An internal combustion engine comprising a first set of cylinders comprising: - a first two-stroke compression cylinder housing a first compression piston connected to a first crank shaft; - a first four-stroke combustion cylinder housing a first combustion piston connected to a second crank shaft, said first four-stroke combustion cylinder being configured to receive compressed gas from said first two-stroke compression cylinder; and - a first two-stroke expansion cylinder housing a first expansion piston connected to said first crank shaft, said first two-stroke expansion cylinder being configured to receive exhaust gas from said first four-stroke combustion cylinder; characterized in that said first compression piston is positioned to reach a lower end position within said first compression cylinder and said first expansion piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said first expansion cylinder when said first combustion piston reaches a lower end position within said first combustion cylinder; wherein said second crank shaft is configured to rotate with a speed of at least twice the speed of said first crank shaft, wherein the internal combustion engine further comprises a second set of cylinders comprising: - a second two-stroke compression cylinder housing a second compression piston connected to said first crank shaft, wherein said second compression piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second compression cylinder when said first compression piston reaches a lower end position within said first compression cylinder; - a second four-stroke combustion cylinder housing a second combustion piston connected to said second crank shaft, said second four-stroke combustion cylinder being configured to receive compressed gas from said second two-stroke compression cylinder; wherein the second combustion piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second combustion cylinder when said first combustion piston reaches an upper end position within said first combustion cylinder; and - a second two-stroke expansion cylinder housing a second expansion piston connected to said first crank shaft, said second two-stroke expansion cylinder being configured to receive exhaust gas from said second four-stroke combustion cylinder, wherein said second expansion piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second expansion cylinder when said first expansion piston reaches a lower end position within said first expansion cylinder, wherein said first combustion cylinder and said second combustion cylinder forming a first V-shaped configuration; and said first compression cylinder and said second compression cylinder forming a second V-shaped configuration. - a first two-stroke compression cylinder housing a first compression piston connected to a first crank shaft; - a first four-stroke combustion cylinder housing a first combustion piston connected to a second crank shaft, said first four-stroke combustion cylinder being configured to receive compressed gas from said first two-stroke compression cylinder; and - a first two-stroke expansion cylinder housing a first expansion piston connected to said first crank shaft, said first two-stroke expansion cylinder being configured to receive exhaust gas from said first four-stroke combustion cylinder; - a second two-stroke compression cylinder housing a second compression piston connected to said first crank shaft, wherein said second compression piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second compression cylinder when said first compression piston reaches a lower end position within said first compression cylinder; - a second four-stroke combustion cylinder housing a second combustion piston connected to said second crank shaft, said second four-stroke combustion cylinder being configured to receive compressed gas from said second two-stroke compression cylinder; wherein the second combustion piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second combustion cylinder when said first combustion piston reaches an upper end position within said first combustion cylinder; and - a second two-stroke expansion cylinder housing a second expansion piston connected to said first crank shaft, said second two-stroke expansion cylinder being configured to receive exhaust gas from said second four-stroke combustion cylinder, wherein said second expansion piston is positioned to reach an upper end position within said second expansion cylinder when said first expansion piston reaches a lower end position within said first expansion cylinder, wherein said first combustion cylinder and said second combustion cylinder forming a first V-shaped configuration; and said first compression cylinder and said second compression cylinder forming a second V-shaped configuration.