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Mazda has found a way to ditch spark plugs, but at one stage they were planning to use 12.
Not one to be afraid of standing out from the crowd, Mazda has revealed the next generation of Skyactiv petrol engines will use compression ignition - like a diesel - in lieu of spark plugs. This is of course in addition to the pledged return of the rotary engine.
However, during the early 90s, Mazda had ambitious plans to introduce an engine that would use 12, yes I'm talking about a 12 cylinder.
Wanting to follow the likes of Honda, Nissan and Toyota, Mazda created a new marque known as Amati which would be the company's luxury brand in the USA.
Heading the range would be the Amati 1000 sedan that would house a 'W12' engine, making it the direct competitor to Lexus's LC400.
Made from three banks of in-line four cylinders, the B3 series engines were joined together at the crankshaft and had a tiny displacement of 3981cc.
Making the unit as light as possible, aluminium was used for the engine block and magnesium for the cylinder heads and oil pan.
Due to the infamous "gentlemen's agreement", power was rated at 206kW (276hp)/371Nm but the real figure was likely a lot higher but never revealed.
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Sadly, the W12 never went into production and the Amati brand was scrapped by 1992. The manufacturer was in the red financially at this stage and the global recession wasn't helping, so a 50 billion yen project was too risky for Mazda.
What happened to the engine is a mystery but rumours are floating around the internet that the Volkswagen Group used this design as an inspiration for its own W12.
Would you love to see Mazda revisit its W12 idea? Let us know in the comments below.
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