Every Production Car Powered By Bentley's Legendary W12 Engine

Bentley's legendary W12 engine is an evolution of the W12 originally developed by VW for use in Volkswagen and Audi vehicles. Created by putting two of VW's narrow-angle VR6 engines together on one common crankshaft, the W12 engine had a 24% smaller footprint than a conventional V12. The W12 also produced impressive power, even when normally aspirated, as the original 414-horsepower (420 PS) production version that appeared in the Audi A8 in 2001 proved.

When it came time to select an engine for VW's premium Bentley brand, the W12 was turbocharged in 2003 to provide Bentley with a suitably potent and exquisitely smooth powerplant. The W12 Bentley engine has had a good run. After 21 years and over 100,000 units of this amazing engine produced, the Bentley W12 engine went out of production in April 2024. This article will focus on the higher-powered Bentley versions of the W12 and not the Volkswagen or Audi versions of it.

As with many other V12 engines, the call for "sustainability," as well as demands for better fuel economy and lower CO2, has brought its era to an end. In a sign of the times, the W12 engine line at Bentley's Crewe factory has become an area in which V6 hybrid and V8 engine production will be expanded. These are the combustion engines that will power Bentley vehicles going forward, not counting any EV models that may be added to the range.

The first production vehicle to carry the Bentley W12 engine was the Bentley Continental GT, whose first model year was 2004. The Continental GT has seen the passage of three generations over the years, with the first generation Conti running from model year 2004 through 2012, the second generation going from 2012 through 2018, and the third continuing from 2018 until the present day (even though W12 production ended in 2024).

The 6.0-liter, twin-turbo W12 was rated at 552 horsepower and did zero-to-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. The engine's 479 lb.-ft. of torque was available from a low 1600 rpm. It was also fed to all four wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission, as all-wheel drive has been a feature of every new VW-era Continental GT. The top speed of the 2003 Continental GT was quoted by Bentley at 198 mph. The Continental GT is available as both a coupe and a convertible.

Fast forward to 2024, the final year of Bentley W12 production, and horsepower had been increased to 626 in non-Speed models and 650 for the Speed versions. Zero-to-60 mph is down to 3.1 seconds in the Speed, thanks to both the added power and an upgrade to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The final Speed edition's top speed had also seen an increase to 208 mph. 

The Bentley Flying Spur sedan was the next Bentley model to carry the legendary Bentley W12 engine. Essentially a stretched 4-door version of the Continental GT, there have been three generations of the Flying Spur. The first generation spanned the 2006 to 2013 model years, the second covered the 2014 to 2019 model years, and the third started in the 2020 model year and runs through the present 2025 model year. 

The first Flying Spur for model year 2006 was powered by the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbo W12 that motivated the first-gen Continental GT. Even though it weighed 5,580 pounds, it could still manage zero-to-60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Its top speed, according to Bentley, was 195 mph. The final 2024 W12 Speed version of the Bentley Flying Spur had an output of 626 horsepower, good for zero-to-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, and a top speed of 207 mph.

The Bentley Bentayga was introduced for the 2016 model year. The Bentayga represents Bentley's foray into the SUV market. It is currently in its first generation, was facelifted in 2020, and has had a W12 engine option starting from its introduction and running through 2023. While the W12 was rated at 600 horsepower when the Bentayga entered the market in 2016, it grew to an output of 626 horsepower in its high-output Speed version by the end of its run. Zero-to-60 mph takes around 3.5 seconds either way, with a top speed quoted by Bentley as 187 mph.

The Bentayga's platform differs from that of the Continental GT and its sibling, the Flying Spur. As is now normal procedure within the VW Group, the Bentayga rides on an SUV platform known as the MLB Evo, which is shared with vehicles including the Audi Q8, Porsche Cayenne, and Lamborghini Urus. 

As with other Bentleys in the model range, the Bentayga can be specified with a wide variety of both exterior and interior design elements, offering a choice of nearly 4,000 color combinations for its interior alone. An extended-wheelbase version of the Bentayga was introduced for the 2023 model year, providing some extra legroom for those in the rear compartment.

The Bentley Bacalar was a limited edition of 12 roadsters, announced in 2020 and based on the architecture of the Continental GT Convertible. Powered exclusively by the Bentley W12 engine, these coachbuilt cars were available with a virtually unlimited palette of exterior colors, interior furnishings, and other customization options. And yes, the entire run of a dozen cars was spoken for before the announcement was made by Bentley.

The Bacalars, all of which were created by Bentley's Mulliner coachbuilding division (the world's oldest coachbuilder), followed the Barchetta design concept as each one became a roofless, two-seater vehicle. Each Bacalar was equipped with an "enhanced" version of Bentley's W12 engine, pumped up to a 650 horsepower rating, making it similar to the Continental GT's Speed version in specification. 

Just as with the Continental GT Speed, the Bacalar uses an all-wheel drive system, but in the Bacalar it permits rear-wheel-drive operation during normal driving activities for a more traditional driving feel. Ironically, the Bacalar was never approved for sale in the U.S., relegating it to "show and display" status here. The price? A cool $1.9 Million apiece at the time of introduction.

The Bentley Batur can be considered the highest evolution of the W12 engine in a production Bentley. This limited edition of 18 coupes, announced in late 2022, followed the 12-car run of the Bacalar mentioned above. Under its hood resides a 740-horsepower version of the W12 engine, producing 90 horsepower more than the Bacalar's. Supporting its higher performance levels, the Batur comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes, air suspension with Speed tuning, a rear differential that provides torque biasing, four-wheel steering, and its own unique 22" wheels.

In terms of its exterior styling, the Batur previews how Bentley's design DNA will evolve as it leans into EVs in the near future. Just as with the Bacalar project, Batur customers have a staggering choice of colors and materials with which to outfit their vehicles. This includes natural fiber composites, titanium, and even 18-karat gold that has been 3D-printed.

Every Batur coupe has been spoken for, with no qualms whatsoever about the Batur's $2.1 million base price. And that's before options. In May of 2024, Bentley announced one more limited-edition Batur, this time a group of 16 Batur Convertibles. Likely costing around the same as the Batur Coupe, the factory has already pre-selected the customers who will receive one.