Bentley has declared it will end manufacturing its famed W12 engine next year. In April of 2024, production of the 12-cylinder Bentley will end, but the hybrid and V8 engine options will continue.
The W12 was first presented to the public in 2003, and to this day, more than 100,000 have been manufactured.
Steps toward electrification
Bentley has stated that it intends to make “steps toward electrification,” The company plans to invest £2.5 billion ($2.64 billion) to convert its lineup to electric vehicles for the next decade.
The British marque’s first all-electric car is due in 2025 and will be a luxury coupe based on the EXP 100 GT concept.
The Chief Executive Officer of Bentley, Adrian Hallmark, has stated that the company’s first electric vehicle will have up to 1,400 horsepower and can accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour in only 1.5 seconds.
If the electric Bentley could accelerate from 0 to 60 miles per hour quickly, it would easily take the title of the world’s fastest accelerating car, besting the 1.85-second time of the Rimac Nevera.
0-60 mph in 2.7 seconds option
However, Hallmark also suggested that customers will have the choice of a “slower 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds” if they discover the fastest setting to be uncomfortably quick.
When asked about the cost of the electric coupe, Hallmark stated that it would begin at “more than €250,000 ($263,840).” Given its price, it will occupy the most prestigious spot in Bentley’s lineup.
Following the release of Bentley’s first electric vehicle in 2025, the carmaker intends to release four additional electric vehicles between 2026 and 2030.
Bentley’s Five in Five strategies will also include the establishment of a new factory in Crewe, England.
Bentley’s “dream factory” will employ over 4,000 people and will only produce EVs. The carbon-neutral center will only use renewable energy and is scheduled to open in 2030.
