We knew before that the Bentley W12 engine had an expiration date, but it’s coming sooner than expected. Bentley revealed today that the last W12 engine it will produce will be produced in April 2024. Only a year and a few months away!
Previously, Bentley made it clear that it would only sell PHEVs and EVs by 2026, implying that the W12 is dead. Now that the end of production in 2024 is set, it won’t last long enough to hit the 2026 limit. Since the 6.0-litre twin-turbo unit was introduced in 2003, Bentley will build more than 105,000 examples of the W12 engine as the end date approaches. Each of these engines is handcrafted by a team of artisans – Bentley says each takes about 6.5 hours to complete.
Which Bentley models will these final W12s be offered, you ask? Bentley’s real celebration happened with the Batur, a coupe based on the Continental GT’s small Mulliner coach. The final validation of the Batur version of the W12, which has just concluded, is the most powerful yet, with 740 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque. Compared to the W12 found in other Bentley models, the Batur features a redesigned intake, exhaust and cooling system and revised engine calibration. Unfortunately, all 18 Baturs (pictured below) have already been sold out.
If you still want the W12, Bentley says it has a limited number of orders left for the Continental GT Speed, Bentayga Speed and Flying Spur Speed. Plus, Bentley will let you specify it in a Continental GT Mulliner or Flying Spur Mulliner. Between now and production completion, no other new Bentley orders will be compatible with the W12. The company warns that there are only a limited number of build slots left, so anyone still on the fence who wants a W12 should act quickly.
Over the years, Bentley says the W12 has 37 percent more power, 54 percent more torque and 25 percent fewer emissions. The biggest change came in 2015 when Bentley “fundamentally” redesigned the engine for the launch of the Bentayga SUV.
As of today, 30 people are involved in the engine assembly process.Bentley says it aims to retrain all 30 employees and redeploy them to different roles once the W12 is discontinued
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