by A New Chapter for W12
In July 2024, Bentley bid farewell to its iconic W12 engine, ending a two-month era of modern grand touring. However, as one story ends, another begins: Porsche is already developing its own version of this engine.
Patent Details
The automaker filed the patent last year, but it was only published yesterday. The document describes a complex W12 engine with three distinct cylinder banks. The patent states that “the cylinders of the internal combustion engine are arranged in a W-shape.”
A more detailed analysis reveals numerous improvements compared to existing W12 engines. Porsche mentions “preferred embodiments with expedient and non-trivial refinements.”
Innovative Design
The company describes an impressive layout that resembles the letter W, rather than two V-shaped configurations joined together. Specifically, it notes that “each cylinder head has at least one intake port and one exhaust port, with the intake port connected to an air collector for flow, and the exhaust port connected to an exhaust gas discharge device.”
Advantages of the Air Supply System
Porsche details how “the air collector is located on the upper side, in particular largely covering it, in such a way that air can enter the intake ports from above from the air collector, or be drawn directly in a straight line, without bends, by the piston of the internal combustion engine, which is located in the cylinder to perform a predominantly up-and-down movement. The air chamber thus has a flow opening connected to the intake port, which is oriented in the direction of the crankshaft.”
Technical Advantages
Porsche highlights numerous advantages of this design, including minimizing friction losses. The company also notes the potential for shorter intake ports, providing greater flexibility in engine layout.
This design supports lower intake air temperature due to the shortened path, while ensuring “clear separation between the air intake and the exhaust gas discharge device.”
Turbocharging Potential
Furthermore, it appears that the engine could accommodate three turbines or superchargers. This would be a significant advantage compared to the old twin-turbocharging of the 6.0-liter W12 that powered Bentley’s finest creations. In its latest version, this engine produced 740 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque in the limited-edition Mulliner Batur.
Future of W-Configuration
The Volkswagen Group has not abandoned W-configuration engines and continues to file patents for them. The question remains whether this will translate into something we see in future production models or racing cars.
Application Prospects
Although the patent shows a W12 engine, Porsche hints that it could also be used with a different number of cylinders. This possibility leaves much room for speculation. It could indicate a new engine for Bugatti, or simply that someone proposed a good idea and the company decided to patent it.
The development of a new W12 engine by Porsche demonstrates that even in the era of electric vehicles, traditional internal combustion engines continue to evolve. Technological improvements such as reduced friction and optimized airflow indicate a constant search for engineering solutions to increase efficiency. Although the future of such an engine remains uncertain, the very fact of such developments suggests that automakers are in no hurry to completely abandon complex internal combustion engines, especially for niche products or high-performance cars.
