Bentley aims to improve mileage with its new V-8.
It isn’t often one hears a V-8 described as a way to save fuel. But not many makers today rely solely on V-12 power, so with the addition of new twin-turbo V-8 to its Continental line-up Bentley just might be able to meet its goal of slashing the fuel consumption of its typical vehicle.
The new twin-turbo 4-liter V-8 is expected to continue delivering the sort of performance Bentley buyers continue to demand, the maker says, noting that the new engine will be able to propel a nearly 5,000 machine from 0 to 60 in under 5 seconds.
The engine, shared with the Audi S8 – both makers being part of the Volkswagen empire – will first appear in the coming year under the hood of the Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible models. While specific fuel economy numbers haven’t been finalized, Bentley is broadly hinting at mileage in the range of 21 mpg Combined. That might not sound like much in this era but would go a long way towards meeting the ultra-luxury maker’s goal of boosting its Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers by 40%.
In the hands of Bentley the 4.0-liter powerplant will make 500 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque. That’s actually down a slight bit from the 520 hp and 489 lb-ft that Audi claims for the S8, surprisingly. It’s also significantly short of the 631 hp made by the classic Bentley V-12 under the hood of the Continental GT, but the new engine is significantly lighter, helping make up some of the difference under full throttle.
To help further improve fuel economy the engine also features cylinder deactivation, shutting off half of the cylinders when power demand is light, such as while cruising on the freeway.
Bentley GT and GTC models equipped with the new V8 will be distinguished by their modified grilles – which are black rather than chrome as with V-12 models. They’ll also get a distinctive red “Flying B” badge and “figure-eight” tailpipes.
The new Bentley V-8 models will be revealed at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.