REALZEUS:
Listen to a Ferrari V12 vs a Ferrari V10 Formula 1 engine and then tell us which sounds better.
Also listen to a 599 GTO or an Enzo vs a Carrera GT or an LFA and do the same.
As for your alleged facts, where are they? Pagani has a V12, LaFerrari has a V12, Aventador has a V12. Porsche and MacLaren have smaller V8s. Where is the tendency then?
I have listened all of them. To me LFA and CGT are much better. But its my opinion. The best sound possibly is Mazda 787 Group C racer sound, but its 4 section rotor engine.
If I am not wrong Pagani uses AMG engines that are derived from 1998&1999 MB CLK-GTR racers. These are quite old engines. LaFerrari uses 9 years old concept... Aventador has a new engine - but there is no revolution. Its evolution. Really I don't see something interesting or extraordinary in V12 engines today. But again - its my opinion.
Tendency: new panamera V6 (rumors), developing H4 for boxster|cayman, aa-new MB, BMW and VW compressor or turbo engines. Future is for relatively small high efficiency engines. Even if you open engine regulations in racing, I doubt you will see V12 there. Mostly V8 with turbos or compressors or combined+Kers. Its the better way - less weight, less fuel consumption, better weight distribution.
Anyway, resuming. every cylinder formation has its own advantages and disadvantages. V12, V16, H/B 6,8,12 are greatly balanced but heavy. V8 has worse balance but better in weight. V6 are disasterous in balancing but cheaper. Boxers are the greatest engines in terms of balancing but it is very difficult to make them stressed units (for motorsport f.e.), they are also more expensive and more difficult to service. V12 180 for example are one of the greatest in terms of performance but very long and can only be used in midengined cars because of exhaust. So there is nothing ideal, but future as I said above is for small, high efficiency, charged engines. Also, I think sooner or later we should expect carbon fiber engine blocks in racing. F1 and LMP already have CF gearbox housings.
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