W8 engine
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A W8 engine is an eight cylinder piston engine in a W configuration, or two juxtaposed V4 engine blocks, coupled to one crankshaft.
The VW W8 can be imagined as flat plane crank V8 made with VR4s instead of inline 4s, with a reduced Vee angle of 72 degrees instead of the customary 90. This design is short enough to fit where only a V6 could fit. Volkswagen Group currently produces a W8 based on its VR6 engine. The VW W8 was used in the Volkswagen Passat for a time, but sales were minimal. The 2006 redesign, with its engine re-orientation, was no longer equipped with the W8, and the 'large' 3.6 liter VR6 has replaced its position.
| Piston engine configurations | |
|---|---|
| Straight | Single, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14 |
| V | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24 |
| Flat | 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16 |
| W | 8, 12, 16, 18 |
| Other inline | H, VR, Opposed, U (Square), X |
| Other | Radial, Rotary, Pistonless (Wankel) |
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