![Isuzu 10TD1 1 2013 Tokyo Motor Show](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Isuzu_10TD1_1_2013_Tokyo_Motor_Show.jpg)
A V10 engine is a ten-
cylinder
A cylinder (from ) has traditionally been a three-dimensional solid, one of the most basic of curvilinear geometric shapes. In elementary geometry, it is considered a prism with a circle as its base.
A cylinder may also be defined as an infin ...
piston engine
A reciprocating engine, also often known as a piston engine, is typically a heat engine that uses one or more reciprocating pistons to convert high temperature and high pressure into a rotating motion. This article describes the common featu ...
where two banks of five cylinders are arranged in a
V configuration around a common
crankshaft
A crankshaft is a mechanical component used in a piston engine to convert the reciprocating motion into rotational motion. The crankshaft is a rotating shaft containing one or more crankpins, that are driven by the pistons via the connecting ...
. V10 engines are much less common than
V8 and
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where two banks of six cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V12 engines are more common than V10 engines. However, they are less common than V8 engines.
The fi ...
s. Several V10 diesel engines have been produced since 1965, and V10 petrol engines for road cars were first produced in 1991 with the release of the
Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...
.
Design
The V10 configuration does not have perfect
engine balance
Engine balance refers to how the forces (resulting from combustion or rotating/reciprocating components) are balanced within an internal combustion engine or steam engine. The most commonly used terms are ''primary balance'' and ''secondary bal ...
, since an unbalanced
rocking couple Rocking may refer to:
*Rocking chair
*Uprock, the street dance known as "Rocking"
Music
Albums
*Rockin' (The Guess Who album)
*Rockin' (Frankie Laine album) 1957
Songs
*"Hajej, nynjej" Czech children's carol, recorded as "Rocking" by Julie Andre ...
is caused by each
cylinder bank
The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized.
Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...
functioning as a
straight-five engine
The straight-five engine (also referred to as an inline-five engine; abbreviated I5 or L5) is a piston engine with five cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankshaft.
Although less common than straight-four engines and straight-six eng ...
. Therefore,
balance shaft
Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force.
Th ...
s are sometimes used to reduce the vibrations in a V10 engine.
Diesel engines
One of the first known V10 engines was used in the 1936 ''Busch-Sulzer ICRR 9201'' prototype locomotive, of which three examples were produced in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
.
The 1965–1984
Leopard 1
The Leopard 1 (also styled Leopard I, before the Leopard 2 simply known as Leopard) is a main battle tank designed and produced by Porsche in West Germany that first entered service in 1965. Developed in an era when HEAT warheads were thought ...
armored tank was powered by the ''MTU MB 838 CaM 500'' V10 diesel engine.
Daimler-Benz
The Mercedes-Benz Group Aktiengesellschaft, AG (previously named Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler) is a German Multinational corporation, multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It ...
produced three V10 diesel engine models (OM403, OM423 and OM443) for
Mercedes-Benz NG
The "New Generation“ is a series of trucks by Daimler-Benz built from 1973 to 1988. It was then replaced by the Mercedes-Benz SK series (Schwere Klasse, "heavy series"). With the "New Generation", Daimler-Benz expanded its market position in the ...
and
Neoplan
Neoplan Bus GmbH is a German automotive company that manufactures buses, trolleybuses and coaches. It is a subsidiary of MAN Truck & Bus SE.
History Foundations
The company was founded by Gottlob Auwärter in Stuttgart in 1935, and ma ...
buses in 1970s–1980s.
Four Japanese commercial vehicle manufacturers (
Isuzu,
Hino
Hino may refer to:
Places Estonia
* Hino, Põlva County
* Hino, Võru County
** Lake Hino
Japan
* Hino, Shiga
* Hino, Tokyo
* Hino, Tottori
** Hino District, Tottori
** Hino River
Transportation
* Hino Motors, a Japanese truck manufacturer o ...
,
Mitsubishi Fuso and
Nissan Diesel
UD Trucks Corporation (UDトラックス株式会社, ''UD Torakkusu Kabushikigaisha'') is a Japanese company whose principal business is the manufacturing and sales of diesel trucks, buses, bus chassis and special-purpose vehicles. Its headquarte ...
