New GM LT1 engine

[LTC8K6]

The original W12 had 3 banks of 4 cylinders. There is now the VW W12(WR12) and the Audi W12.

Plus there were some obscure F1 versions.

The Bugatti W16 is like the VW version, but using a dual VR8 layout.

There was Bugatti W18 that is more like the original W12, but with three banks of 6.

There was a weird VW W18 based on two V9 engines in a 5/4 then 4/5 layout.

Neither W18 was successful.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W12_engine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W18_engine

 

[phucheneh]

The concept of a W18 (or W10, W14) is actually kind of interesting. Assuming you're talking the 'WR' design. Even with the odd 9 (or 5, or 7) cylinder banks, each cylinder could share a common crank throw with the other side.

However...V5? V9? What blithering retard thought that might work? Did the 9cyl have 10 (tiny) mains?

 

[LTC8K6]

The concept of a W18 (or W10, W14) is actually kind of interesting. Assuming you're talking the 'WR' design. Even with the odd 9 (or 5, or 7) cylinder banks, each cylinder could share a common crank throw with the other side.

However...V5? V9? What blithering retard thought that might work? Did the 9cyl have 10 (tiny) mains?

Honda had a cool V5 on a race motorcycle. It worked pretty well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_RC211V

 

[LTC8K6]

The V5, whose layout places three cylinders facing forwards and two rearwards at 75.5 degrees, is considerably smaller than alternative engines with fewer cylinders. According to Honda the RC-V's semi-dry-sump design, which puts oil in the gearbox cavity, also aids compactness as well as reducing blow-by. This cylinder angle gives perfect primary balance, so no power-sapping counterbalancer is needed.

Honda still refuses to give cylinder dimensions of the dohc, 20-valve unit, but has confirmed that the five cylinders are the same size (rather than the rear pair being slightly larger, as was rumored). There is also no word on firing order,

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/honda_rc211v_gp/

 

[phucheneh]

http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/features/honda_rc211v_gp/

Ok, I guess that works. VW's 'VR5' makes sense, since I5's are known to work, and, well, that's basically an I5. Honda's configuration is odd, but again, at least the crank can use a 6 main, I5 setup.

Does this V9 essentially use what would be an I9 crank? That was the bigger point of confusion for me. Those would be some mighty thin journals.

 

[LTC8K6]

Ok, I guess that works. VW's 'VR5' makes sense, since I5's are known to work, and, well, that's basically an I5. Honda's configuration is odd, but again, at least the crank can use a 6 main, I5 setup.

Does this V9 essentially use what would be an I9 crank? That was the bigger point of confusion for me. Those would be some mighty thin journals.

Since it was apparently a VW thing, I assume they were actually VR9's, and wiki is a little off.

The variation developed by Volkswagen retained the 18 cylinders but instead of three cylinder banks, it had four. This confused many who saw the specification in print at motor shows since 18 isn't evenly divisible by four. The design was loosely based on the concept Volkswagen used for its V5 engines which had one bank with three cylinders and one bank with only two. Essentially the four-bank W18 was two V9 engines (one bank of five cylinders and one bank of four) mated to a common crankshaft. Ultimately the design proved to be impractical.