Earlier this month, Bentley announced it would cease production of the current 4.0 litre twin-turbo V8 engine used in the Continental GT, Continental GTC and Flying Spur models. The first regions to see the departure of the V8 include the United Kingdom, Europe and MEAI (Middle East, Africa and India).
Now, Bentley Motors Asia Pacific has confirmed that the V8 option will also be removed from Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Australasia. This is part of the Bentley’s Beyond100 strategy where all model lines will be offered with at least one hybrid variant by 2024. This electrification switch has already begun with the introduction of the Bentayga Hybrid and Flying Spur Hybrid.
According to the company’s official release, ordering for the V8-powered Continental GT, Continental GTC and Flying Spur models has closed, with production set to be completed by June. However, final units are still available now in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam through retailer stocks and transport pipelines.
The V8 engine has been a hallmark of Bentleys over the last 75 years and the retirement of the non-electrified mill comes following the end of production of the British brand’s iconic 6.0 litre W12 engine in April this year. Since the 4.0 litre V8’s introduction in 2012, more than 53,000 examples of the three highlighted models powered by the engine have been produced in Crewe, England.
Bentley’s new era will see the debut of the fourth-generation Continental GT that is set to be unveiled in June. Teased in the middle of this month, the new model wlll carry on the V8 legacy, albeit in the form of a plug-in hybrid that delivers an impressive 782 PS and 1,000 Nm of torque as well as 80 km of electric-only range and emit just 50 g/km of CO2 (WLTP).
Other features set to appear on the all-new Continental GT include active all-wheel-drive with torque vectoring, an electronic limited-slip differential (LSD), a 48-volt electrical architecture-powered active anti-roll body control as well as new dual-valve dampers.
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I have seen more Rolls Royce than Bentley in Malaysia. That says alot about Bentley