We will discuss the disadvantages of 16-cylinder engines, but there is no disadvantage that can possibly overshadow this sound:
That’s the supercharged 1.5-liter BRM V16 Type 15, and the exhaust note is clearly glorious. 16-cylinder engines are thirsty, complex and heavy, but they were born as excessive status symbols. In January 1930, Cadillac debuted the world’s first V16, beating Marmon’s 200-hp 490.8-cube V16 by about 10 months. The Barry White-smooth Cadillac overhead valve (OHV) V16 with 165 to 185 hp used hydraulic valve lifters, the first passenger car to do so. Oh, and it could have cost more than $9,200 in 1930, or almost $180,000 today.
Since then, cars with 16 cylinders have appeared only sporadically. There were the Auto Union Type A, B and C race cars, BRM’s V16 and strange H16 Formula 1 engines, the Cizeta-Moroder V16T, the Bugatti Veyron/Chiron W16 and, uh, the Mosler Cadillac TwinStar. Yes, TwinStars technically only uses two Northstar V8s. Real 16’s are rare. Swedish engineer Pelle Soderstrom built a 16-cylinder inline engine from Volvo four-cylinders, and there was even a radial-16 Grand Prix car: the 1935 Monaco-Trossi, which made BRM H16s seem reliable. Bugatti and Fiat also made U16s, because why not?
Currently, the Bugatti Tourbillon, which revs to 9,000 rpm in ICE-only mode, is the only V16-powered car available, and it’s not even on the road yet (not that you or I will see one in the wild). Oh, you’re going to bring up the Devel Sixteen, aren’t you? The imaginary friend from your childhood is more real. Anyway, before we get into the cons of the 16-cylinder, let’s enjoy the pros first.
#pros #cons #16cylinder #engines #Jalopnik