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v16
A V16 engine is a V engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.
A V16 engine is perfectly balanced so long as its constituent straight 8 banks are balanced, regardless of the V angle. That is to say, it does not require contra-rotating balancing shafts, which are necessary to balance engines with an odd number of cylinders in-line or those equipped with counterweighted crankshafts like the 90° V8. In addition, V angles of 45° and 135° give an impulse every 45°, so they are optimal solutions for even-firing and non-split bearing crankshaft journals.
V16 engines are rarely used in automobiles because V8s or V12s of the same displacement typically produce just as much power and are much less expensive to manufacture and maintain. The few V16s that have been produced were used in high-end luxury and high-performance automobiles due to their smoothness (low vibration).
Today, the most common applications for V16 engines are railroad locomotives, marine craft, and stationary power generators.
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