Source: taylorpatterson
As far as automotive nirvana goes, having a V-Badged car is an assured way to knowing that you have something special under the hood. A peculiar thing about this family is their equal numbered cylinders in the quest for balance and power. Starting with the V6, they reach their zenith with the most superlative of them all, the Beast! Reverently called so because of the huge lump of power that they exude, they are also called upon to power some of the most insane set of wheels in the world. In today's times of political and environmental correctness, this particular species of power-plants is a fast disappearing rarity. So rare is their appearance these days that they have gained their place in the endangered species of power-plants list.
Source: motorwerksgroup
Mercedes-Benz have always been staunch believers in the power of the V-engine (Vee) design. It was back in the early nineties when they unleashed their flagship 6.0-liter V12 beast on the motoring world. Internally referred to as the M 120 Engine, it was a path-breaking design for Mercedes-Benz. Not only was it their first series-produced twelve-cylinder Mercedes-Benz passenger car, but also the most powerful Mercedes-Benz car engine of its day. The power and torque figures were rated at 300 kW (408 hp) and 580 NM respectively, with a staggering 500 NM of it available at just 1600 clicks! For some V12 aural nirvana, watch the short clip below.
Source: Youtube
The beast was kitted up with four-valve tech, a variable intake cam and a sophisticated electronic injection system with a hot-wire air mass sensor. All this high tech wizardry were in cahoots with each-other to try and keep both, exhaust emissions as well as fuel consumption down to a minimum. To put things into perspective for you, each cylinder had over 300 customized ignition maps with knock limiting in each case and were managed together by the ignition system! In-fact, the M-120 was the only twelve cylinder engine in the world to feature this sophisticated cylinder-selective anti-knock control.
Source: motorwerksgroup
The high compression ratio that was a result of all this tech-wizardry meant that engine and drive management would need to be looked at afresh. So, the control modules communicated via a common data channel, thereby rendering them jointly active. This feature made it possible for the rapid warming of the catalytic converters despite cold starts; it enabled the vehicle to find its grip on slippery surfaces via Acceleration Skid Control and a new engine friction torque control feature that allowed it to power out of slippery situations.
Source: benzworld
And the V12 saga continued with it offering the world’s largest catalytic converter unit for passenger cars. With a seven-litre volume, in order to avoid any excess fuel consumption on account of the catalytic converter, it ensured a high degree of long-term stability. An innovative design was used to create double and triple walled manifolds and pipes in the exhaust system. Together with these, the ceramic catalytic converters were embedded in insulating expandable matting. This allowed them to reach their optimum operating temperature in a very short time, thereby aiding emissions control as well as controlling fuel consumption.
Source: 500Sec
This beast of an engine has gone on to power some of the most special cars in the Mercedes-Benz family. Of these it is the W140 SEL 600, the most special of them all. A favourite of the most powerful people in the world, today these behemoths are being cared for by dedicated aficionados all over the globe.
