Bentley has announced it will end production of its famed W12 engine next year. The last 12-cylinder Bentley will be built in April 2024 with hybrid and V8 options remaining. The W12 was first introduced in 2003 and more than 100,000 have been built to date.
Bentley insisted it now wants to make "strides towards electrification" with the firm investing £2.5 billion ($2.64 billion) to convert its lineup to electric over the next decade. The British marque's first all-electric car is due in 2025 and will reportedly be a luxury coupe based on the EXP 100 GT concept. According to Bentley CEO Adrian Hallmark, the firm's first EV will offer up to 1,400 hp and will be capable of 0-60 mph in 1.5 seconds.
Such a low 0-60 time would make Bentley's EV the fastest accelerating car on the planet, comfortably eclipsing the Rimac Nevera's 1.85 second time. However, Hallmark also suggested customers will have the option of a "slower 0-60 mph time of 2.7 seconds" if they find the fastest setting too uncomfortable. In terms of pricing, Hallmark stated the electric coupe would start at "over €250,000 ($263,840)". Such a price point means it will sit at the top of Bentley's lineup.
After Bentley's first EV arrives in 2025, the automaker plans on launching four further electric models between 2026-2030. Bentley's Five in Five plan will also the construction of a new factory in Crewe, England.
Bentley's "dream factory" will have over 4,000 employees and exclusively produce EVs. The carbon-neutral facility will only use renewable energy and is expected to be in full operation by 2030.
