Newly Developed V8 Balances Environmental Performance and Power

Since its debut in 2003 as Bentley's new generation luxury coupe, the Continental GT has been a global hit, making Bentley the world's largest producer of 12-cylinder engines. The long-awaited V8 model has now been added to this line-up and was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show, which commenced on January 9th.

The addition of the V8 model is part of Bentley's ongoing commitment to improving environmental performance. At the unveiling, Wolfgang Dürheimer, CEO of Bentley Motors, stated, "While ensuring the performance expected of the Continental, we have improved fuel economy and CO2 emissions by 40 percent (compared to the Continental GT)."



Underpinning his statement is the variable cylinder system, the most distinctive feature of the new V8 unit. This system, also employed in the Mulsanne, seamlessly switches between V8 and V4 modes depending on driving conditions. Furthermore, through rigorous efforts in efficiency and friction reduction, the engine achieves a maximum output of 373 kW (507 PS) at 6000 rpm and a peak torque of 660 Nm (67.3 kgm) between 1700-5000 rpm, all while delivering the aforementioned environmental performance. Combined with a newly developed, close-ratio 8-speed automatic transmission, it accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and reaches a top speed exceeding 300 km/h.

The existing Continental GT and GTC models, equipped with the 6-liter W12 engine, will continue to be sold as the top-tier models in the Continental series.