Porsche Patents A Crazy New W12 Engine

Bentley said farewell to their iconic W12 engine in July of 2024, closing a storied chapter in modern grand touring after a two-decade run. Yet just as one story ends, another quietly begins, as Porsche has been developing a new version of its own behind the scenes.

While the automaker applied for the patent last year, it was finally published yesterday and reveals a complicated W12 engine with three pronounced cylinder banks. The filing doesn’t delve into many specifics at first glance, but notes “the cylinders of the internal combustion engine are arranged in a W-shape.”

More: Porsche Is Sneaking Gas Power Back Into The Next 718

A closer inspection reveals a number of improvements over existing W12 engines. These are rather technical, but Porsche mentions “advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial refinements.”

That’s vague, but in the patent, the company talks about the eye-catching layout, which looks like a W instead of two Vs shoved together. In particular, it says that “each cylinder head has at least one intake port and one exhaust port, wherein the intake port is connected to an air plenum for flow, and the exhaust port is connected to an exhaust gas discharge device.”

Porsche goes on to describe how “the air plenum is arranged on the upper side, in particular largely covering it, such that air can flow from the air plenum into the intake channels from above, or can be sucked in directly in a straight line, thus without curvature, by a reciprocating piston of the internal combustion engine, which is arranged in the cylinder to perform a substantially upward and downward movement. The air chamber thus has an opening for flow connection with the intake port, which is oriented in the direction of the crankshaft.”

If you’re lost, we don’t blame you, but Porsche says there are a number of benefits to this design including minimized frictional losses. The company also highlights the potential for shorter intake ports, offering more flexibility.

That design keeps intake air cooler by shortening its route, while ensuring “a clear separation between the air intake and the exhaust gas discharge device.”

Aside from that, it looks like the engine could accommodate three turbo or superchargers. That would be a huge leg up on the old twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 that powered Bentley’s finest creations. In its final form, that engine delivered 740 hp (552 kW / 750 PS) and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) in the limited-production Mulliner Batur.

While that’s a lot to take in, the natural question is what does this mean? In short, the Volkswagen Group hasn’t given up on engines with a W configuration and continues to file patents for them.

Of course, the real question is whether or not this will translate into something we’ll see in future production models or race cars. You might not want to get your hopes up as, while the patent shows a W12 engine, Porsche implied it could be used with other cylinder counts as well.

That possibility leaves plenty of room for speculation. It could hint at a new engine for Bugatti, or perhaps that someone simply had a good idea, and the company decided to patent it.

Thanks to Maths and Carup for the tip!

Bentley’s W12