Bentley is replacing its biggest gas-guzzler with a powerful, new hybrid engine
The British ultra-luxury brand's new hybrid has more power than its outgoing 12-cylinder monster
If recently revealed sports cars like the Lamborghini Urus SE and the Mercedes-AMG GT 63 S E PERFORMANCE can't convince you that hybrids can be cool cars, British marque Bentley might finally be able to make you think twice.
Its latest creation is a turbocharged plug-in hybrid powertrain designed to do nothing but give the most discerning buyers the rides of their lives.
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Dubbed the "Ultra Performance Hybrid," the Volkswagen-owned (VLKAF) brand's latest creation is not a new car, but the replacement for its storied W12 — a big, beautiful twelve-cylinder motor that held the crown as the brand's most powerful engine.
Few details were given about the specific components that make up the hybrid powertrain that replaces the outgoing motor, but the crown jewel of the setup is a powerful V8 engine at its core. In its statement, Bentley called the use of plug-in hybrid technology ‘electrocharging,' and compared it to past technologies that eked out more power, such as supercharging in the 1920s 'Blower Bentleys,' as well as the brand's first turbocharged engines in the 1980s. Bentley
The result of using this newfangled electic tech is what the company boasts as "the most advanced and most powerful powertrain in Bentley’s 105-year history." Bentley's new V8 plug-in pumps out a dizzying 739 horsepower — about 90 more than the twin-turbo W12 engine it replaces, as well as torque figures near the "four figure range" in Newton meters (about 738 in lb-ft).
In comparison, the four-liter, twin-turbo V8 Bentley Continental GT S V8 that I drove produces a conservative 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque; which would make the new hybrid engine a mighty upgrade.
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Additionally, Bentley also boasts that the electrified engine will feature 50 miles of all-electric range, which would enable customers to take small trips out to town without turning on the engine.
Though it might seem that Bentley has seemed to neuter the character and the rich, deep bass tone of its powerful V8 engine, the marque said that the new hybrid exerts a sound that is a "exquisite combination of cross-plane bass with a free-revving growl."
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The new powertrain is part of Bentley's efforts to evolve towards full electrification, where every model is set to be offered as a hybrid model by 2026. Currently, Bentley offers plug-in hybrid powertrains on its Bentayga SUV, as well as the Flying Spur sedan in the form of a 2.9 liter V6 hybrid.
In a statement to TheStreet, a representative from Bentley said that the new powertrains will be initially fitted onto Bentley's high performance Continental GT Speed model, as well as the Continental GTC Speed convertible — replacing its twin-turbocharged W12 engines.
Bentley says that additional details about its new electrified platform will come very soon.
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