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Engines with odd numbers of cylinders aren’t very common. The only configurations that normally see used in automobiles are inline-three cylinder engines and inline-fives. Needless to say, an inline-11 has never been produced in any quantity for use in an automobile. That doesn’t mean we can’t find out what one might sound like. Thanks to a fancy new engine simulator developed by YouTuber AngeTheGreat, we know an inline-11 would actually sound pretty good.
Before you jump to conclusions and say it’s just a simulation, you should listen to some of the other engines the YouTuber’s simulator has run in the past. They sound very accurate. It’s safe to assume that the 11-cylinder engine we’re hearing here would sound a lot like a real one.
This video was posted by a separate YouTube channel from the simulator’s creator. That’s because the entire thing is open source and available to the public. The software allows for configurations and accompanying exhaust simulations with no regard for balance, engineering realities, or anything like that. Stuff like V5s and inline, 41-cylinder engines can all be simulated.
If you’re in a tricky spot and can’t pump up the volume, an inline-11 sounds like a V10 with a little bit of inline-six bass. It’s mostly V10, though. I would imagine an inline-10 cylinder engine would sound very similar.
Although this inline-11 is just a simulation, engines of similar configurations have been built before. Some ships utilize inline-12 cylinder engines. Others even have inline-14s. In fact, the most powerful reciprocating engine in the world is an inline-14, built by Wärtsilä. It revs to just 120 rpm and produces 108,920 bhp at 102 rpm. The longest inline engines ever to be fitted to cars in terms of cylinders are straight-eights. Odd numbers of cylinders are much more commonly found in radial engines typically used in aircraft.
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