Because all good things eventually come to an end, Bentley will retire the W-12 engine this summer. Introduced this week, the Batur Convertible is the last hurrah for the twelve-cylinder behemoth. What comes after? A downsized and electrified internal combustion engine. The luxury brand from Crewe is announcing the “Ultra Performance Hybrid” as its new flagship powertrain.
Replacing the venerable 6.0-liter, twin-turbo engine, the hybrid setup is based on a V-8 gasoline engine. Despite having four fewer cylinders, the new ICE promises to deliver even more power. However, this statement only applies if you factor in the electric motor. Bentley says the combined output will exceed the 740-horsepower output available in the Batur Coupe/Convertible. At the same time, it’s an extra 89 hp over the Flying Spur Speed and Continental GT Speed models.
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The exact amount of torque isn’t mentioned but the number will have four figures. Bentley is referring to 1,000 Newton meters, which works out to 738 pound-feet. It’s going to be available over a wider rpm range compared to the outgoing W-12. We’ll remind you that the Batur has 738 lb-ft of twist from 1,750 to 5,000 rpm.
Bentley mentions the Ultra Performance Hybrid will be its “most dynamic, most responsive” powertrain ever. It’ll also be “the most efficient” thanks to hybrid technology. An unspecified battery pack will be good for 50 miles of electric range. That figure is based on the WLTP cycle, so an equivalent EPA rating is likely to be lower.
Touted as a performance-focused hybrid V8, the new hardware won’t be the first electrified setup from Bentley. The 2.9-liter V6 hybrid has been around for years. In the Flying Spur, this PHEV configuration is rated at 536 hp and 553 lb-ft combined.
Bentley will use its Ultra Performance Hybrid in a new family of “daily supercars” without the W-12. The old engine has been built in 105,000 examples over the last 20 years, during which it gained almost 40 percent more power. Fuel consumption went down by 25 percent, but the new hybrid V-8 aims to deliver even greater efficiency.
The all-electric future has been pushed back. Bentley had originally planned to offer only EVs from 2030 but the new target is 2033. In addition, the first zero-emission model has been delayed by about a year. It’s now scheduled to be revealed in late 2026 and head to customers in 2027.
Bentley is not the only high-end brand from the Volkswagen Group to gradually move away from large-displacement engines. Audi has already killed the V-10 by retiring the R8 supercar. Lamborghini will follow suit later this year with the Huracan replacement packing a plug-in hybrid V8. However, the Sant’Agata Bolognese company still has the big V-12 in the Revuelto.
VW phased out the V-8 diesel from the Touareg a few years ago, and so did Bentley by discontinuing the TDI-powered Bentayga equipped with the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbo engine. Bugatti is killing the Chiron and its mighty W-16 but the next hypercar from Molsheim will rock a newly developed V-16 hybrid engine instead.