Bentley bids cheerio to W12 engine, more than 100,000 units built since 2003

BENTLEY has constructed its last W12 engine, signalling the end of the era of the 12-cylinder engine that has been the beating heart of the Bentayga, Continental GT, and Flying Spur.

According to Bentley, over 100,000 units of the W12 engine have been hand-built at its Dream Factory in Crewe, England since it was introduced in the original Continental GT in 2003.

Essentially, the engine is a combination of two narrow-angle V6 engines sharing a common crankshaft, making it 24% shorter than a conventional V12 engine.

With new intake, exhaust, turbocharging and intercooling systems developed in-house by Bentley’s engineers, the engine developed 552 hp and 649 Nm of torque in its early days.

Thanks to continuous improvements, including the use of twin-scroll turbocharging in 2015, the iconic engine is now capable of delivering 740 hp and 1,000 Nm, as seen in the Batur.

As a toast to the engine for one last time, Bentley offered 120 units of the “Speed Edition 12” models for Bentayga, Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible and Flying Spur.

Unique features include Edition 12 badging, treadplates, seat embroidery, fascia inlays, and numbered engine plaque. Owners also received a commemorative scale model of the W12 engine block.

The decision to end W12 engine production is in line with Bentley’s Beyond100 strategy, which focuses on sustainability.

Taking over the baton is the new Ultra High Performance Hybrid powertrain, which combines a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine and an electric motor sandwiched between the mill and transmission.

The new engine has a total power output of 771 hp (782 PS) and 1,000 Nm, and will make its debut in the 2025 Continental GT Speed.