Car Terminology 101: What does the "V" in "V6" stand for?

Have you ever heard someone talking about a V6 or V8 engine and wondered what the "V" stood for? Well, turns out it actually doesn't stand for anything! The V refers to the geometric arrangement of the cylinders and pistons. When viewed from the front of the engine the cylinders will form a V.

If you ever hear someone say "V4", they don't know what they're talking about, because it doesn't exist. If an engine has four cylinders, they are arranged in a straight line. The specifications will usually say I4, which is short for inline 4.  However, there are also inline 6 and 8 cylinder engines.