The last twelve cylinders
01/26/2020
It was around 37 years ago. Back then, "auto motor und sport" printed a cover story about the last 12-cylindercars. In fact, the field was pretty thinned out back then, because apart from Ferrari (512 BBi, 400i), Lamborghini (Countach) and Jaguar (XJ 12, XJ-S), no more 12-cylinder vehicles were on offer. And it didn't look like that was going to change.
But then, surprisingly, there was a small renaissance, as BMW reintroduced a V12 engine in 1987 with the E32 series Siebner. Mercedes-Benz did not want to be left behind and also added a V12 engine to the S-Class W140. The twelve-cylinder engine also survived at both Ferrari and Lamborghini, only Jaguar withdrew from the 12-cylinder club.
Aston Martin also joined the club with the doubled Sierra Ford engine, as did Audi with a twelve-cylinder in a W arrangement. Bentley also had the Audi engine, while Rolls-Royce benefited from BMW developments. Small-series manufacturers bought from the major suppliers, such as Pagani, which used Daimler technology. And then there was (and still is) the Toyota Century with a V12.
You could probably write the same article today as you did in 1983, because although it is somewhat larger, the club of V12 vehicles has remained manageable. And there is a good chance that current CO2 limits could get in the way of other V12 manufacturers.
But back to 1983: the performance data was modest compared to today: the 4.8 to 5.3 liter twelve-cylinder engines produced 295 to 375 hp. They consumed 19.1 to 23.8 liters of super per 100 km and were able to accelerate the 1.365 to 1.93 ton cars from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 to 9.1 seconds. None of them managed more than 293 km/h, and the Jaguar XJ 12 5.3 only managed 233 km/h. Of course, a modern four-cylinder engine can do all this and more with a third of the fuel consumption, but the smooth running of a twelve-cylinder engine is still unmatched today. And anyone who has ever heard a high-revving Countach engine will understand why the V12 still has so many fans today.
