Tag Archives: Bentley

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Bentley postpones electrification plan for mid-2030

Bentley is another in a series of manufacturers abandoning their original plan to electrify their cars quickly. After Volvo recently did the same, now Bentley is facing reality and putting its focus on hybrids.

Four years ago, the British company announced that it plans to sell only plug-in hybrid or electric vehicles from 2026, and switch to all-electric models from the end of the decade. However, with the arrival of the new Chairman and CEO Frank-Steffen Walliser, Bentley is changing its strategy. The new plan is to adopt hybrid technology as a medium-term strategic plan, because in the luxury segment customers still prefer internal combustion engines.

Walliser acknowledged that adoption of EV technology has been slower than many in the industry expected. But unlike other manufacturers that can produce electric and gasoline versions at the same time, Bentley cannot afford to do so.

Bentley is not giving up on electric cars, so the new goal is 2035, when the brand should become fully electric, and the first fully electric Bentley should reach the market in 2027. It will not be an electric version of the existing model, but a completely new car.

Source: Bentley

Hybrid

2025 Bentley Flying Spur Speed

In 2005, Bentley began production of its full-size car, the Flying Spur. Almost two decades later, the fourth generation of this model arrived on the market as the ultra-luxury sedan Bentley Flying Spur Speed.

At first glance, many will say that this generation is identical to the previous one. However, the Speed ​​is still different from the previous model. It is equipped with Bentley Performance Active chassis, four-wheel steering system, Bentley Dynamic Ride suspension, active torque distribution system and electronically controlled limited slip differential. All this allows for better handling in aggressive driving, but also significantly improved comfort when cruising, and the driver can choose between Comfort, Bentley or Sport mode.

Bentley offers many different configurations, colors and shade combinations, 700 leather combinations, wood choices and much more. Passengers can now enjoy front seats with an integrated Active Bat Transducers system, Wellness Seating Specification for all four seats, which ensures passengers stay relaxed and refreshed. This function together with body position adjustment and automatic seat climate ensures maximum comfort by optimizing body temperature and also adjusts the pressure on the muscles to eliminate fatigue during long drives. There is also a Naim system with 19 speakers and a power of 2,200W, an air conditioning system with air ionizers, a particle filter and smart integration with the navigation system. Over-the-air upgrades will bring new features including a “green light prediction” system to help the driver navigate urban environments more easily.

When it comes to the powertrain, Bentley ditched the 600 hp 6.0-liter W12 engine and replaced it with a new plug-in hybrid 4.0-L V8 twin-turbo engine with 600 hp (441 kW) and a single electric motor (190 hp/140 kW) with a total output of 782 hp (575 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque. That’s enough to accelerate the Speed ​​from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, which is 0.3 seconds slower than the old model. It is equipped with a 25.9 kWh battery that enables a range of 76 kilometers. The battery can be fully charged in 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Source: Bentley

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News

This is the last Bentley W12 engine ever built

In February 2023, Bentley officially announced that it is abandoning the W12 engine, which powers more than 105,000 Bentleys. The last example of this powerful hand-assembled engine was displayed at Bentley headquarters a few days ago.

It all started 21 years ago when the Continental GT Coupé was revealed, and with it a 6.0L turbo W12 engine. “When we first launched the W12 back in 2003, we knew we had a powerful engine that would propel both our cars and brand forwards at speed. Twenty years and more than 100,000 W12s later, the time has come to retire this now-iconic powertrain as we take strides towards electrification – but not without giving it the best send-off possible with the most powerful version of the engine ever created,” said Bentley chairman Adrian Hallmark.

All this time, the W12 engine was significantly more compact and lighter than the classic V12 engine. Now its place will be taken by a 4.0L V8 biturbo engine assisted by a hybrid system with 790 hp (589 kW) and 737 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque.

The last Bentley that had the honor of being powered by this engine was the Bentley Batur, thus ending the period in the production of powerful engines. Only 16 examples of this model were produced, and all of them were sold in a short time at a price of 2 million dollars.

Source: Bentley

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This is the last Bentley W12 engine ever built