The 9 Best V12 Cars
It’s not easy to find a V12-engined car in the age of EVs. If you’re looking for a race car with the ultimate power, these monstrous V12 cars won't disappoint.
Written by Elaine Duvet
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Used as a symbol of luxury and wealth, the V12 engine is a rare breed. But did you know that
V12-powered cars
have been around for almost a century and a half? V12 = Powerful performance
The Lamborghini Miura set the bar pretty high and is arguably one of the most important supercars ever made. It even inspired the V12-powered Aventador.
In contrast to its racing rivals, the Miura offered a mid-mounted, 3.9-liter V12 engine mounted transversely, with a gearbox placed behind. The speedster sported 350 hp with a top speed of 170 mph. At the time, it was the fastest car in the world.
Until the Silver Seraph was introduced, the Rolls-Royce Phantom III was the first V12 car for the company. Not that we’re surprised—Rolls-Royce did manufacture aero engines.
Under its bonnet rested a 7.3-liter V12 engine mode of aluminum alloy. A single camshaft was used to operate, as well as the integration of two distributors, two coils, and 24 spark plugs. Completely customizable, only 727 units of the Phantom III were made.
Since the 12-cylinder versions of the regular S-Class, G-Class, and SL have been discontinued, theMercedes-Maybach S-Class is the only V12 Mercedes on the market. Equipped with Mercedes's 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class S680 has a 6.0-liter V12 engine with an impressive 621 hp.
V12 cars: Healthy and hearty
The Ferrari 250 featured a lively 3.0-liter V12 engine with 296 hp and 217 lb-ft of torque. With a sleek body and lightweight design, the V12 car was a beast on the track. In fact, the GTO model designed by Gioacchino Colombo won the Le Mans and earned the nickname “Colombo.”
The Jaguar XJ13 was inspired by successful race cars of the 1960s. When the XJ12 failed to compete in the 24-hour race at Le Mans, the XJ13 came in hot. Jaguar assembled a 5.0-liter V12 engine with a whopping 503 hp.
With striking aesthetics, the Jaguar Series III E-Type was finally launched in 1971. The model is currently a part of the company’s Heritage Collection and sometimes makes an appearance at major auto shows.
If a classic executive V12 car is more your speed, the Toyota Century is a worthy alternative to BMW’s 5 Series. Between 1967 and 2017, the Century was sold in Japan, and transported top executives, royalties, and Senior Japanese Government officials.
The upscale Toyota features a 5.0-liter V12 engine with 308 hp and 355 lb-ft of torque. The interior offered plenty of luxury with wood-trimmed seats to avoid any awkward leather squeaky sound during business meetings. Apparently, it’s the only road-going car from Japan to ever sport an engine of this size.
V12 cars: Energized and invigorated on the track
V12 engines were first incorporated by Aston Martin in 2007 when a V12-powered Aston Martin Vantage was introduced in concept form. Two years later, the V12 Vantage debuted, looking as stunning as ever. It not only offered a more balanced chassis and compact footprint, but the Vantage also sported a 5.9-liter V12 with 510 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque.
The company later increased the horsepower to 565, which was available in the V12 S trim. The V600 spec offered 592 hp.
Ten years after the original Series I Jaguar E-Type was released in 1961, the E-Type Series III was developed. Along with some desirable changes, a V12 engine was added to the classic car. The gorgeous sports car sported a 5.3-liter V12 engine with 241 hp and 386 lb-ft of torque.
The racing gods would never forgive us if we didn’t include the iconic McLaren F1 in our list of V12 cars. One of the
fastest McLarens ever built
, the McLaren F1 can compete with the likes of Porsche and Ferrari. The supercar housed a naturally aspirated 6.1-liter V12 BMW powerplant with 627 hp that produced the highest power output for its size at that time. The McLaren F1 and its awesome flywheels can accelerate to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, and hit a top speed of 240.1 mph.
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