After building more than 105,000 units over the past two decades, Bentley is ceasing production Its groundbreaking 6.0-liter W12 twin-turbo engine this summer. Just yesterday the British automaker announced the Batur convertible, one of the final uses of the W12, and now Bentley has revealed the powertrain that will replace the twelve-cylinder engine. Bentley calls it an “ultra performance hybrid” that utilizes “the most dynamic, responsive and efficient” powertrain the company has ever made with a V8 engine.
Apparently the output has not yet been determined, as Bentley only states that the V8 hybrid will have “more than” 740 hp. The press release states that this is “the highest performance ever offered in a Bentley.” the Batur also had 740 hp from its W12 – if the hybrid has even 1 hp more, Bentley can probably claim that. That’s at least 90 hp more than the W12 in its most powerful speed version. Bentley also says the hybrid will have “four-digit torque,” although it’s unclear whether that’s in Newton meters or pound-feet.
This V8 hybrid will also have an electric range of more than 50 miles, almost three times as much as the existing Flying Spur and Bentayga hybrids, which use a V6 engine. It is likely that the Bentley setup is very similar to that of the new Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which produces 670 horsepower and has a range of about 40 miles with its 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8, electric motor and 25.9 kWh battery pack. Bentley says the powertrain will use “electric supercharging” to deliver its increased power, but we have no further details.
Bentley hasn’t provided a sound clip under the embargo, but the release goes into a bit of detail about what we can expect this new powertrain to sound like:
The character of the new engine is also revealed today with the release of an engine sound clip that reveals an exquisite combination of cross-plane bass and free-revving growl. This represents one end of the audio spectrum that the powertrain offers; the exact opposite of the absolute silence that the system offers in electric mode.
The V8 hybrid will debut with the redesigned Continental GT, which launches later this summer, and an updated Flying Spur will follow shortly thereafter. While the Bentayga is unlikely to receive a major facelift – as it did a few years ago – it will also receive this new hybrid setup.
