Bentley, the British luxury car brand, has announced that it will be ending production of its flagship 12-cylinder engine, marking a significant shift towards electrification. This move makes Bentley the first luxury car brand to call time on the technology that has been considered the pinnacle of engineering in the combustion era.
The 12-cylinder engine, which is much larger than the standard three or four in most petrol cars, and even larger than the V8 engines common in high-performance cars, gave Bentley’s models their signature effortless power. However, the last batch of the current engine, which was first released in 2003 and has seen over 100,000 manufactured, will roll off the production line in April 2024, underlining the growing pace of the switch to electric.
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While Bentley’s rivals, such as Rolls-Royce and Ferrari, are still planning to offer the technology for several years, they are also planning to roll out electric models as the top end of the industry charts a course towards decarbonisation. Luxury car brands have been generally slower to introduce battery models, as their customers can often afford several cars and do not want to compromise on range. However, Bentley is aiming to take the lead among established luxury names for offering more environmentally friendly alternatives, even though current well-heeled customers are still able to afford models using larger engines.
“The time has come to retire this now iconic powertrain as we take strides towards electrification,” said Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark. The shift towards electrification “means making changes to every area of Bentley Motors,” he added. Although it is preparing to sell its first electric model later this year, Rolls-Royce offers only 12-cylinder petrol engines in its line-up. Ferrari has some smaller V8 and V6 engines but still fits the larger engine into flagship models such as the Purosangue.
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Bentley said it would make its first battery electric model in 2026, a year after promised battery models from Ferrari and Aston Martin. Rolls-Royce has one electric model, the Spectre, which is due to be delivered late this year. Bentley is planning to electrify its entire line-up by the start of the next decade, with the aim of reducing its average emissions to zero.
About 30 staff that hand-build and test the W12 engine, which is named after its shape, will be retrained and redeployed across the business. The British group plans a limited run of Batur models, which will house the engine. It will also offer a small number of current models with the engine before the phaseout date as well.
The brand, which is owned by Volkswagen, will still sell cars with V8 and V6 engines and offer hybrid models on all future cars from next year. Bentley said demand for hybrid versions of its Bentayga and Flying Spur models was “already exceeding expectations”. It added that constant improvements to the W12 meant that power is 37% higher than two decades ago, while emissions are 25% lower.
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Bentley’s decision to end production of its flagship 12-cylinder engine represents a significant move towards electrification and demonstrates the brand’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. As the luxury car industry charts a course towards decarbonisation, other brands are expected to follow Bentley’s lead and transition towards electric models.
