For years, we’ve been hearing that the V12 engine will inevitably die out, and to a large extent it has. Once fitted to top-tier Mercedes-Benz and BMW models, the V12 has now become an even rarer piece of Unobtanium, unless you want to go wild and buy a heavily depreciated Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG, which we don’t recommend. Still, many people theorized that the V12 would be dead by 2020, and here we are four years later with no less than six brands investing in V12 engines for new models.
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But what is it that makes a V12 so sweet? Well, not only does it traditionally provide big power at high revolutions, but it’s also smooth and sounds fantastic. And let’s not forget that supercars are all about big numbers, and 12 will always be better than eight. The only company producing something better than a V12 is Bugatti, which went completely wild and went for a naturally-aspirated V16 for the next-gen Bugatti. What a time to be alive. But let’s put that wild V16 aside for a second and focus on all the V12s launched for new cars arriving in 2024 and beyond.
1
Lamborghini Revuelto – Naturally Aspirated Plug-in Hybrid V12
Many people thought the Lamborghini Aventador would be the end of the V12 halo Lambo era. Other supercar makers started moving over to twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 engines, adding electrification to get the power back up to absurd levels while still being kind to the environment. But then Lamborghini did the most Lamborghini thing ever and retained the V12 engine but included all the electric bits to make its new halo model even more insane.
The Lamborghini Revuelto is a technological masterpiece. Instead of simply building yet another big Lambo with a V12 in the rear plus an electric motor, the engineers started with a blank sheet of paper.
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The engineers designed a brand-new eight-speed dual-clutch mounted transversally behind the engine so the batteries could be mounted in the traditional transmission tunnel. The Revuelto also has two electric motors mounted on the front axle and a third motor supplying power to the rear axle. The 6.5-liter V12 engine is a masterpiece all by itself. It alone produces 814 horsepower at 9,250 rpm and 535 lb-ft at 6,750 rpm. We’re glad Lamborghini went for electrification instead of turbocharging, because the latter would have robbed the Revuelto of its glorious engine noise.
Engine
6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12 with hybrid assistance
Power
1,001 hp
Torque
534 lb-ft plus up to 332 lb-ft from electric motors
Is It Electrified?
Yes, very much.
2
2025 Aston Martin Vanquish – Twin-Turbocharged V12 Fury
Aston Martin technically hasn’t confirmed the new Vanquish, but the press release for its new V12 engine had the most on-the-nose hint ever. In any case, the model is not as important as the V12, which Aston Martin claims is the most powerful in its segment. The twin-turbocharged V12 produces 824 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque, which is more than the Lamborghini engine above. It’s not clear whether this new V12 is an evolution of the well-known 5.2-liter twin-turbocharged unit, but Aston did say that it has a reinforced block, redesigned head, intake and exhaust ports, and strengthened conrods.
“The V12 to Vanquish them all.”
“The V12 engine has long been a symbol of power and prestige, but it is also a statement of engineering passion and technical prowess,” said Roberto Fedelli, Aston Martin’s Chief Technical Officer. We look forward to the new Vanquish, and all the other models this engine will eventually be used in.
Engine
Twin-turbocharged V12
Power
824 hp
Torque
738 lb-ft
Is It Electrified?
No. Electrification is ungentlemanly.
3
2025 Ferrari 12Cilindri – No Electrification Or Turbocharging Allowed
The V12 engine in the all-new Ferrari 12Cilindri is not new, as it carries an existing engine code, but it’s an all-new model launched with it, meaning the V12 will live on for at least another five years in a mainstream Ferrari. That it’s an existing engine doesn’t make it any less impressive, as it produces 819 hp and 500 lb-ft and screams all the way to 9,500 rpm. This is what Ferrari does best. Even though it has started producing twin-turbocharged V6 and V8 supercars, the top models are still equipped with the latest in a long line of V12 engines.
We do find it surprising that Ferrari chose not to add some form of electrification, but we can only assume that it’s being kept in reserve for the LaFerrari successor. We do like the front-engine rear-wheel drive layout and the beautiful exterior that was obviously inspired by the original Daytona.
