Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG (), known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial ...

have produced a number of W12

internal combustion An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...

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 ...

s for their

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 ...

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 ...

, and

Bentley Bentley Motors Limited is a British designer, manufacturer and marketer of luxury cars and SUVs. Headquartered in Crewe, England, the company was founded as Bentley Motors Limited by W. O. Bentley (1888–1971) in 1919 in Cricklewood, North ...

marques, since 2001.

Overview

The only mass-production W12 engine is the Volkswagen 6.0 WR12 48v, a four-bank design which was released in 2001. This engine has been used in several models from the brands Audi, Bentley, and Volkswagen, and in 2003 a turbocharged version was released. The engine is constructed by mating two narrow-angle 15°

VR6 engine VR6 engines are V6 piston engines with a narrow angle between the cylinder banks and a single cylinder head covering both banks of cylinders. Volkswagen Group introduced the first VR6 engine in 1991 and VR6 engines currently remain in producti ...

s at an inclined angle of 72°. The narrow angle of each set of cylinders allows just two overhead camshafts to drive each pair of banks, so the W12 engine has the same number of camshafts as a V12 engine. The W12 engine has a very compact design for a 12-cylinder engine, with the overall size of the engine being smaller than Volkswagen's contemporary V8 engine. The first application of the Volkswagen W12 was the 2001

Volkswagen W12 The Volkswagen W12 was a series of concept cars created by Volkswagen Passenger Cars in 1997. The cars have been portrayed in games, such as '' Gran Turismo'', '' Asphalt 8'', '' Asphalt 9'', '' Project Gotham Racing 3'', ''GTI Racing'', ''World ...

, a

mid-engined In automotive engineering, a mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine in front of the rear-wheel axles, but behind the front axle. History The mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive format can be considered the original layout of ...

concept car which set the 24‑hour world endurance record in 2001 with a distance of and an average speed of . The first production car to use the W12 engine was the 2001 Audi A8 (D2). Other cars to use the W12 engine are the 2003–present

Bentley Continental GT The Bentley Continental GT is a grand tourer manufactured and marketed by British automaker Bentley Motors since 2003. It was the first car released by Bentley under Volkswagen AG management, after the company's acquisition in 1998, and the fir ...

, 2005-present Bentley Continental Flying Spur, 2015–present

Bentley Bentayga The Bentley Bentayga is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV produced by Bentley Motors since late 2015. It is the first SUV to be produced by the brand. Its body is manufactured at the Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel Plant in Germany, then painted by Pa ...

, 2004-2011 Volkswagen Phaeton W12 and the 2005-2010 Volkswagen Touareg W12. The engine was also used in the 2006

Spyker C12 La Turbie The Spyker C12 La Turbie is a sports car produced by Dutch automaker Spyker Cars in 2006. The LaTurbie was the first version of the C12 platform, being followed by the C12 Zagato one year later, which featured a unique Zagato Zagato is an indep ...

and 2008

Spyker C12 Zagato The Spyker C12 Zagato is a limited edition, all-aluminium, mid-engine/rear-drive exotic luxury sports car from Dutch automobile manufacturer Spyker. It is based on the C12 platform, alongside the Spyker designed C12 La Turbie which debuted the ...

low-volume sports cars.

Variants

6.0 WR12 48v

This W12 badged

W12 engine A W12 engine is a twelve-cylinder piston engine where three banks of four cylinders are arranged in a W configuration around a common crankshaft. W12 engines with three banks of four cylinders were used by several aircraft engines from 1917 unti ...

is twelve cylinder

W engine A W engine is a type of piston engine where three or four cylinder banks use the same crankshaft, resembling the letter W when viewed from the front. W engines with three banks of cylinders are also called "broad arrow" engines, due to their shap ...

of four rows of three cylinders, formed by joining two imaginary 15°

cylinder blocks, placed on a single crankshaft, with each cylinder 'double-bank' now at a 72° angle. This specific configuration is more appropriately described as a WR12 engine. This

engine is also used with slight modification, and with the addition of two

turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pro ...

s in the

, Bentley Continental Flying Spur and

. It has also been used in a form aboard the

prototype sports car to establish a 24-hour record of in 2002 at the

Nardò Ring The Nardò Ring, originally known as Pista di prova di Nardò della Fiat (Fiat's Nardò test track) when it was built in 1975, is a high speed test track located at more than north-west of the town of Nardò, Italy, in the southern region of Apu ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. ;identification: parts code prefix: 07C ;engine displacement & engine configuration: 72°

