There's a lot of activity in the 12-liter six-cylinder engine class recently. Following the 1999 introduction of the Scania DSI 12 with 507 kW/2,300 rpm and this year's Detroit Diesel Series 60 522 kW/2,300 rpm, MAN announced at the January, 2000, Düsseldorf Boat Show, a new D2876 LE401 rated at 690 horsepower (515 kW) at 2,200 rpm.


Like the other engines mentioned, this is a pleasure craft rating intended mainly for motoryacht applications. The new D2876 LE401 is a further development of the D28 series engine with 128 mm bore, and deviates from its D2866 LE 405 predecessor in having a longer stroke of 166 mm over 155 mm. The resulting 7 percent increase in swept volume brings the displacement up to 12.8 liters.


Other features of this direct-injection turbocharged engine with charge air cooling is a four-valve cylinder head enabling a more optimum central positioning of the injector valve for more efficient combustion. Electronic control of the injection process encompasses timing as well as mixture and integrates with MMDS, MAN's electronic monitoring and diagnosis system.


The engine's output characteristic delivers a relatively flat torque curve with 2,600 Nm available between 1,200 to 1,900 rpm. Fuel consumption has also been improved with a best specific fuel consumption value of 203 g/kWh increasing to 224 g/kWh at full power.


The output of this engine while competitive is nevertheless a very conservative value offering many thousands of hours before overhaul. In comparison, the same base engine used in truck racing produces over twice the power, albeit with a very short lifetime.