Just don’t call it the 12Cilindri. Ferrari insists that the actual spelling is dodici-cilindri and pronounced dodi-chi chilin-dri.
Engine
6.5-liter naturally aspirated V12
Power
819 hp
Torque
500 lb-ft
Is It Electrified?
No. These are angry, old-school horses.
4
2026 Zenvo Aurora – A V12 With Everything Thrown At It
Engine
6.6-liter quad-turbo V12 with hybrid assistance
Power
1,850 hp
Torque
1,254 lb-ft
Is It Electrified?
This V12 has everything.
While Lamborghini uses electrification and Aston Martin uses turbocharging, Zenvo uses both. It started with a 6.6-liter V12 (named after Thor’s hammer), and to see how much power it could get, it added four turbochargers and three electric motors. You can go for a slightly tamer 1,450 hp RWD model without the front axle electric motors, which should be much easier to drive. Despite being a turbocharged motor, it can still rev to 9,800 rpm.
The Zenvo Aurora is more of a lightly disguised racing car for the road, boasting a pushrod front suspension, 1,940 lbs of downforce at 155 mph, and a seven-speed hybridized gearbox with programmable shifting patterns. In the more hardcore model, the gearbox behaves like a sequential ‘box, which is the ultimate racing car accessory. Sadly, only 100 will be made, so it won’t add too much to the tally of V12 models in the world, but we’re delighted that it exists nonetheless.
5
Gordon Murray Automotive – Three Different Models, All With V12 Power
Engine
4.0-liter naturally aspirated V12
Power
Up to 761 hp (in T50s)
Torque
Up to 366 lb-ft (in T50s)
Is It Electrified?
No, you heathen.
GMA only sells cars with naturally aspirated V12 engines, and for the purposes of this article, we’ll focus on the angriest of them all, the T.50. GMA’s V12, designed in partnership with Cosworth, is our current favorite V12 engine. It may not produce as much power as the rest of the cars on this list, but the unit in the T.50 will happily spin all the way to 12,100 rpm. That makes it the highest-revving engine available in the world, and if that’s not worthy of applause, we don’t know what is.
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It’s no secret that this is Gordon Murray’s successor to his first famous supercar, the famous McLaren F1. While many cars have claimed to be the spiritual successor to the F1 (we’re looking at you McLaren P1), this is as close as you’ll get to the real deal. Not only do you get an N/A V12 that can rev to the moon, but the T.50 comes standard with a manual gearbox and a center driving position. It’s literally what the McLaren F1 would have been if it was designed 30 years later. And it’s a relative bargain. Yes, it costs $3.5 million, but the OG F1 is now a $20 million car. Compared to that, the T.50 is cheap.
It gets even more power in the track-only T50s, and a revised version is also being employed in the T33 and T33 Spider, more traditional two-seater sports cars with lower redlines but achingly beautiful looks.
6
Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II – Monolithic Looks, Mega Luxury
Engine
6.75-liter twin-turbo V12
Power
Up to 592 hp (Black Badge)
Torque
Up to 664 lb-ft (Black Badge)
Is It Electrified?
Nope.
Rolls-Royce used to be a V12-only company until the Spectre EV came along, but that doesn’t mean it’s given up on the V12 altogether. The newest model is the Cullinan Series II, and while its stylistic upgrades may be dubious, the carryover use of a twin-turbo V12 engine is a welcome surprise. In base form, you get 563 hp, which isn’t much in this company. The figure we’re interested in is the 627 lb-ft of torque, which is available from just 1,700 rpm. Opt for the Black Badge, and those figures rise to 592 hp and 664 lb-ft.
Despite more power in the latter trim, the focus here isn’t on performance, which is why that torque figure is all-important. The main reason is that the engine should be smooth and quiet while providing loads of torque low-down for effortless progress. Basically, Rolls-Royce isn’t leaning too much into the performance of a V12, but rather its ability to provide oodles of power smoothly.
This famous 6.75-liter V12 will eventually disappear as Rolls-Royce becomes an EV-only company. It makes sense, as the only thing that produces more power lower down than this engine is an electric motor, but for now, Rolls-Royce is keeping the V12 alive.