Bentley will definitely ditch the W12 in favour of a plug-in hybrid V8
The end of an era
It’s a symbol that’s going away. Bentley has confirmed that it is abandoning its legendary W12 engine for a more modest plug-in hybrid V8. Introduced in 2003 under the bonnet of the Continental GT, this powertrain will therefore say goodbye for obvious environmental reasons. In its last version, the 6.0-litre W12 developed a colossal 635 PS and an impressive 900 Nm of torque.
At a time when downsizing and electrification are king, it seems increasingly incongruous to continue selling a car with twelve cylinders. If its end is near, this exceptional heart still officiates on the Continental GT Speed and on the Bentayga Speed. But for the brand’s future models, the race for power is far from over, according to Mathias Rabe, chief engineer at Bentley.
His teams are already preparing the next generation with a V8 that will surpass the W12 in terms of power and performance. To achieve this, Bentley will opt for hybridization, a solution already present on other Bentley models. However, the hybridization here will be designed for performance, not efficiency. The electric motors will mainly provide a considerable amount of extra power, in the same way as Mercedes did with its latest AMG C63.
With this in mind, switching from the W12 to the plug-in hybrid V8 will not make the vehicle any lighter, since the electric motors and especially the batteries will have to be accommodated, which will make the whole thing heavier again. We can even expect a global increase in the mass of the vehicles, fortunately compensated by the clear improvement in performance. As for the last Bentley to offer a W12, Rabe confirms that the end will be in style.
In other words, the last car from the winged B brand to have a W12 will most likely be an ultra-exclusive model in the same vein as the Batur, limited to 18 examples. And on the technical side, the ultimate W12 could see its power increased to 750 or even 800 PS. This would also mean that the future V8 plug-in hybrid would be on a similar power level.
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