Bentley stopped making the British automaker's trademark W12 engine in April 2024. The final application of the 6.0-liter mill is the Batur Convertible, of which only 16 will be produced.
At the beginning of May 2024, the Volkswagen Group-controlled manufacturer has also confirmed the W12's indirect successor, that being the Ultra Performance Hybrid V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain. It develops more than 740 horsepower and 738 pound-feet (1,000 Nm) of torque, whereas electric range is estimated at 50 miles (80 kilometers) in the WLTP.
Right after Bentley released the initial specs for the Ultra Performance Hybrid, the company discontinued the Continental GT V8, Continental GTC V8, and Flying Spur V8 from three regions: MEAI (the Middle East, Africa, and India), the United Kingdom, and the European Union. The 4.0-liter V8 in question will soldier on as part of the Bentayga sport utility vehicle family, although it's not clear when said V8 will be replaced by a plug-in hybrid setup à la Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid.
Developed by Zuffenhausen's Porsche and Ingolstadt's Audi, the V8 was adopted by the British marque in 2012. Not exactly a coincidence, Bentley's first application was the Continental GT, followed by the GTC and the Flying Spur. Since 2012, the British marque has sold more than 53,000 examples of the Conti GT, Conti GTC, and Flying Spur with the Porsche-Audi 4.0L twin-turbo V8.
The V8 engine and Bentley, however, go a long way back. Remember the L-series V8 developed in the 1950s when Rolls-Royce was running the show? Originally a 6.2-liter mill, the L-series V8 was enlarged to 6,750 cubic centimeters in 1970 by increasing the stroke from 3.6 to 3.9 inches. The L was canned in 2020 with the Mulsanne ultra-luxury sedan. Its replacement is the Flying Spur, which is technically similar to the Continental GT due to the Volkswagen Group's MSB platform. The MSB also underpins the third-generation Porsche Panamera.
Photo: Bentley
Turning our attention back to the modern-day V8, the company isn't ready to confirm when the 4.0-liter engine will be discontinued in other parts of the world. Considering that Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards in the United States require an industry-wide fleet average of nearly 49 mpg (4.8 l/100 km) for passenger cars and light trucks in model year 2026, we're not going to wait long.
Production of the combustion-only Continental GT V8, Continental GTC V8, and Flying Spur V8 for the aforementioned regions will come to a grinding halt soon enough, with final deliveries to be carried out in June 2024. Retailer stock is expected to be depleted later in the year. This, in turn, means that Bentley will unleash the Ultra Performance Hybrid in the second half of 2024 for model year 2025.
In addition to the Conti GT and Flying Spur lines, the Bentayga will receive a plug-in hybrid V8 setup as well. The Flying Spur and Bentayga are currently available with plug-in hybrid V6s displacing 2.9 liters in the Flying Spur and 3.0 liters in the Bentayga. Their combined output ratings are 536/456 horsepower and 553/516 pound-feet or 750/700 Nm of torque if you prefer metric units.
Come 2026, the Crewe-based automaker will offer an electric vehicle based on the Premium Performance Electric platform developed by Audi and Porsche. Considering that PPE currently underpins the Audi Q6 e-tron and second-generation Porsche Macan, we're most certainly getting an ultra-luxury SUV.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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