Bentley is changing its W12 engine with a plug-in hybrid—and allow us to strive it

BARCELONA—The times of huge engines are numbered, even for large spenders. Proudly owning a GT that permits you to drive throughout Europe in a day in cosseted luxurious means little or no should you’re not allowed to drive it into the town you are meant to be visiting, in any case. Low emissions zones are both a reality of life or on the way in which in most of the extra fascinating city postcodes, and even right here within the US, we’re about to start out getting fairly robust on gas effectivity. Which is why Bentley is saying goodbye to its W12-powered Continental GT Pace and changing it with a brand new plug-in hybrid as an alternative.

The W12 engine has turn out to be one thing of a trademark for Bentley within the Twenty first century. For a few years, Bentleys have been primarily simply badge-engineered Rolls-Royces, whereas each corporations have been owned by the plane maker Vickers. However VW group took management of Bentley in 1998—BMW bought Rolls-Royce—and it was time for one thing recent.

Initially developed inside guardian firm Volkswagen Group to be used within the all-aluminum Audi A8, the W12 design primarily mated a pair of narrow-angle V6 engines as used within the Golf VR6 to create a compact and highly effective multi-cylinder engine for these clients in search of a powertrain a bit much less frequent than a V8.

The primary W12-powered Bentley was the Continental GT, a automotive that took inspiration from Bentley’s archives to create a totally fashionable two-door coupe able to carrying 4 adults at as much as 200 mph (321 km/h). That automotive debuted in 2003, and since then, the Continental GT has confirmed to be a success—the corporate has offered virtually 100,000 to this point.

Bentley aspires to turn out to be the world’s most sustainable luxurious automaker, investing in a brand new paint store and different enhancements at its manufacturing facility in Crewe, England, to assist make that occur. Switching the Continental GT Pace over to a plug-in powertrain is one other step, and the corporate is happy with reaching a WLTP ranking of 36 g/CO₂ per mile for the brand new automotive.

Whereas the plug-in hybrid powertrain is new to Bentley, we’ve got already encountered this mixture of turbocharged 4.0 L V8 and electrical motor in the brand new Porsche Panamera. (Sure, within the Twenty first century, Bentley nonetheless has to share toys with its stablemates.) Mixed output is a big 771 hp (575 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm), able to hurling this Bentley from a standstill to 62 mph (100 km/h) in simply 3.2 seconds. Energy and torque go to all 4 wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

By itself, the V8—which makes use of single-scroll turbochargers for every financial institution of its V—generates 584 hp (435 kW) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm). The electrical motor, which is mounted between the engine and the dual-clutch transmission, contributes 188 hp (140 kW) and as much as 332 lb-ft (450 Nm). The lithium-ion traction battery within the GT Pace has the identical 25.9 kWh capability because the Panamera’s pack, and right here it lives above the rear axle for higher weight distribution.

Bentley is not prepared to indicate off the fourth-generation Continental GT till late June, so I am not allowed to let you know something about the way in which it seems when not coated in camo wrap till then. The truth that the vehicles have been nonetheless prototypes explains why we weren’t allowed to drive them on the highway both—simply on the circuit at Castelloli, a slightly fascinating observe with 12 corners, loads of elevation change, and even a crossover.