Bentley working on a more powerful and fuel efficient version of the W12 petrol engine!

Volkswagen group subsidiary and high end luxury carmaker, Bentley, is said to be developing a more powerful and fuel efficient W12 engine, which has been the flagship engine of the Bentley brand. The six liter W12 turbocharged twelve cylinder petrol engine with a trademark W configuration of its cylinders currently powers a range of cars in the Volkswagen group. The Bentley Continental, the Continental Flying Spur, the Audi A8 and the Volkswagen Phaeton all feature the W12 engine. The reworked version of the W12 engine will get more fuel efficient, produce lesser emissions and still manage to make more power and torque.

2012 Bentley Continental GT Sports Luxury Coupe

The twin turbo W12 motor currently produces 567 Bhp on the Bentley it powers. The next generation version of this engine is expected to push this output to a mammoth 600 Bhp. Bentley could also make the new W12 engine with a brand new 8 speed automatic transmission, perhaps the one that is already used with the Twin Turbo V8 engine. Currently, Bentley has mated the W12 petrol engine with a 6 speed automatic gearbox. The additional ratios on the new transmission could be a big factor for improving fuel economy.

A cutaway of the W12 Petrol Engine on an Audi A8

Bentley’s latest announcement comes at a time when downsizing has become the name of the game amongst more and more automakers across the globe including the high end luxury marques even as demands for higher fuel economy and lower emissions continues to increase each passing year. Bentley too has a more fuel efficient V8 twin turbo petrol engine that manages to produce prodigious power and torque comparable to the W12 engine through turbo power. By retaining the W12 though, Bentley has just extended the life of one of the iconic engine designs in automotive history by a few more winters.

Via WhatCar

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