) produced V10 diesel engines for their heavy duty trucks and coaches in 1970s–2000s.
The 1983–present
Tatra 815
The Tatra 815 is a truck family, produced by Czech company Tatra. It uses the traditional tatra concept of rigid backbone tube and swinging half-axles giving independent suspension. The vehicles are available in 4x4, 6x6, 8x8, 10x8, 10x10, 12x ...
truck is available with a V10 engine.
The
Volkswagen V10 TDI is a turbocharged V10 engine which was produced from 2002 to 2010 for use in the ''
Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton ( ) (''Typ'' 3D) is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the ...
'' luxury sedan and ''
Volkswagen Touareg
The Volkswagen Touareg (German pronunciation: ) is a car produced by German automaker Volkswagen Group since 2002 at the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant. A five-seater mid-size luxury crossover SUV, the vehicle was named after the nomadic Tuareg peo ...
'' SUV.
Petrol engines
Production vehicles
![Audi S6 Engine](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/Audi_S6_Engine.JPG)
V10 engines are less common than V8 and V12 engines, a V12 is only slightly more complicated and runs more smoothly, while a V8 is less complex and more economical. Nevertheless, modern engineering has made it possible to use V10 engines for applications where a V8 would produce insufficient power and a V12 would be too complicated or bulky. V10s have been used in select luxury cars, sports cars and commercial vehicles.
An early V10 petrol engine was used in the 1987
Lamborghini P140
The Lamborghini P140 is a code name given to a series of prototype cars built by Lamborghini starting in 1987. It was intended as a replacement for the outgoing Jalpa but never went into production, despite being close to production ready due t ...
, however this prototype sports car did not reach production.
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
was the first to develop a modern V10 engine, originally designing a version of its
LA series small block for use in trucks. The
Dodge
Dodge is an American brand of automobiles and a division of Stellantis, based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Dodge vehicles have historically included performance cars, and for much of its existence Dodge was Chrysler's mid-priced brand above P ...
engine saw its first production use in substantially revised form in the
Dodge Viper
The Dodge Viper is a sports car that was manufactured by Dodge (by SRT for 2013 and 2014), a division of American car manufacturer FCA US LLC from 1992 until 2017, having taken a brief hiatus in 2007 and from 2010 to 2012. Production of the two ...
while the truck version of the engine was used starting in 1994 in the
Dodge Ram
The Ram pickup (marketed as the Dodge Ram until 2010) is a full-size pickup truck manufactured by Stellantis North America (formerly Chrysler Group LLC and FCA US LLC) and marketed from 2010 onwards under the Ram Trucks brand. The current fi ...
. It discontinued in that application after 2003. However, 2003 also saw the introduction of the
Dodge Ram SRT-10
The Dodge Ram SRT-10 is a sport pickup truck that was produced by American automaker Dodge in limited numbers. It was introduced at the January 2002 North American International Auto Show, but was not put into production until 2004.
Development
...
, a performance model meant to rival Ford's successful V8 powered
F-150 SVT Lightning. The
Viper engine
The Viper engine is a high-performance naturally-aspirated pushrod 2 valves-per-cylinder 90° V10 engine commissioned by Chrysler and built by Lamborghini for use in the Dodge Viper. Despite its large displacement, it is based on a small-block V ...
(a 90-degree engine with odd firing order to obviate the need for a balance shaft) was improved during its production run, and produced as much as in a standard state of tune from an 8.4 L version. The Viper engine was also used by
Bristol
Bristol () is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire to the north and Somerset to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in ...
in the two-seat
Fighter coupe
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
, and in other low-volume vehicles.
Ford also developed a heavy-duty V10 version of their
Triton
Triton commonly refers to:
* Triton (mythology), a Greek god
* Triton (moon), a satellite of Neptune
Triton may also refer to:
Biology
* Triton cockatoo, a parrot
* Triton (gastropod), a group of sea snails
* ''Triton'', a synonym of ''Triturus' ...
engine to replace the
460 big block in truck applications. It was introduced in the
E-Series/Econoline full-size
van
A van is a type of road vehicle used for transporting goods or people. Depending on the type of van, it can be bigger or smaller than a pickup truck and SUV, and bigger than a common car. There is some varying in the scope of the word across th ...
