There is a perennial argument between supporters of a cross-plane crankshaft (picture above) or a flat-plane (picture below) as to which is more suitable for a V8. Flat-plane means that the cranks are all in one plane, i.e. with an angle of 180° between them. In the case of cross-plane, a second plane is added, resulting in an offset angle of 90°.

Both have their justification, but the flat-plane is older. For example, Ford's Model A V8 had a flat plane. You know Henry Ford didn't like six cylinders, skipped that number of cylinders, initially with great success. However, he was also an advocate of simplicity in manufacturing, which is why he preferred the shaft similar to that of a four-cylinder.

What is this about? Two eight-cylinder engines are compared here. It should be emphasized that the models compared here are basically eight-cylinder engines with a 90° bank angle. Any Porsche variations (except 928) or others have no place here. In any case, unfortunately, we have to clear up at least two myths.

It is often emphasized online that Ferrari was an advocate of the flat-plane. Once again a proof that Ferrari customers were basically sold racing cars in order to be able to finance the competitions. As you can see, flat-plane crankshafts are for V8 racing engines.

However, we have to disagree that Ferrari only used such crankshafts. Above you can see a flat-plane from the Ferrari 430. Of course it's intriguing and also carries the 'racing' suffix, but as you can easily compare to the above it's a cross-plane.

So once again, flat and cross plane basically only differ in the cranks on the crankshaft. However, the engines require different firing orders. For example, Flat Plane has 1-8-2-7-4-5-3-6. There is put under the lightly coded firing order of a four-cylinder in-line engine underneath.

If it's 1-3-4-2, then all you have to do is read it backwards, like turning the crankshaft in the opposite direction, and you get 1-2-4-3. Of course, then two revolutions are over, the other cylinders somehow arrange themselves in between and they do that too.

Subtract 4 from each of 8-7-5-6, you come up to 4-3-1-2 or 1-2.4-3, so the same on the other side of the engine. Please consider that at least the second firing order is still possible by changing the direction of rotation. You can find more ignition sequences here:

For example, at cross-plane we note 1-8-4-3-6-5-7-2. So while the flat-plane always jumps from one bank of cylinders to the other, this is not possible with the cross-plane. But you have to be careful when interpreting firing orders. But you have to be careful when interpreting firing orders.

It's hard to believe, because if both wikipedia correctly reflects the firing order of GM V8 and at the same time GM operates a numbering of the cylinders according to the standard, the part 6-5-7 immediately catches the eye, where three cylinders of a bank fire in a row.

It can't get any worse, because there's also the doubling 4-3. But the fact of the matter is, with cross-plane it is simply unavoidable. And why not just build flat-planes? For this we have to refer briefly to the picture of the flat- plane above.

This is no longer up-to-date, especially by today's standards, where the flat-plane is only found in very sporty vehicles such as a Shelby-Ford. We should have left out the weights, need to slim them down to match a very noisy, high-revving engine.

Then neither the additional vibrations caused by second-order mass forces nor the background noise disturb, because you can gain additional horsepower. On the other hand, the cross-plane is more comfortable, better suited to a V8 as we imagine it, more for cruising.

So the majority, especially in the USA, stayed with the cross-plane. Gradually, the typical bubbling, which was even seen as a trademark of a V8 due to the two-fold emission into the same exhaust side, was up to date again today, where the Ford Mustang is also available with four cylinders. Perhaps because of this phenomenon, GM exaggerated so much.