Bentley Set To Phase Out Its Signature W12 Engine By 2024

Bentley will reportedly end production of its famed W12 engine after producing the most powerful iteration of which ever for the Bentley Batur ultra-limited-edition special.

The marque has confirmed this week that production of the twin-turbocharged unit will cease in April 2024 as the British marque looks to ramp up its Beyond100 strategy that calls for the full electrification of every Bentley model by 2030.

With the W12 retired, the flying-B marque will then focus efforts on both its twin-turbo V8 and V6 hybrid line-up. The brand will do so by converting its W12 engine production line to an “expanded area” for both these powertrains.

First introduced in 2003, the 6.0-litre twin-turbo unit featuring a unique ‘W’ arrangement of its 12 cylinders has gone on to power a number of key models such as the Continental GT and GTC, the Flying Spur limousine, as well as the  highly popular Bentayga SUV.

Once production ends next year, Bentley can marvel at the fact that it has produced over 100,000 examples of which. Reports further indicate that the final batch of Bentley’s 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 will go on to power the Mulliner-crafted Batur special, of which just 18 will be built.

These units bound for the Batur will sport updated intakes, exhaust, and cooling system that bumps output to 740 HP and 1,000 NM, the latter from as low as 1,750 RPM. In fact, this also makes it the most powerful combustion engine ever fitted into a production Bentley.

"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.

Sold-out Batur limited-run special aside, Bentley expects orders for W12 variants of the Continental and the Flying Spur to close in Dec this year, with demand being high. The brand also encourages clients to place their orders as soon as possible. Once the W12 is gone, it’s not coming back.

Beyond this, Bentley aims to retrain and redeploy up to 30 craftspeople that hand-assembled and tested each W12 engine at its factory in Crewe, UK. They will now focus on the marque’s hybrid powertrains, including a potentially more powerful new PHEV system.

As a result, every model in Bentley’s will see a PHEV option available by 2025, much like the new Flying Spur Hybrid that launched locally not too long ago.