V12 engines are the ultimate swansong of automotive expression. It is not only about the brute horsepower they spew or the loads of torque that catapult the car into the horizon. It is about the mechanical magnificence of the innumerable moving parts – 12 cylinders, 48 valves, four camshafts that work in perfect sync to create a symphony that is emitted out of the exhaust pipes. No doubt it is an excess, but then that is what art is.
The emission boards do not see it that way and it isn’t their fault. It is their responsibility to fix the pollution issues and hence come the stringent emission norms which will in time leave no other option than to turbocharge engines to attain better combustion efficiency and reduce exhaust gas pollution. But when someone asked Ferrari if they would turbocharge their V12, the answer was – “Our head of engine programs told me it would be absolutely nuts to [put a] turbocharger on the V12, so the answer is no. It [will be] naturally aspirated, with a hybrid [system]”.
It goes without saying that the engine internals will be worked upon to get maximum efficiency and the hybrid powertrains will help reign in the emissions as well. We agree with Sergio Marchionne about maintaining the sanctity of the classic V12 engines and letting the future generations listen to the music that the racy V12s beat out, especially the ones that carry the prancing horse badge.
