End of the W12 chapter in Bentley’s history

With the last W12-powered Bentayga, Continental GT and Flying Spur cars roll off the production line at the Bentley, a pivotal chapter in Bentley’s history ends. It has been 20 years since the engine was introduced in the original Continental GT, during which time more than 100,000 W12 engines have been hand-built.

20 years of excellence in engineering
The W12 was created to offer the refinement and power of a 12-cylinder engine without excessive size. In essence, two narrow-angle V6 engines sharing a common crankshaft, the compact W12 is 24% shorter than a conventional V12.

Each W12 engine was hand-built, a process taking around 7 hours and requiring the meticulous assembly of 2,600 separate components. Pistons and conrods were paired in balanced sets to fractions of a gram so that the finished engine would spin smoothly enough to pass the famed ‘coin test’ and deliver optimum power and reliability.

The second generation
The introduction of the Bentayga in 2015 saw a complete redesign of the W12, the result of 3 years of design, development and testing. Twin-scroll turbochargers delivered faster response and immediate torque; two different fuel systems ensured no compromise between performance and emissions; and – crucially for Bentayga’s off-road performance – the engine was tested to perform at tilt angles of up to 35 degrees in any direction.

Under part or trailing throttle, cylinder deactivation completely shut down one bank of 6 cylinders for greater fuel efficiency. The new W12 replaced its predecessor across the model range, including Bentayga, Continental GT, Continental GT Convertible and Flying Spur.

Setting records and benchmarks
Though never intended as a competition unit, the W12 has claimed some significant records during its 20 years in production. In 2007, 4-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen claimed the outright World Ice Speed Record in a Continental GT, hitting 199.98 mph (322 km/h) on a cleared stretch of frozen sea in the Bay of Bothnia.

He returned in 2011 in a 621 bhp Continental Supersports Convertible and raised the bar to 205.48 mph (330 km/h). Four years later, in 2015, actor Idris Elba set a new ‘flying mile’ UK Land Speed Record at Pendine Sands, recording 180.361mph (290.4 km/h) at the wheel of a Continental GT Speed.

In 2018, Rhys Millen set a new Production SUV record at the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb in  Colorado, USA. Driving a W12 Bentayga, the 2-time winner completed the 19-km course in just 10.49.9, averaging 107 km/h and taking almost 2 minutes off the previous benchmark.

Millen returned in 2019 with a W12-powered Continental GT Speed and set a new Pikes Peak Production Car record, setting a time of 10 minutes and 18.488 seconds, averaging an astonishing 113 km/h and beating the previous record by 8.4 seconds.

The most successful 12-cylinder engine
With over 100,000 engines still powering Bentleys worldwide, the W12 can claim to be the most successful 12-cylinder engine of the modern era. During its life, constant development saw a 34% increase in power and 54% increase in torque whilst simultaneously achieving a 25% decrease in CO2 emissions.

“The engine’s introduction helped change the face of the company almost overnight and so will go down in history as a true game-changer and we should feel very proud to have designed, developed and manufactured such an icon in Britain for such a long period of time,” said Andreas Lehe, Member of the Board for Manufacturing at Bentley Motors.

The next ‘Electrocharged’ engine
The W12 will be replaced with an all-new, performance-focused powertrain to mark the start of a new era for the company. It is the Ultra High Performance Hybrid which will combine a powerful V8 combustion engine with advanced battery technology. ‘Electrocharging’ uses a potent hybrid system and builds further on Bentley’s existing petrol-electric powertrains.

Producing the highest ever output – 782 ps/1,000 Nm – offered in any Bentley, this powertrain will drive a new generation of the most dynamic, responsive and efficient supercars the company has ever built. Every model in the Bentley range will become available with the new electrified powertrain, which will develop even more power than the retired W12.

Bentley Continental GT Speed starts 4th generation