Bentley will end production of its W12 engine in April 2024. To say farewell to the powerplant, it’s introducing the Speed Edition 12 of the Bentayga, Continental GT, Continental GTC, and Flying Spur. Each of them is coming in a limited run of 120 units.
The Continental GT and Continental GT Convertible wear Speed Edition 12 badges on the front fender. The Bentayga and Flying Spur had this emblem on the rear pillar. A numbered plaque is on the engine cover.
All of them come with the Blackline package that darkens the exterior chrome. They ride on 22-inch wheels, and silver brake calipers are behind them.
As an option, the Speed Edition 12 models are available in the new color Opalite. It’s a mix of light gray and green, and Bentley says there’s a copper-finish effect when the sun hits the body.
Inside, this special edition offers a few upholstery options. Buyers can get all Beluga black or a two-tone mix of that color with Brunel blue, Cricketball red, Linen, or Orange. The seats have Mulliner Silver piping, and the contrast stitching is a combination of the hues Anthracite, Porpoise, and Stratos. All of these models come with high-gloss Grand Black wood veneer trim. The organ stop air vents have “12” machined into them.
As a special touch, the Speed Edition 12 models also come with a W12 engine model in a 15 percent scale. Bentley is casting them from aluminum coming from an actual W12 engine block.
Bentley has built over 100,000 examples of the W12 engine. The brand introduced the powerplant in 2003 for the Continental GT. Using the W cylinder configuration let the mill be 24 percent shorter than engineering it as a V12.
Electrification is the future for Bentley because the brand intends to offer only EVs by 2030. The first electric model arrives in 2026.
Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark recently spilled some details about the EV. The company would offer two batteries, including what Hallmark calls “the W12 of batteries.” Plus, the electric motors would produce 50 to 100 percent more power than the automaker’s current combustion engines. Driving ranges could be as high as 450 miles.
