What a week it’s been for Bentley. In the (admittedly now distant) past, the time between press releases being issued from Crewe could be measured in ice ages. Now we’ve had three in as many days. The first two were reasons to be cheerful: the introduction of the limited edition Batur Convertible revealed a carmaker in the full pomp of a new coachbuilding era; the second confirmed that its new hybrid V8 will output more than 750hp - meaning it stands a good chance of overhaul even the W12 for chandelier-rattling performance when it arrives later in the year.
The third, while inevitable, is much less welcome. Following the imminent retirement of the larger 6.0-litre unit, Bentley has now opted to bring the curtain down on the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 that it shares with other luminaries in the VW Group. Or at any rate, it will cease production of the Continental GT and Flying Spur powered by the 550hp motor that were destined for UK, Europe and the Middle East. It will continue in other markets (chiefly the US) for a while longer yet, and remain part of the Bentayga lineup for now - but you can no longer order one new for the coupe or saloon. Bentley says the only remaining availability is through dealer stock or the existing pipeline, with the final deliveries due next month.
This is a shame for several reasons. Firstly, obviously, it is another milestone in the journey toward Bentley’s wholesale hybridisation, and while that seismic shift is ultimately unavoidable, the thought of not being able to buy a (low-slung) Bentley powered exclusively by dinosaur remains is unsettling. Secondly, the 4.0-litre V8 will be sorely missed for its own sake because it was remarkably well-suited to both the GT and the Flying Spur. Bentley says it has sold more than 53,000 such variants since the engine was introduced in 2012. Each one of those buyers got to enjoy a model that was every bit as good as the flagship W12 derivative - arguably better if you were inclined to drive enthusiastically - and for less outlay and lower running costs.
Naturally, yesterday’s missive was intended to reassure us that the prospect of a V8 remains core to Bentley’s medium-term plan and that there will certainly be no deficit in performance when the hybrid turns up - nor in customer demand if the early indications are to be believed. But the winding up of the perfectly square, perfectly lovely twin-scroll unit is still a moment worthy of the black armband - or indeed a phone call to your nearest Bentley dealer, if you’ve ever dreamed of owning one. We’d happily assign a GT like this one at the Edinburgh franchise - with just 50 miles on the clock - a place in the forever garage before it’s too late.
1 / 5
