Just curious why doesnt Lexus and other companies use a W8 instead of the V8?

 

How are you going to get 3 equal banks of cylinder when you only have 8cyl??

a W16 is okay because you can have three banks of 8 cyl, and that block would be shorter than a V16.

Maybe a W9 would be okay

 

Um, doesn't 3x8 = 24?

I don't think it works that way. The W engine is essentially two V engines side by side. On a V engine you have odd/even cylinders interleaved controlled by 1, 2, or 4 cams typically. I think in the W engine the 'peak in the middle' of the W is the common cam of both V's if that makes sense.

A W8 isn't possible though because each 4 cylinder engine is inline, not a 'V' engine.

VW does the W12 engine because its development is fairly cheap (it's Siamese V6's joined at the hip ) plus it may have some packaging advantages over a looooong V12.

 

damn if only i had a cut-off picture of a W- engine

 

http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc..._packaging.htm

 

Because "V" engine are already complicated and pain in the *** to work on, as compared to "Inline" and "Straight" engines. The only advantage of a "V" engine is that its more compact when compared to "Straight" and "Inline", so when it comes to 8-12 cylinders you're pretty much stuck with "V" configuration. And the only time when "W" configuration is necessary is if you have 16+ cylinders.

 

Technically that VW motor isnt a "W12", its two "VR6" combined. A true "W" engine would have three banks of four cylinders.

 

I don't think so. The cylinders are at the bottom 'valleys' of the W, not the tops. The connecting rods are the lines of the W and the cams at the top. An "M" configuration might have 3 banks of cylinders.

 

I may be mistaken, but didn't the Passat have a W8 a while ago?

 

Yea there was a Passat W8 for about a year or two, but didnt sell to well. I believe the cylinders were built on top of one another. I remember them saying the W engines were actually more compact than their V engines.

 

 

Forgot about that, you're right! Good one.

And a few cars have had V4's so the W8 is made from two V4's sharing the middle crankshaft.

Some great articles I found:

http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc...ne/smooth5.htm
http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc..._packaging.htm
http://www.answers.com/topic/w8-engine
http://www.answers.com/topic/v4-engine
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/car-reviews...8-2004886.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W8_engine

 

looks like you have a lot of unnecessary weight and bulk metal because of the configuration of the W engine, must be a pain to work on also

 

Looks like its an excuse to make something overly complicated. Sounds like a German idea

 

That's just silly. That's just like saying Toyota's quad cam V8 design is just an excuse to make something overly complicated.