For twenty years, Bentley’s roaring success has been underpinned by the sheer energy and class of the 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12 engine. Not solely is that this engine strong and environment friendly, however it additionally presents an unparalleled degree of refinement, setting new benchmarks for its class. The compact W12 has been the efficiency lifeblood of Bentley because the debut of the enduring Continental GT in 2003.

Nonetheless, because the revered car producer embarks on its formidable Beyond100 technique in direction of complete electrification, the celebrated W12 is gearing up for its swan-song. Manufacturing is about to attract to a detailed in April 2024, signalling the top of an period for this stalwart of Bentley engineering.

To mark the top of the highway for the W12, Bentley invited GTspirit to benefit from the newest era Continental within the Swiss/French Alps, earlier than I headed again to Crewe, within the UK, to attempt a number of extra W12 highlights which have been produced up to now two-decades.

The primary era of Continental GT was sport changer, not only for the definition of what a GT automobile was, but additionally for Bentley. The Continental GT was the primary automobile to depart Crewe following the change of possession, the corporate was not below the management of Rolls-Royce following a sale to Volkswagen in 1998 for £479,000,000, a deal which concerned Ferdinand Piech… you’ll have heard of him.

Piech was adamant that Bentley ought to revolutionise the GT automobile section, one thing that was realised with the unveil of the Bentley Continental GT on the Geneva Motor Present of 2003. When Bentley was taken over by VW in 1998 the corporate delivered 414 automobiles. On the 2003 unveil, they took 3,200 deposits for the £110,000 Continental GT.

So, what’s it like behind the wheel 20 years on? Properly, first impressions are that the inside nonetheless feels opulent, don’t get me unsuitable, you’ll consider it two-decades outdated, however the match and end are wonderful. The identical will be stated for the best way this automobile drives, it’s bought, weighty and fairly a pleasure to be behind the wheel… till you are feeling simply how sluggish and gearshifts are, thats the first element that exposes a automobiles age. What doesn’t age is the facility and torque of the 6.0-litre twin-turbo 48-valve W12 engine. Sure, it could weigh in at 2,385 kilos, however when you’re on the transfer there may be sufficient hoof underfoot to push you that little bit deeper into the plush drivers seat.

I used to be impressed by the usual automobile, after which I used to be given the keys to the Supersports… that is involuntary expletive territory. In a daring quest to discover the untapped potentials of the Continental GT, Bentley’s Engineering Division launched into a clandestine mission, the Supersports mission. Their intention? To probe the efficiency implications of a weight-reduced GT. The mission’s promising early outcomes captured the eye of the Board, resulting in the green-lighting of this thrilling enterprise.

The freshly-minted Supersports emerged, outclassing all earlier first-generation Continental GT fashions in energy and weight. Sporting shiny new alloy wheels, carbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (CSiC) ceramic disc brakes, and a streamlined two-seat cockpit full with carbon-fibre framed seats, the car achieved a surprising weight lack of roughly 110 kilograms.

The Supersports flexed its muscle mass with a whopping 621bhp, due to a finely tuned engine administration system and enhanced airflow administration. Including to its efficiency credentials was a novel Quickshift transmission, which catapulted the car from 0-100km/h in a blistering 3.7 seconds, shaving practically a second off the 4.6 second file set by the Continental GT. The Supersport feels fast by any customary, a brute in a go well with with Bugatti Veyron seats and child Veyron energy, though the gearbox was nonetheless considerably sluggish.

Subsequent up was one other Supersports, this time from the second gen. Chances are you’ll assume Bentley performed in secure and turned issues up a contact from the primary era. Improper. The world bought its first tantalising glimpse of this breathtaking car on the Goodwood Competition of Velocity in 2017. 5-time Le Mans champion Derek Bell had the honour of navigating this beast by way of the legendary hillclimb, marking a momentous public debut for the Supersports.

The Continental Supersports delivered a heart-stopping 700 hp at 6,000 rpm and 1,017 Nm of torque between 2,050–4,500 rpm. It featured a ZF 8-speed automated, which was a lot snappier than that discovered within the earlier generations. The automobile’s stopping energy was entrusted to carbon silicon carbide discs, cooled by an enhanced system, measuring 420 mm (17 in) on the entrance and 356 mm (14 in) on the rear.

Including to the Supersports’ high-performance persona have been its 21-inch solid alloy wheels, non-obligatory titanium exhaust system, a state-of-the-art torque vectoring system, and a precisely-tuned dynamic suspension set-up for optimum grip and agility. The outcome was a lightning-quick 0-100km/h dash in simply 3.4 seconds, whereas its high velocity maxed out at an exhilarating 336km/h. With the 2017 Continental Supersports, Bentley as soon as once more pushed the bounds of luxurious efficiency automobiles. A particular point out to that exhaust, that is the one Bentley I’ve pushed that pops and bangs on downshifts it’s very naughty and shocking to be in a Bentley that does this, amusing!

That takes me again to my drive on the present, and remaining iteration of the Bentley W12 which I loved within the French & Swiss Alps. Trying again, my impressions throughout the entire W12 Bentleys I’ve piloted are overwhelmingly comparable. Every automobile has a simple feeling of functionality and reassurance that everytime you select the gearbox will kick down and couple of gears and that W12 will fireplace you towards the horizon with no fuss or drama.

The most recent iteration of Continental GT with a W12 is an expertise that’s tough to check to its GT rivals, the engine is an coming into marvel and I can be unhappy to see it depart the vary as Bentley retires it. There’ll without end be a spot in my coronary heart for the W12, notably within the first gen Supersports!