Editing W12 engine (section)

{{Short description|Piston engine with 12 cylinders in W configuration}}
[[File:LionEngine.jpg|300px|thumb|[[Napier Lion]] aircraft engine]]
A '''W12 engine''' is a twelve-cylinder [[piston engine]] where either three banks of four cylinders, or four banks of three cylinders are arranged in a W configuration around a common crankshaft. 

W12 engines with three banks of four cylinders were used by several aircraft engines from 1917 until the 1930s. A three-bank design was also used for an unsuccessful W12 engine which was intended to compete in Formula One in 1990.

W12 engines are less common than [[V12 engine|V12 engines]] as only a handful of automobile manufacturers use them.
The WR12 engine was produced by the [[Volkswagen Group]] between 2001 and 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The very last W12 is built: Bentley stops production |url=https://uk.motor1.com/news/727681/bentley-last-w12-engine-produced/ |access-date=2025-02-05 |website=Motor1.com |language=en-gb}}</ref> This four-bank engine – based on two [[VR6 engine]]s with a common crankshaft – has only been used in flagship high performance car models produced by the Volkswagen Group and by [[Spyker Cars|Spyker]].