Bentley, the world’s leading luxury car brand, today announced that it will end the production of its iconic W12-engine by April 2024. The British automaker took this decision citing the importance of a cleaner tomorrow. It already revealed the Beyond100 strategy to electrify the entire lineup by the next decade but before we move ahead, Bentley has got some serious plans that the automotive world should be aware of.
Wondering what the marque is up to? Here are all the details related to it below.
HIGHLIGHTS:
- Bentley will be discontinuing its iconic W12 engine soon.
- Batur will get the most powerful iteration of the same.
- By 2024, the automaker is planning to stop its production.
Bentley’s W12 Engine: End of an Era
Bentley Batur: One Last Hurrah
This is the ultimate development of the already powerful W12 engine. Last time when Batur was revealed, the carmaker boasted that it will be powered by the same engine but with several changes to extract the most out of it. Under Paul Williams, Chief Technical Officer, Bentley, the craftsmen tested the engine and mind you, the output from the same motor now stands at a massive 750PS and 1000Nm. It’s unbelievable but you heard that right!
Coming to the changes that have been made. Firstly, the compressors of the turbocharger have been revised from scratch to improve overall efficiency. Similarly, ducts that push air inside are now larger by 33 per cent allowing more inflow per hour. Several calibrations and new components inside out along with a new transmission have further helped the team at Crewe, England to achieve this amazing feat.
How did the brand’s W12 engine evolve?
Back in 2002, Bentley created a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine that we have witnessed on several models. The brand proudly claims that the engine with a W layout is 24 per cent shorter than a similar V12 motor resulting in better packaging.
The current generation of the power unit was introduced in Betayga in 2015. Since then, it has received several updates in the form of a stronger crankcase, a new cooling system, alloy steel-coated bores and cylinders among others.
Some more news on the W12
After the introduction of the Beyond100 strategy that aims at converting the entire lineup to an electric one by the next decade, Bentley has already started pushing hybrid powertrains as the first step. As we know, Bentayga and Flying Spur are already available with such hybrid powertrains, other models are expected to get similar treatment soon.
Then what about the legendary W12 engines? Well, Bentley will be discontinuing it in 2024 but till then several models will still be available with the same. The automaker has confirmed that all 18 units of Batur are already sold. So, just in case someone wishes to own a Bentley with a W12 engine, they can go for the other models for sure.
Finally, the W12 motor which is available on the Batur is the last hurrah but have you ever seen legends die? They don’t. Here’s Bentley’s most iconic engine signing off.