Take a good look. It’s the last one!

Bentley celebrated the production of the last example of an engine that marked its history, the W12.

At its launch, few would have bet on the production of a final example 20 years later. Imagine the combination of two narrow-angle V6 engines from Volkswagen sharing a common crankshaft to produce a block that is 24% shorter than a conventional V12! And yet the numbers are staggering, with over 100,000 W12 blocks produced since the introduction of the engine in the original Continental GT in 2003. This noble and complex internal combustion engine, based on four banks of 3 cylinders, had no chance of surviving the implementation of Bentley’s Beyond100 plan. This plan has no other ambition than to enable the company to become a global leader in sustainable luxury mobility. So imagine our poor fire-breathing 12-cylinder engine with two turbos, still thirsty for gasoline, in this emission-free future…

The Last of a Blessed Era

The 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 has already found its successor in the new Continental GT. This new high-performance hybrid powertrain from Bentley, with a power output of 782 hp and 1,000 Nm of torque, combines a powerful V8 combustion engine with finely-tuned battery technology. The unit develops even more power than the soon-to-be-retired W12, but most notably has a CO2 emission rate in the WLTP cycle of just 50 g/km. That’s nearly 4 times less than its predecessor; the battle was lost from the start.

But a star on the decline must know how to make a graceful exit. To celebrate the W12, Bentley has announced a limited series of 120 “Speed Edition 12” models for the Bentayga, Continental GT, Continental GT Cabriolet, and Flying Spur. Unique features include a specific Edition 12 emblem, embroidered seats, and especially a numbered chassis and engine. Owners will also receive a commemorative model of the W12 engine block that powers their car.

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