Original: A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders , usually but not always at a 60 Â angle to each other , with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft .
Simplified: A V12 engine often just called a V12 is an internal combustion engine with 12 cylinders . The engine has six cylinders on each side called banks .