While super sports car fans may be a bit sentimental about the iconic V12 engine that is known to power such beasts as the Lamborghini Miura and Countach and the more modern super sportsters such as the Ferrari FF and Pagani Huayra. And of course no one can forget the king of them all, the McLaren F1 that hosts a 6.1 liter V12 produced by BMW that unleashes 618 horsepower. Nevertheless, McLaren has deemed that it makes no sense to have a V12 when you can create the same power with a V8.
The new McLaren MP4-12C gets 617 horsepower from just eight cylinders, displacing 3.8 liters and the assistance of twin turbochargers. Because of this the managing Director of McLaren acted as spokesperson and made the statement of, “The V12 engine is a thing of the past. The engine belongs in a museum.”
While die hard super sports car enthusiasts lament that it can’t be a true super sportster without a V12 engine rumbling under the hood, McLaren has an excellent point about how V8 engines, even if they are mated to turbochargers are easier to package and are better for power and efficiency because they have fewer parts. Sheriff, speaking for McLaren also said that even a V6 might possibly be in the future for high performance applications from McLaren.
This less is more thinking is definitely moving outside the box for McLaren because the competition, namely, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani are still standing firm on the idea that it can’t be “super” unless it host a V12 as a core attribute. We are guessing this all falls under the “Does size really matter?” We are under the assumption that it’s how powerful it takes to the roadways, but we’ll have to wait and see how the McLaren V8 lines up in performance tests with the V12s coming out to make a final decision.
Source Motor Authority