This is Probably The Most Badass Engine You Never Heard.

"Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW." (aya-yu) 01/10/2014 at 16:38 • Filed to: None

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Remember the Amati?
You know, the canned luxury marque from Mazda. Which is a shame, because despite the rather bland styling, they houses the most badass engine in the world. And what you see today is some piece of old bestcar japanese magazine, explaining about Mazda's 3981cc W12. Yep.

You might say "VW Also has W12!"
But Mazda's W12 is more badass. You see, the article calls it a "Triple-Four Compact 12 Cylinder," and if you look closely at the pics you'll see the angle of the three cylinder banks. So it's made out of 3 banks of inline-4. And then to makes things even more awesome, mazda made the piston and valve using ceramics, the block is from Alumunium, and the cylinder heads plus oil pan from Magnesium.

Performance aside, the engine power is written as 280hp, thanks to gentelman's agreement at that time. But the real power figures are, nobody knows.

And for the car itself, the Amati 1000, looks like this. Notice the magazine akwardly refers the car having a V12 engine:

And here's the translated engine sketch:

Some say the engine ends up in Audi Avus Concept, since it has the similar engine design. But still, it's designed by mazda. And this is another example that Mazda once was a company that has a massive sized balls. I love them.

PS9 > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 16:56

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So they went for z axis compactness over x axis compactness with their W motor. interesting. (Z being a ling down the front of the engine, x being a line running across it, as viewed from the front) You could speculate that their FR chassis at the time could not accept a longitudinally mounted traditional V12 for length reasons.

Ze germans went the other way, and opted for two banks of X cylinders in their W motors. Looking at mazda's approach, I can see why; all the benefits of a W motor with none of the consequences in the form of more than two cylinder heads, and being able to run only 4 camshafts for each cylinder bank.

505Turbeaux > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:04

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man does that look like a 1st gen Millenia. Sweet sounding engine though!

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > PS9 01/10/2014 at 17:05

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Well, i tend to think they use this W12 because they don't want to build a massive sized car.
The biggest car they have at that time is 929, and it's using V6 (i think?), and it's barely left any space for something much bigger than V8 under the hood, so they went this way.

Or maybe they can simply extends the car's chassis, but that's not the Mazda way perhaps.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > 505Turbeaux 01/10/2014 at 17:09

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Well, milenia is badass.

I think the Amati 1000 is their bigger brother.

shootemupy2k > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:29

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Are you sure it didn't go in this?

Evan, Pope Of Jalopnik by Self-Appointment > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:31

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Ummmmmmm fuuuuuck you guys I need this....wow. That's hot. Magnesium cylinder heads...triple cylinder banks...ceramic rotating assembly components....I need...lots of minutes. Oh my god.

Bad Kev > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:32

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2 things:

1. How do you evacuate the exhaust out of that middle cylinder bank with the intake manifolds right there?

2. That thing is effing awesome.

For Sweden > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:32

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They could have called it a Trident Twelve, but they didn't.

You disappoint me Mazda.

Stradale > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:32

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I'm pretty sure I've seen a W12 setup like this before.....I just can't remember where.

Bueller > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:33

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I up your Mazda W12 with a Tatra W18!

Bugatti tried a W18 in a handful of concept cars more recently before settling on the W16 design.

505Turbeaux > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:35

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yeah it has more presence for sure. Millenia was not a bad car, somewhat under appreciated by Americans

Raphael Orlove > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:35

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Wow, I had always heard to this thing referred to as a V12. Little did I know it was really like three I4s in one! Love this thing.

DMCVegas > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:40

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My reaction to this:

Marty Graw > 505Turbeaux 01/10/2014 at 17:41

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Too many Japanese brands made high quality cars that were well, a tad boring and entirely forgettable.

Brutal Calves > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:42

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The Miata awaits... If only it would fit..

DMCVegas > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:42

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Mazda once was a company that has a massive sized balls. I love them.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Raphael Orlove 01/10/2014 at 17:44

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Well, you know, sometimes some poeple makes mistakes referring to engine design.

Just like some people says that 911 is powered by a V6.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:45

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I assumed there was a video clip, so I could hear it.

Aya, I am disappoint.

oldirtybootz > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:46

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The Audi Avus was a 6.0L W12, though the show car didn't actually have an engine.

JayHova > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:47

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How can three cylinder banks make a W-12 engine?

JACU - I've got bonifides. > 505Turbeaux 01/10/2014 at 17:47

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Really? I still see quite a few on the roads here. Most still seem outwardly to be in good shape too. Maybe they just sold more down here.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > oldirtybootz 01/10/2014 at 17:47

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Well, it has similar engine design..

And what?
I can't believe it!
So they just showing some body and interiors then?

