The fascinating Maserati "Tipo 8" transverse V12 of the early 1960s, which never powered a car, is often mentioned as having anticipated (influenced?) both Honda's first Formula One engine, and the Lamborghini Miura. It's an engine I first saw photos of in the 1970s, as a kid. I have two questions about the architecture of this engine which you gurus out there can probably answer. (Please forgive me if any of this seems trivial; one can't always control what one is curious about!)
First, the cam gears on the Tipo 8, having taken power off the crankshaft, are not stacked (as would be usual) between the the cylinders, but take a kind of detour "outside" of them, doubtless to diminish the engine's overall width, in consideration of its intended transverse location. Can you think of any other engines with such a layout -- besides some of the Grand Prix Honda engines of the 1960s, and the Honda CBR250R four of the 1980s?
Another detail about the cam gear train that I am curious about is that it does not pass between the third and fourth cylinders on each six-cylinder bank of the Tipo 8's V12, but is offset asymmetrically, so that on the rear bank, for example, the train of gears "divide" cylinders 4 and 5. Other engines I can think of with such a layout are the Maserati-Citroen V6 (like the Tipo 8, designed by Giuio Alfieri, but with chain-driven cams, not gears), the Laverda Jota triple (also not gear-driven), the Honda RC149 five, and the Honda CBR250R four. All of these, except the CBR250R four, have an odd number of cylinders, so inserting the cam drive anywhere between the cylinders will result in an asymmetrical layout. Can anybody think of any more examples engine with an even number of cylinders having the cam drive disposed non-centrally (besides engines with camshafts driven off their ends)?
Also, are these layout characteristics unusual, or not so much?
Best,
Sam
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