Why does the arrangement of the crankshaft affect characteristics such as airflow and engine weight?
Most V8 engines employ what is known as a cross-plane crankshaft. The crank throws are set at 90-degree angles from one another so that the eight pistons rise and fall in staggered fashion to provide a smooth-running engine. The resulting rumbly exhaust note is the signature sound of the classic American muscle car V8, idling at a traffic light in anticipation of an impromptu drag race.
These engines provide the smooth running characteristics that drivers like, but they have some limitations in all-out performance applications. That is why serious sports cars like the Ferrari SF90 and its predecessor models do not use a cross-plane crankshaft in their V8s. Similarly, race cars have also long relied on flat-plane crankshafts, which space their throws 180 degrees apart so that they all lie in a single, flat plane.