A
V10 engine is a
V engine
with 10
cylinder in two banks of
five with a distinct exhaust note.
Mechanicals
The V10 can be considered to be constructed by mating two even
firing straight-5 engines together. The straight 5 engine shows
first and second order rocking motion. Here it should be assumed
that the crankshaft with low second order vibration is used and the
first order is balanced by a balance shaft. By mating the
straight-5 banks at 90 degrees and using 5 throws the balance
shafts balance each other and become null. The firing sequence is
odd (BMW M5, Dodge Viper). Using an 18° split journal crankshaft
the firing order can be made even, and the two balancer shaft do
not balance each other completely, but are combined into a single
very small balance shaft (Lamborghini Gallardo,
Ford 6.8 V10). Using
a 5 throw crankshaft and 72° bank angle the firing order can be
made even, and the two balancer shafts do not balance each other
completely, but are combined into a single small balance shaft. A
36° degree bank angle and a 108° flying arm crankshaft would allow
even firing without a balance shaft and smaller counterweights, but
are impractical.
The V10 configuration is not an
inherently balanced design like a straight-6
or
V12 or a flat-6 or a straight-8 or a
crossplane V8 (ignoring the counterweights) and does still have a
small second order rocking motion, which can only be compensated by
two additional balance shafts.
Road cars
Until recently, V10s had rarely been a popular configuration for
road cars: a
V12 is only slightly more
complicated, and runs more smoothly, and a
V8 is less complex and more economical.
Nevertheless, modern engineering has made it possible to use V10
engines for applications where a V8 would produce insufficient
power and a V12 would be too complicated or bulky.
Dodge was the first to develop a modern V10
engine, originally designing a version of its
LA series small block for use in trucks.
However, the engine saw its first production use in substantially
revised form in the
Dodge Viper. The
original truck version of the engine was eventually used starting
in 1994 in the
Dodge Ram. It discontinued
in that application after 2003. However, 2003 also saw the
introduction of the
Dodge Ram
SRT-10, a performance model meant to rival Ford's successful
F-150 SVT Lightning. The Viper
engine (a 90-degree engine with odd firing order to obviate the
need for a balance shaft) has been tweaked through the years, and
now produces (447 kW) in a standard state of tune from its 8.4
liter displacement. The engine is also used by
Bristol, in tuned form, in their two-seat
Fighter coupe, where it can produce upward of
(470 kW).
Ford also developed a heavy-duty V10 version of their
Triton engine to replace
the aging
460 big block in truck
applications. It was introduced in the
E-Series/Econoline full-size
van, and also saw duty in the
F-Series Super Duty line and the
Ford Excursion SUV, and is still in
production in 2008.
European marques were
slower to adopt the V10 configuration. However, high-revving V10
powerplants were incorporated into supercars from
Lamborghini and
Porsche.
BMW and
Audi later unveiled
ten-cylinder versions of their mid-range saloons (the BMW 5-Series
and Audi A6 families, respectively). Interestingly,
Volkswagen developed a ten-cylinder engine as
well, but as a
turbodiesel.
A list of post-war V10-engined
production
cars (sorted alphabetically by manufacturer, sub-sorted by year
of introduction):
Racing
The most widespread use of the V10 has been in
Formula One racing. Alfa Romeo made the first
modern Formula One V10 in 1986; although it was never used in a
Formula One car.
Later the configuration was introduced by
Honda and Renault
before the
1989 season. The
introduction of the 3.5 litre rule after turbos were outlawed made
the V10 seem the best compromise between the V8 and the V12. V10
motors became common-place after the reduction from 3.5 to 3
litres, and V10 engines were exclusively used by teams from the
1998 season.
Renault had a more
flat 110° angle motor in 2002 and 2003, but reverted to a more
conventional layout (a 72° angle) following the change in rules
which dictated that an engine must last two race weekends.
In a further change to the rules, V10s were banned for the 2006
season in favour of 2.4 litre V8s.
There are also cars with V10 engines in
sports car racing, usually with
Judd powerplants with 4 or 5 litre engines,
made available for customers, although the first V10 was seen in
the works
Peugeot 905, in the final
races of the 1990
World
Sportscar Championship.
Notes
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