The invention of the gas-powered engine revolutionized transportation and paved the way for the development of faster and more efficient vehicles. Over the last century, engineers and designers have experimented with various engine configurations, from the simple one-cylinder engine to the more complex V12 engine. Today, many automotive enthusiasts consider the V12 engine the pinnacle of automotive engineering, seeing it is at the heart of some of the best supercars of all time.
Packard developed the first V12 engine, originally for aircraft use, in 1915. It was a 6.9-liter water-cooled unit, producing just 88 horsepower. Since then, the V12 engine has undergone significant changes and improvements, becoming a symbol of performance and luxury in the automotive industry.
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The V12 engines in modern cars are much different from those in V12 classic cars. One significant evolution of the V12 engine was the transition from cast iron blocks to lighter-weight materials like aluminum alloys. This helped reduce the engine's overall weight and improve fuel efficiency. Turbocharging and supercharging have also become common in V12 engines, allowing even more power to be extracted from the engine while maintaining its smooth operation and refined character. Here are the best modern V12 engines.
10 1997-2016 Toyota 1GZ-FE
Toyota has built a reputation for producing high-quality vehicles with excellent reliability and low maintenance costs. Most of their cars feature some of the most reliable and fuel-efficient engines, and they don't typically build many monstrous engines like their American and European rivals. That isn't because of a lack of capability, since they've built the mighty 1GZ-FE used in the Toyota Century luxury sedan.
The Toyota 1GZ-FE debuted in 1997 and featured in the Century until 2016, and it remains the only V12 engine ever produced in Japan. Its displacement was 5.0 liters, making 280 horsepower and 353 lb-ft of torque. It is an over-engineered unit that has proven highly durable, and some tuners have squeezed up to 1,000 hp.
9 2011-Present Lamborghini L539 V12
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The V12 engine has remained at the heart of the most celebrated Lamborghini cars since the brand's inception in 1963. But unfortunately, Lamborghini had to retire the powerful naturally aspirated engine as they transition to a hybridized future owing to increasingly strict EU emission standards. The last iteration, code-named L539, debuted in 2011 with the Lamborghini Aventador, one of the world's most iconic and recognizable supercars.
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The latest iteration of the 6.5-liter motor pushes 770 hp and 531 lb-ft of torque and allows the Aventador to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed of over 217 mph. One of its unique features is its deep, throaty growl, a hallmark of Lamborghini's V12 engines. Its exit marks the end of an era, and one motoring enthusiasts will reminisce about for a long time.
8 1999-2016 Aston Martin Duratec V12
Aston Martin has a rich history of building robust and refined engines with power, smoothness and distinctive sounds, which has helped establish them as a premier luxury sports car brand. Surprisingly, one of their best modern V12s has Ford roots. The Duratec 5.9-liter V12, built between 1999 and 2016, is derived from the modular Ford Duratec V6, one of the most versatile engines in mundane vehicles and sports cars.
The Duratec V6 boasts input from various giants, including Mazda, Suzuki, Porsche, and Cosworth. So, the Aston Martin V12, which is essentially two Duratec V6s with a new block, head and crankshaft, is nothing to be ashamed of. The 5.9-liter V12 featured in the Aston Martin DB9, Vanquish, and V12 Zagato pushes 450 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.
7 1963-2011 Lamborghini Bizzarrini V12
The Bizzarrini V12 debuted in 1963 with the stunning 350 GT. It served until 2011 while helping establish several iconic Lamborghinis like the Miura, Espada, Countach and the Diablo before bowing out in the Murcielago after close to half a century of service. Safe to say, the final edition was a different animal from its pioneering ancestor, growing from 3.5 to 6.5 liters across various iterations.
The last iteration of the high-revving Bizzarrini V12 featured in the 2010 Murcielago LP 670-4 SuperVeloce. It produced 661 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque, helping it to a world-beating 2.8-second sprint to 60 mph.
6 2002-Present Ferrari Tipo F140
The Ferrari Tipo F140 is a high-performance V12 engine featured in various Ferrari models since its introduction in 2002. Ferrari's engineering team developed the engine in collaboration with Paolo Martinelli, the former head of the company's Formula One engine department. It features a displacement of 6.0 liters and a 65-degree V-angle, producing up to 840 hp and 530 lb-ft of torque.
The Ferrari Tipo F140 is an impressive and advanced V12 engine that continues to push the boundaries of performance and technology in the automotive industry. It is the heartbeat of some of the fastest, most iconic cars, like the Enzo Ferrari, which set the record for a road car's most powerful naturally aspirated engine.
5 1997-2021 Mercedes-AMG M297
Mercedes debuted their first ever V12 engine in 1992 with the 600 SEC, which later became the S-Class. In 1997, they released a larger displacement version, the 6.9-liter M297, which featured in the FIA racer Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and later a 7.3-liter version hand-built and tuned by AMG featured in the S73 AMG and CL73 AMG.
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Mercedes stopped using the M120 engine in their cars in 2002, but it lived on in the Pagani Zonda supercar until 2021. Its most potent iteration was in the 2021 Pagani Huayra R, pushing 839 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque.
4 2018-Present Rolls-Royce Cullinan's 6.75-Liter Twin-Turbo V12
The Rolls-Royce 6.75-liter engine is one of the most iconic V12 engines in automotive history. The engine has been in production since 1959 and is still in use today, making it one of the longest-running production engines in history. The best iteration is in the Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV, where a twin-turbocharged version of the engine pushes 563 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque.
One of the most impressive features of Cullinan’s engine is its smoothness due to its advanced design, which includes a 60-degree V-angle, a single overhead camshaft with two valves per cylinder, and a hydraulic tappet system. Also, it comes with an advanced fuel injection system and an electronic engine management system, which allows for precise control over the engine's performance.
3 2017-Present Aston Martin 5.2-Liter Twin-Turbocharged V12
The Aston Martin 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine is a potent and sophisticated power plant first introduced in 2016 in the DB11 and has since been featured in several other Aston Martin models. It is the first production-series turbocharged V12 in Aston Martin's history, boasting twin-scroll turbos and pushing 715 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque in the more refined present in the DBS Superleggera.
Despite its exceptional performance, it delivers incredible efficiency thanks to a stop-start system, cylinder deactivation, and an active exhaust system, which help to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy.
2 2020-Present Cosworth GMA 4.0-Liter V12
The Cosworth GMA 3.9-liter V12 is a bespoke and highly advanced engine designed and built by legendary engine builder Cosworth for the Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 hypercar. The 3.9-liter naturally aspirated motor pushes 725 hp and revs to 12,100 rpm, making it one of the best modern V12 engines.
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It is impressively lightweight, weighing just 382 lbs thanks to its aluminum and titanium construction, which helps improve the T.50s performance. Also, its features, such as a high-tech direct injection system and a variable valve timing system, help to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions.
1 2021-Present Aston Martin – Cosworth RA 6.5-Liter V12
The new breed of hypercars has opened new levels of performance, delivering insane power outputs accompanied by other advanced features, such as advanced aerodynamics, lightweight construction, and advanced suspension systems, which help to maximize the car's performance and handling. The Aston Martin Valkyrie is an engineering marvel, one of the most advanced hypercars ever produced. It was a collaborative project between Aston Martin and Red Bull Racing, and the highlight is an impressive hybrid powertrain.
The gas-powered half of the power plant is a lightweight 6.5-liter Cosworth V12 engine pushing over 1,000 hp at 10,500 rpm and with a redline of 11,100 rpm, making it one of the most powerful naturally aspirated engines ever.
Sources: Car and Driver, Lamborghini, Ferrari
