Closing a proud heritage journey, Bentley’s legendary 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine officially stopped production on the Continental GT, Continental GTC and Flying Spur models. The Vietnamese market will “land” the last unique supercars using 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engines.

4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine – a proud symbol of the British luxury car brand

After more than a decade of launch and more than 53,000 cars built globally, the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine has had a resounding development journey. Introduced in 2012, luxury car enthusiasts have admired the Bentley brand with the introduction of a V8 engine with a capacity of 4.0L. Although smaller, the capacity of the 4.0L V8 engine block is higher than its predecessor V8, 6.75L capacity when possessing incredible power of up to 542 horsepower and 770Nm of torque. twisted.

It is no exaggeration to say that the 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine is the most successful symbol of the Bentley brand. Considered the soul behind every supercar with a combination of both power and smoothness, the 4.0L V8 engine block not only brings a breakthrough in performance, but also creates an exciting driving experience like never before. ever, the excellent performance and especially the characteristic sound described make you extremely excited.

The success of today’s 4.0L V8 engine is thanks to the inheritance of over 60 years of experience in developing and refining V8 engines.

Going back in history, in 1959, the British luxury car brand first introduced the L-Series V8 engine on the S2 model. This is considered an important step forward, marking the transition from the previous generation engine to a modern V8 engine. With a capacity of 6.2L, Bentley’s V8 engine is 13.6 kg lighter than a 6-cylinder engine, and beyond expectations, performance is significantly improved. However, Bentley is still just a new name in the luxury car segment.

In the late 70s, the president at that time – Mr. David Plastow gave a big challenge to Engineer John Hollings – “Let’s have some fun” (“Let’s create sublime emotions!”). He proposed that they put turbocharging technology into the 6.75L V8 engine.

The first car model using a 6.75L twin-turbo V8 engine introduced to the market is the Mulsanne – a 4-door sedan with a maximum capacity of 523 horsepower and maximum torque of up to 1,100 Nm. This once luxury icon can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.9 seconds before reaching a maximum speed of 305 km/h (in Bentley Mulsanne Speed ​​version), helping Mulsanne surpass its competitors. different in terms of acceleration.

A new chapter in Bentley’s history begins. The turbocharged 6.75L V8 engine became the engine used throughout nearly 40 years later, turning Bentley into one of the world’s most luxurious car “empires”.

And in 2012, becoming a pride of the Crewe team, the Bentley V8 engine had a new version called the Continental GT V8. The 4.0-litre V8 engine features cylinder deactivation technology, ‘hot side inside’ turbo mounting, energy recovery via a generator and engine management using a 32-bit TriCore™ microprocessor. Coupled with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the new V8 engine improves fuel efficiency by 40% compared to the 6.0-liter W12 engine, while producing 500 horsepower and 660 Nm of torque.

In addition, Bentley also launched the V8 S variant. The V8 engine on the S variant is improved with a sports exhaust to help amplify the roar of the crossplane V8 engine. Bentley is the first car company in the world to pioneer the use of this system, helping the engine provide maximum torque of up to 1300 Nm in 0.3 seconds to resist cornering forces and keep the car body stable. balance. This makes the car faster, lighter, and more flexible.

Bentley’s bold step in applying a turbocharger system to the V8 engine has brought amazing and proud results. In the words of automotive historian Eric Dymock, this is the decision to ‘maintain Bentley’s identity’, applied to all of the company’s car models and is an indispensable element when referring to the British car company. .

The last unique car models using V8 4.0 engines were brought back to Vietnam – a beautiful ending to the great journey.

The 4.0L twin-turbo V8 engine on the Continental GT, Continental GTC and Flying Spur models will officially stop production in Southeast Asia, Taiwan and Oceania from June. The first regions to say the word farewell to the current V8 engine in the UK, Europe. Thus, there is only Bentley Bentayga model produced with a 4.0L V8 engine.

The above decision certainly causes a lot of regret for luxury car enthusiasts. The feeling of just a gentle touch of the accelerator, the vehicle weighing more than 2 tons has jumped to a speed of over 100km/h in just a split second, or the roaring sound from the exciting exhaust pipe will be a thing of the past.

