naaman said:What is a flat crank if not a boxer?
The crank itself is flat, not the cylinder banks. A flat plane crank also has the advantage of not needing counterweights. Less rotating mass means a more revvable engine. I won't go into detail about it because this website does a far better job than could ever do.
http://autozine.kyul.net/technical_school/engine/smooth4.htm#V8
Cheers
Aaron