A
concept engine developed by
Volkswagen. Used only in
demo and
race cars for now, it demonstrates the immense amount of power VW is able to fit under a tiny hood. It's essentially the
big scary brother of the
W8, but with 12
cylinders instead of 8. Where the W8 is essentially two VR4s (which don't
exist unto themselves) arranged at an angle to drive the same
shaft, the W12 is basically two
VR6s (which do exist, and until recently were the biggest engine VW produced for mass consumption), arranged in the same way. It has been
manufactured in several versions, the most powerful producing an
awe-inspiring 600 hp. This engine set the world speed endurance
record, covering almost 8000 km in
24 hours. That's an
average speed of 322.89 km/h.
Update: A 414 HP version of the W12 is in the Audi A8 in Europe, and it will appear in VW's new luxury vehicle, the Phaeton.