Bentley reveals electrified V8 successor to its W12 engine

After announcing that the last few examples of its iconic W12 engine will be deployed in the Batur Coupe, then announcing that it will be a final lineup of Speed Edition 12 cars that will sport the W12 engine, and following that announcement with a third one that states that it will be building another 16 examples of the Batur Convertible - also equipped with the W12 engine, Bentley has finally revealed the first details of the V8 drivetrain that is set to replace the W12.

The new drivetrain, which Bentley is naming the 'Ultra Performance Hybrid', is said to offer the highest power output ever offered in a production car from the firm, on top of being its most responsive and most efficient system in its history.

The new V8 drivetrain is said to offer the highest power output ever from a series production car from the firm, and will offer an 80km electric-only range

The drivetrain is additionally said to make use of 'electrocharging', which we are taking to mean it will utilise an electronically-assisted turbocharger not too different from the one that Mercedes-AMG utilises in the SL43.

Bentley is simply content to state for now that the new drivetrain will offer its cars a 80km electric-only range, although more pertinent is the fact that this drivetrain will also offer a total power output of 740bhp - practically on par with what that Bentley Batur Coupe will offer.

Bentley states that it will reveal more of the new engine which will take its place as the firm's flagship drivetrain and drive the next phase of its Beyond 100 journey in the coming weeks. The W12 engine, meanwhile, is scheduled for retirement come mid-2025. Although we won't exactly be surprised if a few more special edition cars equipped with the unit get revealed within that time.