The end of the 4.0L V8 engine is not too surprising when the company announced its Beyond 100 strategy with the orientation of becoming one of the leading brands in the field of sustainable and environmentally friendly super luxury car manufacturing. school. Accordingly, in the near future the company will only produce hybrid or pure electric gasoline engines.

Sharing about the above decision, Mr. Phan Manh Ha – Director of Bentley Ho Chi Minh said, “In Bentley’s business activities, sustainability is always the focus. The discontinuation of the 4.0 V8 engine in the Bentley Continental GT , GTC and Flying Spur models is part of the Beyond 100 strategy. We are committed to continuing our efforts in developing new powertrain solutions and not Stop offering high-end, luxurious cars as well as completely new experiences to meet customer needs.”

In the Vietnamese market, to end the great journey of the 4.0L V8 engine, the official Bentley Ho Chi Minh dealer will bring back the last unique supercars on the two Bentley Continental GTC S V8 and Flying models. Spur V8.

It is known that there is only one Bentley Continental GTC S V8 convertible Vietnam Skyline Edition – the most premium 2-door coupe model in Vietnam with exquisitely handcrafted details by the Mulliner team. The exterior is the only supercar model in the world finished in black (Onyx), with a set of 21-inch 5-spoke wheels, inside are red painted brake shackles, highlighting the contrast with glossy black details. , evokes a sporty and healthy look. Besides, the Mulliner package brings unique details in the bodykit, front bumper, side and rear bumper.

In terms of interior, the Continental GTC S V8, bears the mark of Mulliner’s signature language, known as the “art of customization” that celebrates Bentley’s personalization. Mulliner artisans embroidered the skyline symbols of the three cities of Hanoi, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh on the back of the chair.

The words “Skyline Collection” also appear on the glass, right in front of the passenger seat, while the words “Vietnam Collection” are embossed on the door sill. The overall interior of the Continental GTC S V8 is a combination of diamond-shaped contrasting embroidery, a three-dimensional rotating screen, 20-way rotating front seats, Naim for Bentley speakers, interior mood lighting, and countless interior lights. – Three-spoke steering wheel uses Silver color tone.

In addition, there will be 3 unique Bentley Flying Spur  V8 cars in the world for customers to experience including: Bentley Flying Spur V8 Black Satin Edition, Bentley Flying Spur V8 Crystal Edition, and Azure variant – Bentley Flying Spur V8 Sapphire Edition.

The Bentley Flying Spur V8 Black Satin Edition is finished with a very sophisticated satin black “outfit”, customized by Mulliner. This color reminds us of the first Bentley Bentayga produced at the Crewe factory.

However, the exterior color of this supercar is more special, more attractive and stronger thanks to the gorgeous satin sheen. The highlight of the front of the car is the LED lighting cluster with matrix technology shaped like cut crystal. This car is equipped with the Flying Spur Blackline package, so the glossy chrome trim details are changed to black. The car uses a set of 22-inch black painted wheels, this is one of 8 equipment in the Mulliner Driving Specification package.

To talk about the luxury of the Bentley Flying Spur V8 Black Satin Edition, we cannot ignore the interior, which is a combination of dark Imperial Blue and Cricket Ball brown. Each piece of leather is selected from Northern European cows to limit scratches from insects or barbed wire fences. Unlike most other Flying Spur models, this car does not have wood paneling on the dashboard, instead it is made of glossy aluminum with a 3D shape hidden underneath. The center console is a 12.3-inch touch screen. If you do not want to use it, passengers can hide the screen and switch to a cluster of 3 mechanical watches via the button below.

Meanwhile, the Bentley Flying Spur V8 Crystal Edition wears the mysterious Black Crystal color for its exterior paint. The interior cockpit is also personalized with two classic colors: Newmarket Tan yellow leather and Beluga black leather. Not only that, the top craftsmanship on the unique car is also shown on the dashboard, which is a combination of Burr Walnut wood and Grand Black veneer, divided by an impressive chrome strip. .

Finally, the Bentley Flying Spur V8 Sapphire Edition Azure version is extremely sophisticated and seductive with a Light Sapphire exterior paint color that sparkles like the turquoise stones themselves. The premium paint color by Mulliner is not only a unique highlight but also enhances the mark of luxury and class that Bentley always strives for. This is also the color launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show, adding to the specialness and appeal of the unique car model.