505Turbeaux > JACU - I've got bonifides. 01/10/2014 at 17:49

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yeah Japanese metal and New England winters dont mix too well. The only ones I see are on first car duty or have blown motors

Eric Leonard > 505Turbeaux 01/10/2014 at 17:50

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Even more underappreciated was the 929 it came from. At least the 929 was rear wheel drive. Not sure if the Millenia ever was.

Eric Leonard > For Sweden 01/10/2014 at 17:51

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They probably would have gotten sued by Maserati. ;-)

ranwhenparked > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:52

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In other words, a "proper" W engine, not a V with two rows in each bank.

Mazda was really in over their heads at the time, though. They've always been a 4th wheel to Toyota/Honda/Nissan, and decided that turning themselves into an overextended "house of brands" was the ticket to the big time. Besides Mazda, Autozam,and Efini, they thought it would be super-smart to launch not one, not two, but three separate luxury brands in geographically segregated areas - Eunos for Japan, Xedos for Europe, and Amati for North America. Why Mazda needed 3 luxury brands with the Japanese Big Three made do with one each is something that can never be explained.

dogisbadob > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:54

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Too bad Amati didn't go through, because it'd be nice to have a sporty Japanese luxury car. All the prestige and sportiness of a luxury car, and the performance of BMW and Audi, but with reliability that much better than them and almost as good as Infiniti and Lexus.

Refisol26 > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/10/2014 at 17:54

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Me too. Put my headphones on and everything... Sad face.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > ranwhenparked 01/10/2014 at 17:57

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Yeah.
All VW done is just stick two V's with a glue.

Well, those three brands is how mazda do things normally.
They also produce quite a lot of engines back then. There's 13B, 20B, Miller Cycle's one, and some pedestrian i3, i4, and V6 DOHC. Which is mental yet awesome at the same time.

Heck, they even still produce Miller Cycle engine today for JDM Mazda 2.

Mikey > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 17:57

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I'd think the W12 layout was used because it was "two VR6's," much like BMW made the M70 "out of two M20's." They can keep a lot of things common, cutting down on R&D and tooling time/money.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Mikey 01/10/2014 at 18:01

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Well, that's maybe true.

But they put some custom made components like those ceramic piston. I guess that's not the reason..

voltzvibe > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/10/2014 at 18:01

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Ditto.. no links to sound... smh

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > dogisbadob 01/10/2014 at 18:02

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And the gadgetery level of Mercedes!

Seriously. Back in 1990 Eunos Cosmo comes standard with a touchscreen satnav.

BonafideSupraman > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:03

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I definitely thought my first car was powered by a V4 for a while...

oldirtybootz > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:04

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If I'm not mistaken though, the W12 from the Avus would eventually power the first gen A8 and I'm assuming today's W12 is still based on it. Their engine is two VW VR6s combined.

And many show cars don't actually run.

vroompshhhh > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:04

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Magnesium cylinder heads? That sounds like an idea Ferrari would use. It'd make for some spectacular engine fires.

Outback XT > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:05

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I think this was around the time Mazda was also producing the smallest ever production V6. It was a 1.8L that they put in the short lived MX-3. Now that they've got the skyactiv thing all sorted out and Ford isn't letting them use their V6 engines anymore, I'd love to see Mazda engineers start putting out some more daft and quirky power-plants.

Hunsbergring > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:06

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I've always been sad that Amati never lived. The Millenia was supposed to be the introductory model, and it would have been a good place to start.

I've also always been sad that Mazda stopped building bigger, classier stuff like they used to. A late 80s 929 with a manual gearbox has been on my wish list since I was a lad, and even the later ones that didn't have manuals were still very nice looking cars. Somehow, the CX-9 just doesn't have the same appeal...

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Outback XT 01/10/2014 at 18:10

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Nah, the smallest V6 ever produced is 1600cc V6 on 90's mitsubishi mirage. The one from Gran Turismo game.

This engine is from 1989 tough.

Cé hé sin > Bad Kev 01/10/2014 at 18:13

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Three banks of cylinders are always a problem for that very reason. VW tried with an 18 cylinder engine with three banks for Bugatti and gave up in favour of the W16. At some point you have exhaust and injection in the same V and that's not going to go well.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Hunsbergring 01/10/2014 at 18:13

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Yeah. That's quite disappointing.

Alos, the Eunos Cosmo supposed to be some kind of competitor to Mercedes CL.

CX-9 is a looker. But to be honest, it's a bit too pedestrian to be a mazda in my opinion.

Fuel_of_Satan > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:16

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It's not really that similar if you look at them. Audi used their VR technique with only two cylinder banks of six each to make their W12 while Mazda used three inline 4's.

Shane Elliott > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:16

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Well yeah, who doesn't?

Oh wait...

Imagine that engine in the Eunos Cosmo

twerqy > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:17

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I'm generally against the upscale versions of economy cars (Lexus, Acura, etc.) but I would rock the hell out of a luxury Mazda.