, and also saw duty in the
F-Series Super Duty line and the
Ford Excursion
The Ford Excursion is a heavy duty ( Class 2), full-sized SUV that was produced by Ford. The longest and heaviest SUV ever to enter mass production, the Excursion was marketed as a direct competitor of the 2500-series (-ton) Chevrolet Suburba ...
SUV, and was offered by Ford through the 2019 model year.
For the
Lexus LFA
The is a two-seat sports car manufactured by Lexus, the luxury car division of Toyota. It is the second model in the Lexus F, F marque line of performance vehicles from Lexus, following the Lexus IS F, IS F, and also the first standalone Lexus ...
, the engineers selected a V10 engine over an equivalent displacement V8 because they could not get the V8 rev as high as V10,
and over a V12 for its lower reciprocating mass,
[ allowing for more rapid engine response.
]Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
an marque
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
s were slower to adopt the V10 configuration. However, high-revving V10 power-plants were incorporated into supercars from Lamborghini
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. () is an Italian brand and manufacturer of luxury sports cars and SUVs based in Sant'Agata Bolognese. The company is owned by the Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary Audi.
Ferruccio Lamborghini (1916–1993) ...
and Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche (; see #Pronunciation, below), is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany ...
. BMW and Audi
Audi AG () is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. As a subsidiary of its parent company, the Volkswagen Group, Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide.
Th ...
developed V10s for high performance cars such as (BMW M5
The BMW M5 is a high performance variant of the BMW 5 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand. It is considered an iconic vehicle in the sports sedan category. The majority of M5s have been produced in the sedan (saloon) body style, but in so ...
, BMW M6
The BMW M6 is a high-performance version of the 6 Series marketed under the BMW M sub-brand from 1983 to 2018 (with a break from 1990 to 2004).
Introduced in the coupe body style, the M6 was also built in convertible and fastback sedan ('Gran C ...
, Audi S6
The Audi S6 is the performance variant of the Audi A6, an executive car produced by German automaker Audi. It went on sale in 1994, shortly after the "A6" designation was introduced, replacing the "100" nameplate.
The original S6 was largely the ...
, Audi RS6
The Audi RS 6 is a high-performance variant of the Audi A6 range, produced by the high-performance subsidiary company Audi Sport GmbH, for its parent company Audi AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, from 2002 onwards.
The first and se ...
, Audi S8
The Audi S8 is a full-size luxury car of the Audi S models produced by the German automaker Audi AG, manufactured by Audi Sport GmbH at the Neckarsulm plant. The S8 is the mechanically-upgraded, high-performance version of the Audi A8, fitted stan ...
), mostly based upon their executive cars
Executive car is a British term for a large car which is equivalent to the European E-segment and American full-size classifications. Executive cars are larger than compact executive cars (and the non-luxury equivalent mid-size cars), and smalle ...
. Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
also developed a V10, but as a turbo-diesel
The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
. A variant of the Volkswagen Phaeton
The Volkswagen Phaeton ( ) (''Typ'' 3D) is a full-size luxury sedan/saloon manufactured by the German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen, described by Volkswagen as their "premium class" vehicle. Introduced at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show, the ...
was the first production sedan to contain a V10 of any kind.
Examples of petrol V10 production engines include:
* 1991–2017 Dodge Viper engine
* 1994–2003 Chrysler Magnum V10
* 1997–2021 Ford Triton engine
The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft (OHC) V8 and V10 gasoline-powered small block engine family. Despite popular belief that the Modular engine family received its moniker from the sharing of engine parts across num ...
* 2003–present Lamborghini V10
The Lamborghini V10 is a ninety degree (90°) V10 petrol engine which was developed for the Lamborghini Gallardo automobile, first sold in 2003.
Developed by Lamborghini, for use in the Gallardo, and the first engine developed for Automobili Lamb ...
* 2003–2007 Porsche V10 engine
The Porsche V10 engine is a naturally-aspirated, V-10, internal combustion piston engine, designed and developed by Porsche, originally as a concept design for Formula One motor racing in the 1990s, and later Le Mans racing, but eventually used ...
