Listen To This Tiny 72cc V12 Scream Its Little Heart Out

It's a fully functional quad-cam engine with 48 valves, and we want it.

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Christopher Smith

By: Christopher Smith

Dec 7, 2023 at 2:00pm ET

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We love small-scale engines. Of course, small-scale depends on the context – this 0.07-liter V12 is positively minuscule compared to the 6.5L 12 lunger in a new Lamborghini Revuelto. But it's actually a fair chunk larger than previous model engines we've seen, and it has a sound to match its size.

The engine is featured in the latest JohnnyQ90 video. Despite its size (72cc or 4.4 cubic inches of displacement), this V12 has all the complexity of a high-revving Italian mill. Four camshafts and 48 valves are packed into the heads. Spark comes from dual distributors, and the exposed front shows a maze of belts driving the cams, water pump, and oil pump. A large radiator features an electric fan that kicks on when temps reach approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit. And delightfully twisty exhaust headers exit into a large muffler.

Fortunately, the muffler doesn't smother the sound in this application. We've heard small open-header V12s before, and they sound great. This one, however, has a deeper rumble that sounds downright mean at idle. A laser-powered RPM meter shows this V12 idling at around 1,700, burbling with a bass we'd expect in something larger. Under throttle, we get a proper V12 soundtrack as it revs to around 7,500 RPM. Some additional tuning might be necessary on this engine; it's not a 10,000-RPM screamer like the inline-six model we saw in October. But we're not complaining.

What do you think?

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According to the video, the engine runs on 95-octane gasoline and requires 80ml of oil. It's also still in the development phase, but things seem pretty well dialed in right now. There are no leaks, no obvious failures, and it fires right up. It also drains the fuel tank rather quickly, but such is the price for having a functional combustion engine perched on your desk.

This V12 isn't for sale (yet, anyway) but the video description points us to Stirlingkit.com where a plethora of small engines are available. We'll take the 28cc supercharged V8, please.

Source: JohnnyQ90 / YouTube