Bono > 505Turbeaux 01/10/2014 at 18:17

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The Millenia was actually supposed to be the first Amati vehicle. But Mazda decided that coming out with a luxury brand would be far too expensive.

505Turbeaux > Eric Leonard 01/10/2014 at 18:18

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929 was a great whip

twerqy > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:19

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Most people probably don't know how many cylinders their cars engine has, let alone the configuration.

Then again, we're talking about a 911, not a Camry.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > Shane Elliott 01/10/2014 at 18:20

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I think i'll order my cosmo in Rotary flavour please.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > JACU - I've got bonifides. 01/10/2014 at 18:23

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Well, go buy one if you can. You'll love that sound of miller cycle.

Crazy Asian > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/10/2014 at 18:25

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At first I thought my phone just refused to load the video at work, until I saw this comment. Now I am double sad.

seoultrain > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 18:26

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What is the benefit to having 3 banks of 4? Is it just packaging, making for a shorter engine? Is it naturally harmonically balanced like a conventional V-12 (I'd expect not)?Very cool, nevertheless.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > seoultrain 01/10/2014 at 18:59

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Packaging i guess, since mazda flatform mostly suitable for I4/V6.
And oh, maybe making an awesome noise and awesome ad. I bet it'll sound great just like other mazda engine.

PanchoVilleneuve ST > Shane Elliott 01/10/2014 at 19:20

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I'd rather have the 3-rotor batshit monster they gave it, to be honest.

Doctor-G-and-the-wagen > JayHova 01/10/2014 at 19:27

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When they're three banks of four cylinders?

JayHova > Doctor-G-and-the-wagen 01/10/2014 at 19:33

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Yes, but a W consists of 4 segments.

dogisbadob > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 20:01

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which of course had a reasonable possibility of actually working. Zing!

bravelittletoaster > Shane Elliott 01/10/2014 at 21:01

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The Eunos Cosmo styling always reminded me of a grown up's version of a s13 Silvia.

MugarKnifeScience > seoultrain 01/10/2014 at 21:02

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You might find this interesting then.

http://jalopnik.com/5156050/ass+ki…

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Ardhana > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 21:12

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Funny, I don't hear squat. Zzzzz.....

trumpscombover > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/10/2014 at 22:07

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i, too, was disappointed that a very important preposition was missing. i have never heard of this engine, indeed.

JACU - I've got bonifides. > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/10/2014 at 22:31

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As long as my wife lets me keep driving her 6, I won't long for a Millenia.

stealheadtrout > For Sweden 01/10/2014 at 23:40

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and instead of Amanti, the Atlantis

LightStriker > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 00:20

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So, it's not a V12... It's a kind of... W12?

seoultrain > MugarKnifeScience 01/11/2014 at 04:28

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I remember seeing that on Jalopnik! Thanks for that blast from the past. God, that was almost 5 years ago. Where is Murilee these days?

Anyway, banks of I6 tend to work best because the configuration is naturally balanced. Thus, if you wanted (needed?) 30 cylinders, 5x6 is the way to go.

Philbert/Phartnagle > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 05:23

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How about a Chrysler 30-cylinder, 21-liter (1,250 c.i.) A57 Multibank?

total_spaz > For Sweden 01/11/2014 at 08:13

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i keep thinking this should be called a y12.

Sad Valiant > total_spaz 01/11/2014 at 08:19

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Y-not12?

Thomas R > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 09:36

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Mazda Amati? There could be something in this cheap car / expensive violin thing. How about the Datsun Stradivarius, or the Hyundai Guarneri?

sidneylopsides > Philbert/Phartnagle 01/11/2014 at 10:14

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The engine that powered the Sherman, is that picture from Duxford?

Rx_37 > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 11:01

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I thought i was actually gonna get to hear it run....?

20BREW > Shane Elliott 01/11/2014 at 12:45

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I am probably the only person who has owned both of these cars (don't ask about the KIA).
Surely having a 20B Cosmo (currently) is enough to redeem my automotive soul, isn't it?

HiramJahoovafatJr > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 12:53

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VW Group has the 'W12', which is actually more correctly termed the 'WR12', being comprised of 2 banks of a VR6 setup.

VW Group/Audi did investigate making a true W18 engine, but the design was abandoned.

Cole Paquette > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 17:13

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Look at that, Mazda even knows what a real W engine looks like instead of giving an engine made from two narrow angles V engines and calling it a W engine when it's really a VV (two V's, not a W) layout for lack of a better word.

Brosenkranz > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 17:38

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Mazda used to have massive balls. Now they have clever balls, which are less outrageous but arguably better. Mazda is killing the game without saying "screw it let's build a turbo hybrid because actual development is too difficult". Oh and they make it painfully sexy as well. God I can't wait for the new Miata.

