Bentley has announced that its iconic W12 engine – an engine that has seen sterling work for the company over two decades and is to be retired this year – will be succeeded by an all-new, performance-focused, V8 hybrid powertrain.
Christened the ‘Ultra Performance Hybrid’, the new powertrain will, the company says, be the most advanced and most powerful powertrain in Bentley’s 105-year history.
The new system builds on Bentley’s existing hybrid powertrains but goes further in performance and efficiency, with the company claiming it delivers more than 552kW and an 80km electric-only range.
That represents at least a 67kW power boost over the W12 engine previously offered in the Flying Spur and GT W12 Speed derivatives.
Bentley said it will also deliver a WLTP drive cycle CO2 figure of under 50 g/km.
More details will be forthcoming in the next few weeks, but a few images, and a sneak preview of how the Hybrid powertrain sounds should be enough to keep Bentley enthusiasts happy for now.
Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (June 2024)
17 June 2024