From Engineering Explained.

Ferrari patented a V12 engine with pill-shaped pistons! Instead of circle, there’s a rectangle squeezed between the two halves. Why did they do this? Well, let’s start by looking at a Ferrari V12 they sell today, where each cylinder has a 94mm bore and a 78mm stroke. Compare that to a stadium piston, with an overall width of 63mm. Both of these shapes give you nearly identical areas, meaning the same amount of space for intake and exhaust valves. And if you give both of them a 78mm stroke, they have nearly the same volume too. See the advantage? If you stack 6 of the traditional cylinders side-by-side, like a Ferrari V12, it requires about 50% more length, than if you stack 6 pill-shaped cylinders side-by-side. The result is a much more compact V12, so you can easily fit it in smaller spaces. Let’s put V12 engines in everything!

Related Videos:
Ferrari V12 Driving Review – https://youtu.be/AQWKt4CRHrQ

Subscribe to Engineering Explained for more videos! – https://goo.gl/VZstk7
Recommended Books & Car Products – http://amzn.to/2BrekJm

Engineering Explained is a participant in the Amazon Influencer Program.

Don’t forget to check out my other pages below!
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/engineeringexplained
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/engineeringexplained
EE Extra: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsrY4q8xGPJQbQ8HPQZn6iA