Philbert/Phartnagle > sidneylopsides 01/11/2014 at 18:40

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I found it on Wikipedia

zziro > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/11/2014 at 22:13

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Amati is an anagram of Miata ...

Idomathforaliving > total_spaz 01/12/2014 at 09:13

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That would be absolutely brilliant marketing.

sastexan > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/12/2014 at 12:07

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My mother-in-law has a '99 Millenia S. The engine has a slight supercharger whine but otherwise isn't that distinctive over other V6 engines.

sastexan > 505Turbeaux 01/12/2014 at 12:11

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The Millenia is OK. My mother-in-law has a '99 S, bought new, and it has had average reliability. Currently the car has 92k and a few issues that we aren't fixing b/c it is way too expensive - namely, valve cover gasket leak (to get all the plumbing off the intake takes forever), tilt steering wheel broken (have to replace entire column), rattling HVAC fan, slight coolant leak somewhere, rust bubble on wheel arch / fender. The transmission has never been that smooth and the ride has always felt kind of awkward. Anyone want to bid? :)

RDGJR > JACU - I've got bonifides. 01/12/2014 at 22:59

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I remember overhearing a lady arguing with service rep at my Mazda dealership because it cost $800+ to replace spark plugs on her Millenia. Apparently, they had to pull the engine or somesuch. As much as I dug the Millenia, I swore right then and there I would stick with my 626 ES.

RDGJR > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/12/2014 at 23:01

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Lordy, I wish Mazda made this happen. It would have been an awesome Q-ship.

McMike > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/12/2014 at 23:05

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Remember the Life F1 Team?

I didn't think so. 1990 was the only year they existed, and boy, was it a clusterfuck.

Neat idea for an engine, thought. I didn't even know Mazda did this.

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > McMike 01/12/2014 at 23:29

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Well, i born in 1991 so i don't know about that.

That engine is amazing!

alolalolaolaolaolaol > total_spaz 01/13/2014 at 10:11

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But a Y-12 would be two banks of 4 cylinders with the tail being another bank of 4 but underneath them. That is not anything like this engine's configuration which is more like a W with a tail. How do people like you even make it through life without killing yourselves?

M3C4N1K > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 01/13/2014 at 14:31

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My first car, the Autozam AZ-3 (ahem Mazda MX-3) had the DOHC 1845cc variant of the Mazda "K" engine, one of the smallest production V6s ever made. Other members of this fascinating family of engines include the 200HP 2.5L KL-ZE, and the supercharged KJ-ZEM with the first and only automotive application of its 5ish-stroke "Miller Cycle" valve timing.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Shane Elliott 01/13/2014 at 15:42

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Hmm, these will be legal starting in 2015! Very handsome car!

cbckly962 > McMike 01/13/2014 at 22:47

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Makes the Porsche V12 look like the DFV.

sidneylopsides > Philbert/Phartnagle 01/14/2014 at 08:02

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Just checked my own photos, it is Duxford! That's a Daimler Ferret behind it, and on the Wikipedia page you can see the Multibank next to it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret_ar…

Philbert/Phartnagle > sidneylopsides 01/15/2014 at 00:36

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Cool! Thanks for the link.

Too bad we couldn't have been in Adelaide, South Australia in 1975 with some cash in our pockets.

WhoYouCallinCurvy > Shane Elliott 02/17/2014 at 14:39

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Nah, I'd rather have a V12 Miata thanks!

nmalinoski > PanchoVilleneuve ST 02/17/2014 at 15:02

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What, no quad-rotor R26B?

MOSammy > McMike 02/17/2014 at 15:07

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Dr. Mantis Toboggan, M.D. > JayHova 02/17/2014 at 15:09

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Not in this case. Bugatti's W18 engines also had three banks of cylinders.

Thanatos-Of the Greys > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 02/17/2014 at 15:31

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So did the Lexus SC / Toyota Soarer, along with active suspension or an air suspension, as an option, that, with a bullet proof V8.

patman > seoultrain 02/17/2014 at 15:58

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Yeah, I'm really not sure what the point of this versus a V8 would've been. Just to show off I suppose. The W could be marginally shorter, I guess - at the expense of some width and way more complication. Smaller pistons, shorter stroke and lighter valvetrain so they could rev it into the stratosphere? That's the only thing that makes any sense.

A 4 liter V8 would've been much simpler and they could've basically slapped two 2L I4's together and been done.

dmcspeedy > oldirtybootz 02/17/2014 at 18:43

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Wikipedia says the Avus's W12 was an actual 3-banks-of04 W, not a V with staggered banks.

Kevin Barrett > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 12/04/2016 at 09:43

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Um, was this to be transversely mounted? What’s with the exhaust coming off that way?