page_title: V16 engine
section_title: Racing cars
hierarchical_section_title: V16 engine / Automotive applications / Racing cars
caption_attribution_description: Bildbeschreibung: Auto Union Typ C - 16-Zylinder-Motor Fotograf: Lothar Spurzem Datum: 16.08.1980 im Fahrerlager des Nürburgrings
context_page_description: A V16 engine is a sixteen-cylinder piston engine where two banks of eight cylinders are arranged in a V configuration around a common crankshaft. V16 engines are less common than engines with fewer cylinders, such as V8 and V12 engines.
  The first use of a V16 engine was in the 1910 Antoinette VII experimental aircraft, followed by several cars in the 1930s. Today, the most common applications for V16 engines are railroad locomotives, marine craft, and stationary power generators.
context_section_description: The first known use of a V16 in motor racing was the Maserati Tipo V4 car used in Grand Prix racing. The Tipo V4 debuted at Monza in 1929 and achieved a world speed record of 245.9 km/h (152.8 mph) at an event in Cremona, Italy.
  At the 1931 Indianapolis 500, a custom-built V16 engine was fitted to a Cord "supercar" driven by Shorty Cantlon. The car was competitive, charging from 26th on the grid to 3rd, but was slowed by unreliability, further exacerbated by having to change all sixteen spark plugs. The following year, Bryan Saulpaugh qualified the car in third position, however the car suffered a broken oil line on lap 55 and their race was over. Shortly after the race the V16 was removed and replaced with a conventional Miller four-cylinder engine.
  The mid-engined Auto Union Type A, Type B and Type C Grand Prix cars of 1933 to 1938 were powered by supercharged 4.4 L (269 cu in) engines. Due to a rule change in 1938, these were replaced by a V12 engine for the Type D racing car. Prior to this rule change, the Alfa Romeo Tipo 316 competed at the 1938 Tripoli Grand Prix powered by a 60-degree V16 engine.
  The only known use of a V16 engine in the post-World War II era is the British Racing Motors (BRM) V16 engine used in Formula One racing from 1950 to 1955. The engine was a 1.5 L (91 cu in) supercharged design, which was unsuccessful despite its high power output. Officially, it produced 410 kW (550 hp) but probably delivered around 450 kW (600 hp). The car was difficult to drive, due to the power band being in a narrow range and at high RPM.
caption: Auto Union Type C engine
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