After announcing the W12’s hybrid successor, Bentley says goodbye to the standalone 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8.
Despite a tougher electric car market and the automaker pushing its first full EV back to 2026, Bentley is still poised to pivot its brand away from large-displacement engines toward hybrid solutions. The company confirmed just yesterday that its long-lived 6.0-liter W12 engine will be replaced by a V8 hybrid powertrain in its new generation of “daily supercars”, but it also confirmed Thursday that its standalone twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 is out the door, as well. At least in its iconic Continental and Flying Spur models, the only way forward for the foreseeable future will be a hybrid option.
For the moment, Bentley only outright declared gas-only V8 options will cease in Europe, the United Kingdom and the Middle East by June. North American customers will be able to order these cars for a little longer, though the manufacturer did say an end-date for the V8 “will follow”.
Of course, even the hybrid option still uses that 4.0-liter V8…it’s just that you won’t be able to get the engine without an electric motor backing it up. To that end, the “new” V8 hybrid setup replacing the definitely-dead W12 will pack 740 horsepower, as well as 50 miles of all-electric driving range using the optimistic (by EPA figures, at least) WLTP standard.
Before we see the new electrified powertrain make its way into the Continental, Bentley’s only car that currently lacks a hybrid option, it officially announced “Edition 8” models of the Continental GT coupe, Continental GTC (convertible) and the Flying Spur sedan. These models are exclusive to the North American market, since we’re the only ones still eligible for V8s in the near future, and bring in a host of Mulliner personal commissioning options. Some special touches include more than 60 colors from the extended paint range, as well as Edition 8 motif throughout the car with bespoke badging, seat embroidery and scuff plates. Sticking with the seats, these limited-run models also get a Palm Fluting pattern that sets them apart from your standard Bentley models.
“Customers in the North American market will be able to secure one of the last, and most lavishly equipped [Edition 8] models”, Bentley says in its official announcement, further noting that deliveries will start “imminently”. The exact details are no less nebulous than that, including how much these special cars will cost. Since these are likely to become collector’s items, though, pricing is almost irrelevant. If you have the scratch to consider a Bentley in the first place, then you’ll probably be able to land one of these.
