More than 100,000 W12s have been produced since the engine was introduced in the original Continental GT in 2003. The milestone decision to cease production is in line with Bentley’s Beyond100 strategy, which will see the company become a global leader in sustainable luxury mobility.
To mark this special occasion, a commemorative lunch for the W12 assembly and R&D teams was held at Bentley’s Heritage Garage in Crewe. Guests then gathered to form part of a W12 portrait photograph in the Pyms Lane Plaza. Assembly colleagues were also presented with the gift of a commemorative W12 engine piston to cherish the moment.
Andreas Lehe, Member of the Board for Manufacturing at Bentley Motors, said:
“The W12 has played such an important role in the history of Bentley that it was only right for us to celebrate the engine’s retirement with those linked to this powerplant. 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.”
The 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 will be replaced with an all-new, performance-focused powertrain to mark the start of a new era for the company. That Ultra High Performance Hybrid will combine a V8 combustion engine with advanced battery technology. ‘Electrocharging’ uses a potent hybrid system and builds further on Bentley’s existing petrol-electric powertrains.
The most powerful engine ever used in a Bentley will power a new generation of sports cars. Every model in the Bentley range will be available with the new electrified powertrain. The unit delivers even more power than the retiring W12, combined with a low WLTP cycle CO2 figure of just 50g/km.
Source: Bentley