; bore x stroke: , stroke ratio: 0.93:1 – undersquare/long-stroke, 499.9 cc per cylinder, compression ratio: 10.7:1 ;cylinder block & crankcase: homogeneous

monoblock Monoblock can refer to: *A type of air conditioner *A monoblock LNB * Monoblock PC, a computer workstation *A mono (one channel) audio power amplifier *In photography, another name for a monolight, a type of electronic flash with the electronics ...

low-pressure chill die cast

hypereutectic A eutectic system or eutectic mixture ( ) is a homogeneous mixture that has a melting point lower than those of the constituents. The lowest possible melting point over all of the mixing ratios of the constituents is called the ''eutectic tempe ...

Alusil Alusil as a hypereutectic aluminium- silicon alloy (EN AC-AlSi17Cu4Mg / EN AC-48100 or A390) contains approximately 78% aluminium and 17% silicon. This alloy was theoretically conceived in 1927 by Schweizer & Fehrenbach, of the Badener Metall-War ...

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

silicon Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic tab ...

alloy An alloy is a mixture of chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Unlike chemical compounds with metallic bases, an alloy will retain all the properties of a metal in the resulting material, such as electrical conductivity, ductility, ...

(AlSi17Cu4Mg); torsionally stiff aluminium alloy crankcase with high-resistance

cylinder liner In a reciprocating engine, the cylinder is the space in which a piston travels. The inner surface of the cylinder is formed from either a thin metallic liner (also called "sleeve") or a surface coating applied to the engine block. A piston is s ...

s, simplex roller chain driven oil pump; die-forged steel 21.2 kg crankshaft, seven main bearings, crankpins offset to achieve a constant firing order as on a V6 engine ;cylinder heads & valvetrain: cast aluminium alloy; four valves per cylinder, 48 valves total, low-friction roller finger cam followers with automatic hydraulic valve clearance compensation, double overhead camshaft driven from the flywheel side via a two-stage chain drive utilising three 3/8" simplex roller chains, continuous vane-adjustable

variable valve timing In internal combustion engines, variable valve timing (VVT) is the process of altering the timing of a valve lift event, and is often used to improve performance, fuel economy or emissions. It is increasingly being used in combination with varia ...

for intake and exhaust camshafts with up to 52 degrees timing range for the flow-optimised inlet ports, 22 degrees on the exhaust camshafts ;aspiration: two air filters, two hot-film air mass meters, two throttle bodies each with electronically controlled Bosch 'E-Gas'

throttle A throttle is the mechanism by which fluid flow is managed by constriction or obstruction. An engine's power can be increased or decreased by the restriction of inlet gases (by the use of a throttle), but usually decreased. The term ''throttle'' ...

valves, four-part two-channel cast

magnesium Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg and atomic number 12. It is a shiny gray metal having a low density, low melting point and high chemical reactivity. Like the other alkaline earth metals (group 2 of the periodic ta ...

alloy

intake manifold In automotive engineering, an inlet manifold or intake manifold (in American English) is the part of an engine that supplies the fuel/air mixture to the cylinders. The word ''manifold'' comes from the Old English word ''manigfeald'' (from the ...

;

versions also use

twin-turbo Twin-turbo (not to be confused with a twincharger setup, which is a combination of a supercharger and a turbocharger) refers to an engine in which two turbochargers work in tandem to compress the intake fuel/air mixture (or intake air, in the case ...

s – one

per VR cylinder bank ;fuel system, ignition system, engine management: two linked

common rail Common rail direct fuel injection is a direct fuel injection system built around a high-pressure (over ) fuel rail feeding solenoid valves, as opposed to a low-pressure fuel pump feeding unit injectors (or pump nozzles). High-pressure injection ...

fuel distributor rails, multi-point electronic sequential indirect

fuel injection Fuel injection is the introduction of fuel in an internal combustion engine, most commonly automotive engines, by the means of an injector. This article focuses on fuel injection in reciprocating piston and Wankel rotary engines. All comp ...

with twelve intake manifold-sited fuel injectors; centrally positioned NGK longlife spark plugs, mapped direct ignition with 12 individual direct-acting single spark coils; Bosch

Motronic Motronic is the trade name given to a range of digital engine control units developed by Robert Bosch GmbH (commonly known as Bosch) which combined control of fuel injection and ignition in a single unit. By controlling both major systems in a si ...

