Bentley’s W12 engine to be phased out, as company accelerates its move towards a sustainable future

Batur 750PS Engine

(IN BRIEF) Bentley Motors has announced that it will stop production of its 12-cylinder petrol engine by April 2024, as part of its commitment towards a more sustainable future under its Beyond100 strategy. The move will see the entire model line-up of Bentley fully electrified by the start of the next decade. The decision to end the production of the W12 engine was made to reduce fleet average emissions to zero grams of CO2 per km. When the production of the W12 engine ends next year, Bentley’s entire model range will have the option of a hybrid powertrain. The engine, which powered Bentley’s vehicles for the last 20 years, will be replaced by a more sustainable alternative. However, Bentley isn’t ending production of the W12 engine without a bang. The development of the most powerful version of the W12 engine has been completed, and it will power 18 handcrafted Bentley Batur cars. The new engine version will develop 750 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque.

(PRESS RELEASE) CREWE, 22-Feb-2023 — /EuropaWire/ — Bentley Motors Limited, hand building cars for over a century and the most sought-after luxury car brand in the world part of Volkswagen Group, has announced that it will stop production of its iconic 12-cylinder W12 petrol engine in April 2024. The company will have crafted more than 100,000 of these engines by that time. The decision is part of Bentley’s Beyond100 sustainability strategy, which aims to fully electrify the automaker’s entire model lineup by the start of the next decade. This transition has already begun with the introduction of the hybrid-powered Bentayga and Flying Spur models.

By the time production of the W12 engine ceases next year, Bentley’s complete lineup of models will offer a hybrid powertrain option. The company is retraining and redeploying its skilled craftspeople who assemble and test the W12 engine to produce other engines for plug-in hybrid models.

Meanwhile, Bentley has developed a more powerful version of the W12 engine, the most powerful iteration of the engine that the automaker has ever created. It will power the 18 examples of the Bentley Batur to be handcrafted by Mulliner. This ultimate version of the W12 engine delivers 750 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque, with peak power at 5,500 rpm. The uprated engine has undergone a series of durability tests and will equip the most powerful road-going Bentley ever built.

Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, comments:

“Our progressive journey towards sustainable luxury mobility means making changes to every area of Bentley Motors. When we first launched the W12 back in 2003, we knew we had a mighty engine that would propel both our cars and the brand forwards at speed. 20 years and more than 100,000 W12s later, the time has come to retire this now-iconic powertrain as we take strides towards electrification – but not without giving it the best send-off possible, with the most powerful version of the engine ever created.

“The 750 PS titan that Mulliner has created for the Batur marks the end of a development journey of which our engineering and manufacturing colleagues should be extremely proud, and when production finishes in April next year we aim to retrain and redeploy all of the skilled craftspeople who still build each engine by hand.”

Bentley has continually improved the performance of the 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine since its first introduction in 2003. The power has increased by 37%, torque by 54%, while emissions have been reduced by 25%. The engine underwent a complete redesign from the sump up for the launch of the Bentayga in 2015. It features cylinder deactivation, direct and port injection, and twin-scroll turbos.

Bentley’s aim is to make its fleet completely electrified by the start of the next decade, thereby reducing fleet average emissions to 0 g/km CO2. The company’s commitment to sustainability supports the European Union’s aim of having 5G in all populated areas by 2030.

For those interested in owning one of the last W12-powered Speed and Mulliner models, Bentley advises to contact their retailer with haste as demand is expected to be high.

Mulliner’s Batur Showcases Most Powerful W12 Engine Yet

Mulliner, Bentley’s coach-building division, has developed the most powerful version of the 12-cylinder W12 engine in the company’s history. The new engine is rated at 750 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque, making it the most potent powertrain ever installed in a Bentley. The revised design of the engine’s intake, exhaust, and cooling systems has resulted in increased power and torque. The turbocharger compressors are newly designed, and the ducts feeding air to them are larger. The larger charge-air coolers also reject more heat, lowering intake temperature and creating a denser charge for more power. The new engine and turbocharging system is coupled with a heavily revised engine calibration to liberate additional torque, and the complete engine system is paired with a new transmission calibration to deploy the extra power and torque while enhancing the driving experience.

Bentley’s renowned 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, developed in 2002, has evolved into the latest iteration of W12 engines, now used across the current model range. The engine’s unique W-configuration allows for it to be 24% shorter than a V12, maximizing cabin space while benefiting packaging.

Launched in 2015, the latest generation of W12 is found in the Bentayga, with significant improvements made to the engine’s crankcase, cylinder surfaces, and cooling system. The W12 combines high-pressure direct fuel injection with low-pressure port injection to maximize refinement, lower particulate emissions, and optimize power and torque delivery.

Bentley’s Variable Displacement system improves the engine’s efficiency by shutting down half of the engine under defined conditions, running as a six-cylinder in gears three to eight, below 3,000 rpm and up to 300 Nm torque output. The latest generation W12’s twin-scroll turbochargers minimize response time and provide a more efficient exhaust package.

Media contacts:

JONATHAN SMEDLEY
Product Communications Manager
jonathan.smedley@bentley.co.uk
+44 (0) 7958 058427

MIKE SAYER
Head of Product Communications
mike.sayer@bentley.co.uk
+44 (0) 1270 535133

SOURCE: Bentley Motors