Bentley Salutes W12 Engine With Speed Edition 12 Models, Gives Each Buyer A Scale W12 Block

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Bentley’s mighty W12 engine has less than a year to live. VW’s poshest brand is going all-electric in 2030 and the W12 is being killed off in April 2024, by which time the the British luxury firm will have produced more than 100,000 units. That makes the W12 the most successful 12-cylinder engine of the modern era, the company says.

But before the W12 takes its last breaths Bentley is giving it a special edition salute. Called the Speed Edition 12 and available on all four of the company’s main product lines – Bentayga SUV, Flying Spur sedan, Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible – the commemorative trim is limited to 120 units for each body style and brings unique styling details, badges and a numbered plaque.

Each of the specials is based on the Speed variant of the corresponding Bentley, which means they all feature the same 6.0-liter W12, twin-turbo engine and generate the same 650 hp (659 PS) and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) of torque, the latter developed right the way through from 1,500 to 5,000 rpm.

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The cars are available in a range of colors, including the Opalite grey-green seen on these pictures, and come with silver-colored brake calipers, a feature not available on other models. The two-door Conti twins gets ‘Speed Edition 12’ badges on their front fenders, while the Flying Spur sedan and Bentayga SUV wear ‘Edition 12’ badges on their rear quarters alongside the existing speed nameplates.

Blackline exterior brightwork, 22-inch black wheels with self-leveling badges, unique Mulliner Silver-piped seats and organ stop air vents with ’12’ machined onto them also feature. And if that’s not enough to remind you what the car is commemorating, the W12’s firing order is etched into the veneer section above the glovebox and there’s a numbered plaque on the engine itself.

But because Speed Edition 12 buyers won’t get much chance to look at the engine, Bentley is giving each a 15 percent scale model of the W12 motor to display on their desk. The shrunken engines don’t run, but they are cast using aluminum taken from one of the full-size W12 blocks.

No word on prices but it’s safe to assume they’re big, given that the stock versions of the Speed cost upwards of $260k whichever body style you go for.