ME 7.1.1 electronic

engine control unit An engine control unit (ECU), also commonly called an engine control module (ECM), is a type of electronic control unit that controls a series of actuators on an internal combustion engine to ensure optimal engine performance. It does this by re ...

(ECU), cylinder-selective knock control via four knock sensors, permanent

lambda Lambda (}, ''lám(b)da'') is the 11th letter of the Greek alphabet, representing the voiced alveolar lateral approximant . In the system of Greek numerals, lambda has a value of 30. Lambda is derived from the Phoenician Lamed . Lambda gave rise ...

control, water-cooled alternator ;exhaust system: two vacuum-controlled

secondary air injection Secondary air injection (commonly known as air injection) is a vehicle emissions control strategy introduced in 1966, wherein fresh air is injected into the exhaust stream to allow for a fuller secondary combustion of exhaust gases. Development T ...

pumps for direct injection into exhaust ports to assist cold start operation, four exhaust manifolds with four integrated ceramic

catalytic converter A catalytic converter is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine into less-toxic pollutants by catalyzing a redox reaction. Catalytic converters are usually ...

s, eight heated

oxygen sensor An oxygen sensor (or lambda sensor, where lambda refers to air–fuel equivalence ratio, usually denoted by λ) or probe or sond, is an electronic device that measures the proportion of oxygen (O2) in the gas or liquid being analysed. It was ...

s monitoring pre- and post catalyst exhaust gases ;dimensions: length: , height: , width: then ;DIN-rated motive power & torque outputs – Audi / Volkswagen, ID codes :; — Audi A8: AZC (01/01-09/02), VW Phaeton: BAN (04/02-05/05) : at 6,200 rpm, at 4,000 rpm, at 2,300–5,300 rpm — Audi A8: BHT, BSB, BTE (12/03-07/10) : at 6,000 rpm; at 2,750–5,000 rpm — Phaeton: BRN, BTT (05/05-03/16) : at 6,000 rpm; at 3,300 rpm — Touareg: BJN, CFRA (08/04-05/10) ;DIN-rated motive power & torque outputs – Bentley twin turbo : at 6,100 rpm; at 1,600–6,100 rpm — standard models: BWR, BEB, MTBHT : at 6,000 rpm; at 1,700–5,600 rpm — "Speed" models: CKHC, BWRA : at 5,900 rpm; at 2,050–4,500 rpm — "Supersports" model ;applications:

Audi A8 The Audi A8 is a full-size luxury sedan manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi since 1994. Succeeding the Audi V8, and now in its fourth generation, the A8 has been offered with both front- or permanent all-wheel drive—and in s ...

(AZC: 03/01-09/02, BHT: 02/04-, BSB: 10/04-, BTE: 02/05-),

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 ...

(BAN: 05/02-05/05, BRN: 05/05-10/08, BTT: 05/05-10/08),

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 ...

sport (BJN: 08/04-, CFRA: 02/08-),

, Bentley Continental Flying Spur

6.0 WR12 48v TFSI

This engine produces of power and of torque. It would mostly share the same technical specifications with its turbocharged 6.0-liter predecessor, other than the fact that it was modified to meet new WLTP emission standards. This new engine was promised to be made available on the fourth generation A8, following S8 and 60 TFSI/TDI models. However, as of August 2020, only examples of the W12 variant were press cars. It is rumoured that the W12 variant is only available as special orders in selected European dealerships.

6.3 WR12 48v FSI (CEJA)

This engine produces of power and of torque. This new engine was promised to be made available on the 3rd generation A8 More compact dimensions than a comparable V8 engine FSI direct injection with twin high-pressure fuel pumps, twin fuel rails, and six-port high-pressure injectors. ;applications: : A8 L W12 6.3 FSI quattro (CEJA)

Applications

* Bentley Flying Spur *

* Volkswagen Touareg W12 *

References

;references:

;reference:{{cite web, title=2018 A8 W12, website =

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

, url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Cs5xeJk28c W engines Volkswagen Group Audi engines Bentley engines Volkswagen Group engines Gasoline engines by model Engines by model Piston engines Internal combustion engine