Whenever the name Bentley is brought up, the synonymous feature would definitely be the W12 engine. According to a senior Bentley manager, they plan to continue making W12 engines, even if they’re the last manufacturer to do so.
Currently, Bentley manufactures W12 engines for the Volkswagen Group, but uses a majority of it. Future developments for W12 engines will also be headed by Bentley. Sources within the company has also mentioned that they will switch to direct injection for their 6.0L twin turbocharged engines.
Bentley’s W12 was first used back in the early 2000s, when the Audi A8 and Volkswagen Phaeton was launched. Before that, W12 engines were used for older F1 cars. A bit later on, the Bentley Continental and Flying Spur also gotten the W12 treatment, and that made Bentley synonymous with their W12 engines. As of last year, Bentley made 5000 units of the W12 engines. Coupled with the upcoming Bentley SUV’s launch, this number is set to rise to about 9000 units annually.
Production increase aside, Bentley is also likely to further increase the horsepower of their W12 engines. However, the increment may not be a lot, since they are limited by the amount of torque their gearbox can actually handle.
