashed. A special version of the M760Li is currently still on sale, named the M760Li Excellence ‘The Final V12’ – a BMW Individual model filled with V12 badges and luxurious features.
9 McLaren F1 (626 HP)
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The McLaren F1 was one of the most important cars of the last 30 years and has since become a legend within motoring circles. The beast powering it was built by BMW and was called the M70 – a 6.1-liter naturally aspirated V12. The M70 produced 626 hp and 480 lb-ft of torque, making it one of the most powerful engines at the time of production.
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The F1 was also one of the production land-speed records cars which held the title for the longest – from 1994 until the Bugatti Veyron’s introduction in 2005. The M70 remains one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines ever made – and thanks to the current trend of turbocharging, hybridization, and electrification, will most likely remain so. The McLaren F1 is definitely one of the greatest cars ever produced.
8 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series (661 HP)
Mercedes-Benz has a history of powerful V12 engines. The M275 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 from Mercedes’ AMG division was one of the greatest V12 engines to ever be put in normal production cars. It found its way into the SL-Class, but also the CL-Class, the S-Class, and – most strangely – the G-Class.
The peak performance version of this engine was in the massively overpowered SL65 AMG Black Series, where it produced 661 hp. The engine actually produced 885 lb-ft of torque but was limited to 738 lb-ft to keep the transmission from twisting itself apart. The M275 is currently the best way to get ludicrous performance for under $50,000.
7 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera (715 HP)
The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera is the British company’s current flagship and most powerful model. It is fitted with a unique AE31 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12, built specifically for the DBS and detuned for the DB11. The DBS Superleggera produces an impressive 715 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, going to the rear wheels only via an 8-speed automatic transmission.
The 5.2-liter V12 has recently made its way into the Vantage, but due to drivetrain limits and constraints, the engine only makes 690 hp and 555 lb-ft of torque – but this makes for a brilliant car. The AE31 V12 is most likely the last of the Aston Martin V12s before everything goes electric. It is also one of the best sounding V12s on sale.
6 Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae (769 HP)
The Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae is, as the name states, the ultimate Aventador model. It is also the last of the Aventador before the flagship’s replacement arrives sometime in the future. The Ultimae is fitted with the same L539 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 as the Aventador SVJ, meaning 769 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque.
The Ultimae is capable of 221 mph, as well as a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds. Lamborghini has stated that they will keep their V12 for as long as they can, so expect to see the mighty L539 again – most likely as a hybrid, much like the Sián FKP 37 and Countach LPI 800-4.
5 Lamborghini Sián (774 HP)
The Lamborghini Sián FKP 37, named in honor of Ferdinand Karl Piëch who was born in 1937, was the Italian firm’s first hybrid hypercar. It utilizes the L539 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 from the Aventador SVJ, but adds a 34 hp electric motor to the transmission.
The combined output for the whole system is 808 hp, however, the engine alone produces 774 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque. The added power over the Aventador SVJ is due to a reconfigured ECU and new intake valves. The Sián FKP 37 is a car worthy of the hypercar title.
4 Apollo Intensa Emozione (780 HP)
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Gumpert is a company known for its absolutely ridiculous track cars built for the road. The original Apollo used a 4.2-liter Audi V8, which Gumpert then twin-turbocharged and sold in three states of tune – Base (640 hp), Sport (690 hp), and Race (790 hp). The company went silent for a long time, but in 2017, they teased their new V12-powered car.
The result was the Apollo Intensa Emozione, which was fitted with the glorious F140FE 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 from Ferrari. In this application, the engine produced 780 hp and 561 lb-ft of torque, going to the rear wheels only, spitting flames through an exhaust tip which costs the same as a new BMW M4 F32. The Apollo IE does indeed create intense emotion.
3 Ferrari LaFerrari (789 HP)
The LaFerrari was built to be the ultimate Ferrari, a feat which it accomplished spectacularly. It was fitted with a 6.3-liter naturally aspirated V12 and an electric motor that featured a Formula One-style KERS system. The total output for the car was 950 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque, with all the prancing horses going to the rear wheels only via a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission.
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The F140 engine alone produced 789 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, which is as good as the 6.5-liter V12 engine in the newer 812 Superfast. The engine in LaFerrari will likely go down as one of the greatest V12s ever made, with reviewers and race car drivers alike calling it one of the best drives they have ever had.
2 Ferrari 812 Competizione (819 HP)
The Ferrari 812 Superfast coupe and GTS convertible are currently the flagship Ferrari models, featuring the superb F140 GA 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12. In the Superfast, the engine produces 789 hp and 530 lb-ft of torque. As per Ferrari flagship tradition, there is always a hotter version available.
The Ferrari 812 Competizione is the track-focused version of the normal 812 and is available as both a coupe and convertible (Competizione A). The car gets a whole host of upgrades, but the biggest of these is the engine, which now produces 819 hp and 510 lb-ft – a gain of 30 hp and a loss of 20 lb-ft. The 812 Competizione currently holds the record for the most powerful naturally aspirated V12 production car – until the Aston Martin Valkyrie eventually enters full production in 2023.
1 Pagani Huayra Roadster BC Imola (838 HP)
The Pagani Huayra is a beautiful car. The original Huayra had, and still has, one of the best-looking interiors of any car ever created, with the milled aluminum switches and parts. Since its introduction in 2011, the Huayra has had many iterations, special editions, and one-off versions. In 2017, Pagani started making BC versions – hardcore track-focused models which were still fully road-legal.
As the years went on, more and more special versions were produced, until finally, the Huayra R made its debut. Unfortunately, the R is not street-legal, but as with the Zonda R, the Huayra got a legal version in the form of the Roadster BC Imola – named after the famed Italian racetrack. The 6.0-liter twin-turbo AMG V12 in the Imola produces a ludicrous 838 hp and 811 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful V12 currently on sale – until the Aston Martin Valkyrie arrives.