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Inline eight engines were widely used on luxury and racing automobiles before falling out of favor after World War II. One of the biggest issues with the configuration is length, which apart from the obvious issue of packaging also brings about issues with the crankshaft at high RPMs. These issues make an inline eight an impractical choice for automobiles. However, what if a firm such as Bugatti, Rolls-Royce, Mercedes-Benz, or Auto Union decided to stick with the inline eight like BMW and the inline six or Ferrari and the V12? Could a company make an inline eight competitive with other configurations if they insisted on using it? Are there any scenarios in which a company might keep on producing an inline eight through to the present?
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