- Bentley will end production of the W-12 engine next year, in April 2024.
- The Batur serves as a sendoff for the engine and has a version with 740 horsepower.
- The Continental GT, Flying Spur, and Bentayga are also currently offered with the twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12.
Bentley will stop production of the W-12 engine at its factory in Crewe, U.K., in April 2024, marking the end of the line for the VW Group's unconventional 12-cylinder powertrain that was introduced more than 20 years ago. Once the W-12 departs the production line, Bentley says it will be replaced with V-8 and V-6 hybrid production as the company continues to transition its lineup towards hybrids and EVs.
Essentially made up of two VR6 engines, the W-12 has been around since the early 2000s in various forms. Besides the wide range of Bentley models in which it's available, including the Continental GT, the Flying Spur, and the Bentayga, it was previously offered in other VW Group vehicles such as the Audi A8 and Volkswagen Phaeton.
Bentley views the Batur as the sendoff for the W-12, as that model features the most powerful version of the engine, with a new confirmed output of 740 horsepower and 737 pound-feet of torque (up from the 729 horsepower originally claimed). However, it's already sold out, and the company warns interested customers that few order slots remain for other Bentley models equipped with the W-12.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
