W8 engine

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A W8 engine is an eight cylinder piston engine in a W configuration, or two juxtaposed V4 engine blocks, coupled to one crankshaft.

The VW W8 can be imagined as flat plane crank V8 made with VR4s instead of inline 4s, with a reduced Vee angle of 72 degrees instead of the customary 90. This design is short enough to fit where only a V6 could fit. Volkswagen Group produced a W8 based on its VR6 engine. The VW W8 was used in the Volkswagen Passat from 2001 to 2005, but sales were minimal. The 2006 redesign, with its engine re-orientation, was no longer equipped with the W8, and the 'large' 3.6 liter VR6 has replaced its position.

Piston engine configurations
Straight	Single, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 14
V	2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20, 24
Flat	2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16
W	8, 12, 16, 18
Other inline	H, VR, Opposed, U (Square), X
Other	Radial, Rotary, Pistonless (Wankel)