The LS 12 is made in Australia and not cheap. V12 LS Engines - Race Cast Engineering
There is an LS based V16 made in the US primarily as a boat motor.
Dream on😀
Diesel fuel has some properties that may improve longevity, but I maintain that it is the lower rev range and steady state nature of typical diesel applications that are the main factor in long life. The more robust construction of diesels generally helps too. Lower revs are the most commonly cited factor if you choose to do an internet search on “diesel engine vs. gas longevity.”
You can get a very long life from a gasoline powered engine if it’s run at low revs at a steady state. The gasoline engines that have reputations for longevity are usually long stroke, low rev motors (like vintage straight sixes.)
You would think the XK motor would fall in this category. But the automotive applications for the XK motor were hardly low RPM, steady state scenarios. If XK engines had found their way into commercial vehicles that rarely exceed 3500 rpm, maybe our XK sixes would go 200,000+ (barring declining manufacturing quality in the later days as the XK tooling wore out.)
Dave
These are also being made in the USA (and have been since 2017). This is why there aren’t any additional shipping charges for the LS12.
Get your facts straight before you make a statement. (They’re being made on both continents).
I’m happy to be corrected but believe your are wrong. Who makes a LS based V12 in the USA?
Ps if you are thinking of the V12 Camaro at SEMA the engine and ecu were from Australia.
This was the original (pieced together) engine from down under. Since 2017, the engines have been manufactured in both nations. They knew the market would be strong in both The US and Australia. This is why they began putting them together here. (That article was published in 2016). I believe these to be as strong (or stronger) than the original LS1 engine because of the inherent “balance” of the V12 design. Longer engine life and consistent wear indications of earlier V12 designs bear this out.
I don‘t know, I drive my supercharged 1.8 flat out and regularly so, since I have it oil consumption went down significantly (I don’t have to top up between changes any longer) and it goes faster than it used to. It’s very familiar with the limiter. It has 150k km.
Flat out is 240 on the tach with an average of 130 or so. I would say modern engines are vastly superior.
Diesels are built stronger and see higher loads at lower rpm, maybe that plays a part?
That and more long distance with fewer stops as taxis and trucks and other long range uses.
It may be that we can expect modern gasoline powered cars (built in the last 20 years) to enjoy multi-hundred thousand mile lifetimes with good maintenance. More precise tolerances, better materials, and above all much better oil technology would be responsible. (my brother’s 1992 Toyota Previa, gas 4 cylinder, is pushing over 200,000 with no rebuild.)
With many more consumer market diesel cars running about, it would be interesting to see how they compare head-to-head with their gasoline counterparts in terms of longevity.
On the other hand, the increasing complexity of modern engines also opens the possibility of design faults shortening their lifespan, both gasoline and diesel, but that’s another topic.
Dave
Dave,
The “more precise tolerances” and “synthetic oil technology” coupled with routine maintenance are what make engines last longer. These, coupled with driving at stable-state speeds are what contribute to this. I drive very cautiously at 55 miles-per-hour on the freeways (making the engine turn at 1900 rpm) helps my AJ16 return great fuel mileage while reducing engine wear. This may annoy some of the other drivers, but it allows me to reap rewards at the fuel pump while reducing my stress levels.
They can always pass me on the Interstate, but they’ll pay for it at the gasoline station and the repair shop.
Captain Obvious.
Jon you might want to carry out some tests, the torque curve of the AJ16 continues to climb up to its peak at 4,500 rpm you might find that the economy you are achieving at 1900 is the same as 2000 - 2100 which might mean cars are not having to pass you.
1 Like
The XJ6L seems to “loaf” along at 55 mph. I have been using Berryman’s B-60
“High Mileage” fuel system cleaner. It acts as a “dose of the salts” for the fuel tank/filter/lines/injectors and also cleans the combustion chambers. This helps me achieve decent mileage and also helps prevents fuel from being wasted and polluting the engine oil.
I want to drive in a relaxed state without feeling frazzled at the end of a long cruise. There’s nothing egotistical about it, I don’t like driving at a frenetic pace.
Who is manufacturing LS based V12 in the USA?
Racecast who do the LS based V12 in Australia only cast them in Australia.
I remember an article from Racecast themselves in 2016 stating that by 2017 they would be manufacturing engines in North America. (You must remember this was five years ago, and solely on the internet). This was stated by the company themselves. That is all the information that I have.
Don’t know what you read. You are wrong.
Get your facts straight before you make a statement😂
I read it from Racecraft. I guess they must have been wrong about themselves.
A bit of Google searching revealed that the company making the V12 LS is Race Cast:
Racecraft is a different company, apparently mainly fiddles with Mustangs, no V12 activity I could find.
The Race Cast web site does mention that their price list includes delivery in either Australia or the Continental US. The prices are not cheap, perhaps they’re just willing to swallow the shipping cost.
I never really went for the “boy racer” nonsense. (The Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac Firebird lost their appeal rather quickly when every "shade-tree, backyard, ‘Bobby-Jo’ began modifying them them in High School). Father used to “midget race” against Billy Vukovic during the 1930s until the US Navy forced him to stop.
Father admired the 1961 Jaguar XKE with a V12 engine and I understood why. For the period, power, durability, and engine reliability were good. (When it came to the Lucas electrics, not so much). The Jaguar 5.3 liter engine was “race-proven” yet still performed well on the street in private automobiles.
IMHO, the inherent “balance” of the 12-cylinder engine lends to its longevity. I have yet to see any evidence that proves otherwise. (Basic automotive engineering really does bear this out). Any properly engineered V12 engine would likely benefit from the “balanced” engineering inherent with the in-line 6-cylinder engine.
An example of this can be seen with the Mopar “slant-six” engine. These were designed to work as farm implement engines, but were adapted to automotive purposes. They served for many decades and are still highly sought-after for many applications due to their strength and long service life.
Get your facts straight 
5.3 is simply big enough.
David,
The 7.0 Liter 1991 engine has enough horsepower and torque combined to make it a great engine for the X330 chassis. Had it been engineered for daily use, it would have lasted well into the 21st century as a “rich person’s sedan”. Yes, it would have had enough power to make the LWB X330 sedan get up and perform a tap dance.
You’re right. The 5.3 Liter V12 was big enough for the XKE, but the heavier saloons of the 1990s needed more torque to keep them “nimble”. 7.0 Liters of DOHC 4 valve-per-cylinder power would have seen to that.
My apologies. I meant to write Race Cast. I still believe that with the proper lubricants and proper LS maintenance, the LS12 could last as long, or even longer, than the stock GM LS engine. (This would be due to lower piston travel per cylinder, the inherent balance of the V12 configuration, etc.). If you didn’t thrash the engine to pieces, I’m certain that it would last a long, long time.