Which car is/was available with the largest differential in cylinders?

"Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs" (yowen)
12/03/2013 at 14:50 • Filed to: None

Just from the top of my head, the Jaguar XJ was available with an I6 and a V12 for a differential of 6 cylinders.

Next car that came to mind is the A6/S6 available with anything from an I4 to a V10, correct?

Any other examples, can anyone think of a car that, from the factory, was available with a differential of 6 cylinders or more?

DISCUSSION (42)

Textured Soy Protein > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:53

The Mercedes S-Class has had everything from 4-cylinder diesels to twin turbo V12s. 8-cylinder spread.

The Audi V10 was in the S6 not the A4. Since there are 4-cylinder A6 variants, that's a 6-cylinder spread.

The BMW 7-series has had V12 down to I6 versions. If you count the not-actually-produced V16 7-series then that's a spread of 10 cylinders.

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JGrabowMSt > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:54

Mercedes SL500. Factory I6 or V12 for the R129 class.

Supposedly some of the cars were falsely badged as V12 as well, so you have to be careful when looking at them.

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:55

Available at the same time or available at some point in the car's production life?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Textured Soy Protein
12/03/2013 at 14:55

For the S-Class, was that differential available in any one year at the same time?

505Turbeaux > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:55

tie with the R129 Mercedes SL. SL320 6 cyl to SL600 with the V12. I think that is the spread at 6 cyl

MonkeePuzzle > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:55

corvette, v4 to v8 HAAahahaaHAHAAHAhahahahahahaaaHAHAHA

Kinja'd!!!

ok, it was a boxer 4, not a V :P

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:56

Audi A8 3rd generation

Top of the line - 6.3L W12
Base model - 2.0L I-4 turbo

Brewman15 > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:56

Mercedes S-class is another one that comes with a V6 S320/S350 (Europe only, I think) all the way up to the mighty V12s for a difference of 6. I wouldn't be surprised if a diesel 4-banger was an option too.

Textured Soy Protein > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:57

Yes, in 2011 you could get a 4-cylinder S250 CDI and a V12 S600.

505Turbeaux > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:57

w221 had some anemic 4 cyl diesels, up to a 12 gas job. I forgot about those

Jagvar > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:58

I can think of quite a few cars that were available with both six-cylinder and 12-cylinder engines from the factory. But as far as I know, there has never been a car offered from the factory with both 4-cylinder and 12-cylinder engines. I think a differential of six cylinders is as high as you can get.

duurtlang > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 14:58

VW Touareg. Came with a V6 and a W12.

The winner might be the Mercedes W221 S-Class though. It came as an S 250 CDI (4 cylinder diesel) and as a S 65 AMG (12 cylinder). That's a difference of 8 cylinders. Mentioned already.

themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles > Textured Soy Protein
12/03/2013 at 14:59

Audi A8 3rd gen wins on a displacement technicality - 6.3L 12 cylinder down to a 2.0L 4 cylinder leading to a differential of 4.3L and 8 cylinders.

Party-vi > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/03/2013 at 14:59

Winner winner I think.

Textured Soy Protein > themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
12/03/2013 at 15:01

I guess that's true, the 2011 S-class was a 2.1L diesel up to a 6.0L V12.

Ghost Dog - For the kittens > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:02

Audi A8 (current Gen.) is available with a 2.0L 4 cylinder and a 6.3L W12. Does a hybrid count? Difference of 8 cylinders.

Kinja'd!!!

lonestranger > Textured Soy Protein
12/03/2013 at 15:02

Yeah, I'm thinking that the W221 S-Class has got to be the winner. Unless there's something available with both 3 and 12 cylinders, or 4 and 16 cylinders.

Kinja'd!!!

AutoSavant > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:02

Holden HJ - Zero cylinders (Rotary) or V8 power.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Jagvar
12/03/2013 at 15:04

It seems msatlas (and duurtlang) have found one with an 8 cyl differential, the S class.

But I may have another, it's a bit of a stretch. But the SLS is available as all electric (is it going into production?) and also with a V8, giving it an 8 cylinder spread, lol.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
12/03/2013 at 15:05

At the same time.

Ravey Mayvey Slurpee Surprise > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:05

The Goggomobil, from 2 cylinders to nine.

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Jagvar > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:06

It seems I stand corrected. I never know much about those engines that didn't make it stateside.

55Buick, Oversteer Scientist > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:06

Kinja'd!!!

Volkswagen Beetle. From a 4 cylinder to a W16.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Jagvar
12/03/2013 at 15:08

Yeah, I dont either. I just know to sometimes assume that the car elsewhere in the world makes due with smaller engines.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:09

Don't you mean difference ?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > lonestranger
12/03/2013 at 15:09

Would the SLS count, available as electric and a V8, making an 8 cylinder difference, I'm just not sure if the electric one is going into production or not?

Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:10

I think you have your answer, then. S6 wasn't available with the V10 when the A6 had the 2.0T, at least not in the states; C6 A6 entry level motor was the 2.7L V6 at the time the C6 S6 had the V10, and no V10 now that the C7 A6 has the 2.0T.

BUT! Absolutely available in Europe at the same time.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Ghost Dog - For the kittens
12/03/2013 at 15:10

Sure, hybrids count, we are just looking at cylinder counts here.

Had me thinking SLS, electric available as well as a V8.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
12/03/2013 at 15:13

Definition of differential (noun): a difference between amounts of things.

So isn't that ok then? Oh wait, "okay".

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:14

FFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUU

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Bob Loblaw Made Me Make a Phoney Phone Call to Edward Rooney
12/03/2013 at 15:15

Yeah, I am not concerned with USDM specifically, just a particular model year of car that has the largest differential in cylinders available. Sounds like so far that honor is going to the Mercedes and Audi.

...and perhaps the SLS, it's available with electric (0) and a V8 (8).

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
12/03/2013 at 15:16

Brian, The Life of > MonkeePuzzle
12/03/2013 at 15:19

*I4

Also, a good comedian never laughs at his own jokes. ;)

MonkeePuzzle > Brian, The Life of
12/03/2013 at 15:20

GOOD comedians

Brian, The Life of > MonkeePuzzle
12/03/2013 at 15:21

Fair enough.

Ghost Dog - For the kittens > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:39

Haha. Good one.

My hovercraft is full of eels > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 15:39

EDIT: Disregard, misread the post, and I can't delete the comment.

Volvo S80

315 hp 4414 ccm V8

109 hp 1560 ccm I4 diesel

Kinja'd!!!

Barbarian772 > 55Buick, Oversteer Scientist
12/03/2013 at 15:43

Yeah, you could get it with a Flat 6 too...

Kinja'd!!!

Pretty much diversity for one brand....

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 16:10

Can't believe I didn't think of this one earlier: late Cadillac V-16s (Series 90) were essentially altered versions of the Series 75's platform, which was a V8. That ties the S-class and Audi I4/V12 splits. Marmon's V16 was also very similar to their straight eight, though not identical.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht
12/03/2013 at 16:17

oooh, nice find!

stuttgartobsessed > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
12/03/2013 at 18:44

What about early '30's Cadillac limos/big sedans? Couldn't you get those with a v8 or v16?

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > stuttgartobsessed
12/03/2013 at 20:49

as ramblin pointed out, you could in the 40's, not sure about the 30's.