V12 Monsters of 2022: Get ’Em While You Still Can
Cars are going electric, and that means monstrous V12-engined sedans and supercars are fast becoming an endangered species in 2022. As excited as we are about the prospect of electric supercars, we’re definitely going to miss the velvety rumble of a big Mercedes V12, or the piercing howl of a Ferrari 12 as it streaks toward the redline. The good news is that, while they’re becoming increasingly rare, the V12 engine will live for the foreseeable future in niche vehicles. Lamborghini, for example, has promised the replacement for its flagship Aventador supercar will continue to use a naturally-aspirated (read: non-turbocharged) V12, augmented with a compact hybrid system to keep the emissions in check. Ferrari is pursuing a similar strategy. Meanwhile, other brands like Rolls-Royce and BMW have turned to turbochargers to boost power without boosting emissions. (Bentley does a mean W12 motor, but we’ve left it off this list since it’s not, officially, a V12.)
It’s hard to describe what it’s like to command a 12-cylinder motor with your right foot. The mechanical complexity is mind-boggling: 48-valves opening and closing in perfect harmony faster than you can blink. A good V12 is defined by incredibly smooth power delivery all the way through the rev-range; it’s like they want you to go faster.
If you want a V12 car in your garage — and, you really should — here are the machines we’d recommend in 2022:
Gordon Murray Automotive T.33
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- Turbocharged: No
- Hybrid: No
- Displacement: 3.9-litres
If there’s one man who understands the value of a V12 engine, it’s Gordon Murray, the man behind the legendary V12-powered McLaren F1 supercar, as well as several Formula 1 championship-winning racecars. He recently started his own car company, Gordon Murray Automotive, which unveiled its flagship T.50 three-seat supercar last year. Then, earlier this year, GMA unveiled the T.33, which uses the same spectacular custom-designed Cosworth V12. All signs point to this being the ultimate 12-cylinder motor. The specs are mind-blowing: “Weighing a mere 178 kg, the 3.9-litre V12 revs to 11,100rpm and produces 615 PS at 10,500 rpm and 451 Nm at 9,000rpm. Incredible ultra-rapid engine response combined with 75 per cent torque delivery at just 2,500 rpm and an incredible 90 per cent of maximum torque available from 4,500 rpm to 10,500 rpm, and a power to weight ratio of 564 PS per-tonne results in superlative performance.” Sounds good right? Well, the T.33 could be yours for just $2.36 million, but we hear they’re already all sold out.
Aston Martin V12 Speedster
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- Turbocharged: Yes
- Hybrid: No
- Displacement: 5.2-litres
Aston Martin is only building 88 of these V12 Speedsters. It’s inspired by both the CC100 concept that marked Aston’s 100th birthday, as well as the legendary Le Mans-winning DBR1 from the 1950s. With no windshield, let alone a roof, the V12 Speedster brings its driver even closer to the 12-cylinder motor under the hood. The 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged unit puts out just under 700 horsepower. It’ll do 0-100 km/h in 3.4 seconds and hit a top speed of over 300 km/h, so, yes, we’d recommend wearing a helmet. If you don’t manage do get one of these 88 limited editions, Aston makes a few other excellent V12 models, of which our favourite is the sublime DB11 grand tourer.
Rolls-Royce Cullinan
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- Turbocharged: yes
- Hybrid: no
- Displacement: 6.7-litre
The 12-cylinder Mercedes-AMG G65 is long gone, but for those with an entirely unreasonable need for a 12-cylinder SUV, Rolls-Royce has you covered with the Cullinan. To be blunt, the V12 is overkill, but that’s what Rolls-Royce is all about. (The brand’s two sedans, Ghost and Phantom, are both also available with a V12 of course.) This is certainly the silkiest, smoothest motor we’ve ever driven. It pulls like a locomotive — thanks to 627 lb-ft of torque on tap from just 1,600 rpm — but the strange thing is that you don’t feel anything. It doesn’t feel as if there’s a big combustion-engine under the hood because the V12 hardly makes a peep. It might as well be a nuclear reactor. Fuel economy? You’re looking at 20.1 l/100 km in the city and 12.1 on the highway. Ouch.
Lamborghini Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae
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- Turbocharged: no
- Hybrid: no
- Displacement: 6.5-litres
Lamborghini says this is the last of its kind, the end of the road for the mid-engine Aventador supercar, which was introduced way back in 2011. “The Aventador LP 780-4 denotes the final, purest, timeless naturally-aspirated production V12 Lamborghini,” according to Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. After this, they’ll all be hybrids. The classic 6.5-litre motor has 769 hp, slightly more than even the Aventador SV J. All-wheel drive helps it get to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds and on to 200 km/h in just 8.7. We like the cleaner design here; the Ultimae does without the outrageous wings of the SV J.
BMW M760Li
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- Turbocharged: yes
- Hybrid: no
- Displacement: 6.6-litre
June is the end of the road for BMW’s mighty V12, according to the company. The 2022 M760Li xDrive will apparently be the last production model from BMW with a dozen cylinders. At the time of writing, the 12-cylinder stretched 7 Series is still available on BMW’s Canadian website, listed at a cool $175,154 — and 73 cents! Its V12 motor doesn’t break a sweat, effortlessly churning out an easy 600 horsepower, which is enough to get this limo from 0-100 km/h in under four seconds. Fuel economy is surprisingly not terrible (for a V12) with an average rating of 15.1 L/100 km. And, there are no less than 60 paint colours to choose from, including excellent options like Mint Green and Twilight Purple. We’ll miss the big 7, but we can rest easy knowing the Alpina B7 and its spectacular V8 will still be there if we need a crazy-fast limo.
Ferrari 812 Competizione
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- Turbocharged: no
- Hybrid: no
- Displacement: 6.5-litres
The 812 Superfast is one of the all-time best cars we’ve ever driven here at SHARP. It’s unlike anything else on the road: a front-mid engine coupe that’s razor sharp yet surprisingly usable day-to-day, considering it has nearly 800 horsepower going to the rear wheels. It’s frighteningly agile too. So, we can only imagine how spectacular the new, limited-edition 812 Competizione will be. It makes a little more power — 819 hp — and revs a little higher, up to 9,500 rpm. The motor breathes out through a completely redesigned exhaust, so it should be even more mind-numbingly loud than the Superfast. Nothing like the snarl of a Ferrari V12 to get your weekend off to a good start.
