Ditching fossil-fuel-powered engines for electrified mills is a mantra that almost all carmakers have had to adopt. We all know the reason – for their survival in a world becoming increasingly sensitive to unsustainable solutions. And the latest such development comes from Bentley. The British marque has confirmed that it will cease production of its W12 petrol engine in April 2024. By then, it will have produced more than 100,000 examples of the iconic powerplant.
The W12’s first project was the first-gen Continental GT, which debuted in 2003. But, of course, Bentley refined the 12-cylinder powerhouse and made it gustier over the years. Simple math reveals a two-decade run for the 6.0-litre motor. During that period, power and torque outputs have increased by 37 per cent and 54 per cent, respectively. The emissions, on the other hand, tumbled by 25 per cent.
Before the powerplant retires to the history books, it will be found in its most-powerful guise serving the limited-run Bentley Batur. Numbers? The grand tourer will pack 750hp and 1,000Nm of peak torque. Never before has the W12 packed such a punch. The increased oomph comes from extensive changes, including new turbocharger compressors and 33 per cent larger air ducts.
Want a W12-powered Bentley in your garage before the engine is shelved for good? Well, sadly, the Batur is sold out. However, the luxury carmaker claims a limited number of Speed versions of the Continental GT, Bentayga and Flying Spur can still be ordered. Also available are the Mulliner variants of the Continental GT and the Flying Spur. All those cars will pack the turbocharged W12 outputting 659hp.
Bentley plans to retain all 30 engineers who assemble and test every W12 engine before it finds space in a car. And their playground will be utilised to expand the production of plug-in hybrid powertrains.
By the time the W12 bows out of service, Bentley’s entire model range will be available with a hybrid powertrain option. It’s a step towards becoming a brand that offers only pure-electric luxury vehicles. Bentley aims to achieve that status by the start of the next decade.
[…] us about the inevitable retirement of its iconic W12. Officially, the story began to unfold in February last year. That’s when we learnt that before the twin-turbocharged gas-guzzler goes out of production, […]