* 2005–2010 BMW S85
* 2006–present Audi V10 FSI
* 2008–2010 Audi V10 TFSI
* 2009–2012 Toyota 1LR-GUE
Motor racing
One of the first known V10 engines designed for motor racing was a prototype Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
engine built by Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." ...
in 1986. Originally intended for the Ligier
Ligier (() is a French automobile and minibus maker created by former racing driver and rugby player Guy Ligier (1930–2015), specialized in the manufacturing of microcars.
Ligier is best known for its involvement in the Formula 1 World Champio ...
Formula One team, this partnership collapsed without the engine being used in any races. Alfa Romeo fitted the engine to two Alfa Romeo 164 Pro Car prototypes in 1998, however these cars also did not compete in any races.
The most widespread use of V10 racing engines has been in Formula One. Following a ban on turbocharged engines after 1988, the first V10 Formula One cars were the 1989 McLaren MP4/5
The McLaren MP4/5, and its derived sister model, the McLaren MP4/5B, were highly successful Formula One racing cars designed by the McLaren Formula One team based in Woking, England, and powered by Honda's naturally-aspirated RA109E and RA100E ...
and Williams FW12
The Williams FW12 was a Formula One racing car used by the Williams team for the season. An updated version, the FW12C, was used for 12 of the 16 races of the season. The FW12 was Williams's first naturally aspirated car since the FW08 and F ...
. V10 engines were used by the majority of teams by the 1996 season, following reduction in displacement from . The V10 seemed the best compromise between the lower weight of a V8 and the higher power of a V12. Renault F1
The French automotive manufacturer Renault has been associated with Formula One as both team owner and engine manufacturer for various periods since 1977. In 1977, the company entered Formula One as a constructor, introducing the turbo engine ...
used a flatter 110° angle in 2002
File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...
and 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
, but reverted to a more conventional 72° following the change in rules which dictated that an engine must last two race weekends. In a further change to the rules, V10s were banned for the 2006 season onwards in favor of 2.4 L V8s.
In sports car racing, the first V10 engine was used by the Peugeot 905
The Peugeot 905 is a sports-prototype racing car built by Peugeot's racing department, Peugeot Talbot Sport.
The car was initially unveiled in February 1990 and was developed throughout 1990 before making its race debut in the final two races of ...
in the two final races of the 1990 season. This was followed by the Judd GV10 engine being used by several teams during the 1991 season
File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, 1991 Russian presidential election, elected as Russia's first President of Russia, president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated ...
and the Toyota TS010
The Toyota TS010 was a Group C racing car built by Toyota for the Sportscar World Championship, All Japan Sports Prototype Championship, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
History
Due to rule changes in the World Sportscar Championship for 1992, Toyo ...
that debuted in the last race of the season. The Audi R15 TDI
The Audi R15 TDI, commonly abbreviated to the R15, is a Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG. It is the successor to the Audi R10 TDI.
Like its predecessor, the R15 TDI uses a turbocharged diese ...
was a Le Mans Prototype
A Le Mans Prototype (LMP) is the type of sports prototype race car used in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series. Le Mans Prototypes were create ...
(LMP) racing car that used a turbocharged diesel V10 engine and competed in various endurance races in 2009 and 2010. In 2010, the Audi R15 TDI
The Audi R15 TDI, commonly abbreviated to the R15, is a Le Mans Prototype (LMP) racing car constructed by the German car manufacturer Audi AG. It is the successor to the Audi R10 TDI.
Like its predecessor, the R15 TDI uses a turbocharged diese ...
set the current distance record for the 24 Hours of Le Mans race
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
.
Commercial vehicle use
Until early 2021, Blue Bird Corporation
The Blue Bird Corporation (originally known as the Blue Bird Body Company) is an American bus manufacturer headquartered in Fort Valley, Georgia. Best known for its production of school buses, the company has also manufactured a wide variety o ...
offered its Vision school bus with two V10 engine options, both Ford Triton
The Ford Modular engine is Ford Motor Company's overhead camshaft (OHC) V8 and V10 gasoline-powered small block engine family. Despite popular belief that the Modular engine family received its moniker from the sharing of engine parts across nu ...
units.
See also
* Flat-ten engine A flat-ten engine, also known as a horizontally opposed-ten, is a ten-cylinder piston engine with five cylinders on each side of a central crankshaft.
There are no known flat-ten engines which reached production.
In the early 1960s, Chevrolet bui ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:V10 Engine
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