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View Full Version : What happened to the V12 plans in the late 90's?


Lennat
24th May 2009, 15:22
I was just reading some old Autosport news from 1999, and was reminded of what I remember hearing talks about back then, that several teams including Ferrari where considering a switch to V12 engines. I'm pretty sure i even heard back then that Ferrari would make the switch to a V12, but that might have been from an unreliable source.

What happened to the V12 plans? :)
ioan
24th May 2009, 15:23
First of all the V10's were better adapted to the 3L configuration.
Secondly the FIA imposed the V10 engine in the technical regulations.
DexDexter
24th May 2009, 15:52
I think the last team to use V12 engines was Ferrari in 1995 when they had 3.0 V12. Fuel usage and power delivery were probably the main problems with such a small engine.
AndyRAC
24th May 2009, 18:26
I think the last team to use V12 engines was Ferrari in 1995 when they had 3.0 V12. Fuel usage and power delivery were probably the main problems with such a small engine.

Quite, but they didn't half sound fantastic.....
Lennat
24th May 2009, 20:14
When did FIA outlaw the V12's, was it for the 2000 season? It would be very interesting to know how it compared performance wise to the V10's, but that information might not be avaible to anyone outside the teams. :)
ioan
24th May 2009, 20:21
When did FIA outlaw the V12's, was it for the 2000 season? It would be very interesting to know how it compared performance wise to the V10's, but that information might not be avaible to anyone outside the teams. :)

Look at the 1995 season and you'll see how a V12 compared to a V10.
V12 was more powerful, but also more thirsty, heavier and needed more cooling.
Lennat
24th May 2009, 20:44
Yes, but the interesting thing to me was that several teams for whatever reason 5 years later belived that it might be worth it to go with a V12 again, which no one seemed to do for the last 5 years before that. :)
ioan
24th May 2009, 21:04
No info about those planned V12's ever transpired to the public before the V12's were outlawed.
Rollo
24th May 2009, 21:31
I think I remember reading something (though I have no idea where) that Honda had settled on a V10 after experimentally determining that the ideal size of a cylinder in a combustion engine was 298cc.

I'll have to relook at Cimarosti's book.
Lennat
24th May 2009, 22:26
No info about those planned V12's ever transpired to the public before the V12's were outlawed.

I was afraid of that. :(