The most exclusive mechanics on the market are saying goodbye from manufacturer to manufacturer, and in a matter of years they will all disappear. There are several reasons behind this, although in short we can say that they have lost their reason for being due to technological progress.
BMW is not the only manufacturer to say goodbye definitively to 12-cylinder engines. Those who maintain them will do so for a short time, and that is the benefits have been overshadowed by the drawbacks, and because the alternatives have already been put forward. They will go like their 12+ cylinder ancestors.
V12 engines were distinguished for decades by their perfect mechanical balance, their low noise in normal use, the prestige associated with these mechanics or the power they could deliver. That is no longer true, and give up their baton to electric motors or to engines with fewer cylinders with the support of hybridization or supercharging.
V12 engine of the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC
1) Consumption and emissions
The high consumption of these engines is already a drawback in itself, especially for shallower pockets. On the other hand, keeping their emissions at bay is an increasingly difficult problem, especially when they are required to do so, but especially when considering CO2. The higher the consumption, the more CO2 emitted.
If what it is about is to achieve its power levels, using V6, V8 or V10 engines, a similar figure can be achieved thanks to the support of electric motors or supercharging. Yes, a V12 can also be combined with that, but it already delivers more complicated management figures, and reduces its possible market to hypercars and little else.
The V12’s are self balanced with no additional parts needed, they just barely vibrate
2) Its advantages are no longer exclusive
We have already seen that the power It is no longer the exclusive preserve of the V12, since neither is the prestigeAnd let’s not talk about be quiet. The electric motors are quieter than any V12, and they also have a much more contained level of vibrations because they hardly have any moving parts. That is why Lexus managed to have the advantages of a V12 with a hybrid V8, and it did so more than 15 years ago.
In order to obtain prestige, power, smoothness and silence at the same time, the electric motors take over. If the batteries are up to the task, there is only one reason to prefer a combustion V12, the beauty of your melody, or the brutality of his escape when this last aspect is deliberately emphasized -let’s talk about Pagani, for example-.
The Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae accommodates a 6.5-liter V12 and 780 hp in its central-rear compartment
3) They make packaging difficult
V12 engines are very large and need a lot of space in the engine compartment. In length they are like an equivalent L6, yes, but in terms of width things change a lot, so there is less space to place all those things that are needed, especially in turbocharged versions and with an abundant electrical system.
To fit a V12 on a platform means wasting space for smaller engines, so selling enough V12s has to be justified for such a thing to make sense. If not, you can optimize the bay space for smaller displacement engines with a similar function, or use electric motors and save a lot of space.
The cost of maintaining the V12 engines of the Ferrari 812 Competizione makes anyone who is not a millionaire bristle
4) Expensive maintenance
The problems multiply: very complex distribution, 12 spark plugs, up to 48 valves, two cylinder heads, etc. There are many more components than normal. This complexity implies a high acquisition price, very complex scheduled maintenance, and corrective maintenance that can scare the most seasoned.
That is the reason why we can find some representation sedans of good brands at ridiculous prices, that maintenance scares even if nothing ever breaks. It is not usually worth it, unless they are collector or luxury cars, pedigree sports cars, etc.
Models such as the BMW 850 CSI have been revalued to prohibitive levels, despite the existence of a current 8 Series
5) Unfavorable fiscal policies
Cars with V12 engines are easy prey. The policies that tax cylinder capacity, power or emissions put them in the worst case of how many there may be. Let’s imagine a V12 with 500 cc unit, we go to 6 liters as a minimum. Even regulations that do not take the environment into account, such as those for competition, have practically banned them.
All these drawbacks scare away more and more customers, which makes it increasingly difficult for the numbers to add up when we get out of limited-production cars, where the price can be astronomical and production can be assigned entirely to someone who puts the briefcases first.
I feel so many drawbacks and so few advantages, and being these already overcome, what is the point of making V12 engines beyond romanticism? In cars at least, because in ships, tanks or trucks they can still have practical applications.