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A V engine, sometimes called a Vee engine, is a common configuration for internal combustion engines. It consists of two —usually with the same number of cylinders in each bank—connected to a common crankshaft. These cylinder banks are arranged at an angle to each other, so that the banks form a "V" shape when viewed from the front of the engine.
V engines typically have a shorter length than equivalent Straight engine, however the trade-off is a larger width. V6, V8 and V12 engines are the most common layout for automobile engines with 6, 8 or 12 cylinders respectively.
The first V8 engine was produced in 1903, in the form of the Antoinette engine designed by Léon Levavasseur for Boat racing and . The first V12 engine was produced the following year by Putney Motor Works in London, again for use in racing boats. The first V6 engine to reach production appeared soon after in 1908, by the Deutz AG in Germany for use as a generator for gasoline-electric Locomotive. However, it was not until 1950 that the V6 engine was used in series production automobiles, with the first example being the Lancia V6 engine. This V6 engine used a 60-degree V angle and separate crankpins for each cylinder, to reduce the vibration issues experienced by earlier attempts at production V6 engines.
The "V-angle" (or "included angle") between the varies significantly between engines. Some engines have used a V-angle of 180 degrees (the same angle as a flat engine), such as several Ferrari V12 engines. At the other end of the scale, the 1922–1976 Lancia V4 engine and the 1991–present Volkswagen VR6 engine use V-angles as small as 10 degrees, along with a single cylinder head used by both banks of cylinders.
The engine balance of a V12 engine is that of perfect primary and secondary balance. For V engines with fewer cylinders, the engine balance will depend on factors such as the firing interval, crankshaft counterweights and whether are present.
The on a V engine are usually shared by two cylinders from opposing banks, with an offset between the two cylinders. Alternative configurations are separate crankpins per cylinder (such as several V-twin engines) or articulated .
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