Porsche has filed a new patent for a W18 engine — an engine with 18 cylinders, which is more than any engine currently in production. The patent, discovered by CarBuzz, was filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization and shows Porsche’s latest effort to make engines that are powerful but still efficient.

This new W18 engine is different from older “W” engines used by brands like Bentley and Bugatti under the Volkswagen Group. Those older designs were basically two V-shaped engines combined. Porsche’s new idea uses three separate cylinder banks, each with six cylinders, forming a real W shape.

The design could be changed easily. Porsche says it could also be built as a W12 (12 cylinders), W9 (9 cylinders), or even a W15 (15 cylinders) depending on what’s needed for different cars — from luxury SUVs to supercars.

Each cylinder bank has its own air intake system on top, which helps the engine breathe better and stay cooler. The air flows straight down into the engine, reducing resistance and improving performance. The exhaust system is designed to keep the intake air cool, which also increases power and efficiency.

Porsche also mentions that the W18 could have three turbochargers — one for each cylinder bank — to boost performance even more.

Despite having so many cylinders, Porsche’s design keeps the engine compact. The W18 is about as long as an inline-6 engine and about as wide as a V12, while a W12 version could be as small as an inline-4 in length but as wide as a V8.

This new engine design shows that Porsche isn’t giving up on petrol power, even as it works on cleaner and more efficient ways to make high performance engines.