UK Drive: Bentley bids farewell to W12 with Flying Spur Speed Edition 12

What is it?

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Bentley’s W12 engine isn’t long for this world. The British brand announced earlier this year that the last example of this iconic engine would be built in April 2024, making way for a range of electrified Bentleys.

The firm will solely sell plug-in hybrids from 2026 before embracing electric power completely in 2030. Bentley has launched a series of special ‘Speed Edition 12’ models to mark the engine’s final days.

What’s new?

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Available on the Continental GT, Continental GTC, Bentayga and this, the Flying Spur, the special editions get an assortment of ‘Edition 12’ badges on the exterior and treadplates, seat embroidery, ‘colour graduated’ contrast stitching, and a special fascia finished in ‘Grand Black’ veneer with the addition of the W12’s firing order etched into it.

The engine also gets a numbered plaque, a Blackline exterior pack is thrown in too, along with black 22-inch Speed alloy wheels and silver brake callipers, while this car’s light grey-green paint finish called ‘Opalite’ is a new option.

Exclusivity is guaranteed, too, as only 120 cars of each four models will be produced. Oh, and if that wasn’t enough to persuade you, each car comes with a 15 per cent scale model of the W12 engine cast using aluminium taken from a full-size W12 engine block.

What’s under the bonnet?

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The 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine will go down as one of the all-time great engines. It launched with the original Continental GT of 2003 and both the car and engine marked ‘new Bentley’ as the fabled firm was now in Volkswagen ownership. The W12 is essentially two narrow V6 engines on a common crankshaft with two turbochargers for added performance.

Over the last two decades, the W12 has been available in different power outputs and been tweaked to be more efficient with cylinder-on-demand technology. Here, in the Speed Edition 12, the unit pushes out 626bhp and 900Nm of torque, and those two turbos dish out their punch very low down in the rev range at between 1,500 and 5,000rpm. It means 0-60mph in this very large car is covered in a frankly incredible 3.7 seconds, while the top speed is 207mph.

The W12 has never been the greenest of engines, and the 18.8mpg (claimed) and 340g/km of CO2 back that statement up. But it’s a 12-cylinder engine and the unit’s environmental statistics won’t be high on potential owners’ buying criteria.

What’s it like to drive?

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That 0-60mph acceleration time is impressive on paper, but what’s more remarkable is how the Flying Spur accelerates – it just gathers speed in an unflappable way free from any drama and engine noise. It’s a real contrast to the smaller 4.0-litre V8 available in other Flying Spur which is more raw.

There’s no denying the Flying Spur is a large car and yet, just like all other Bentleys of the modern Volkswagen era, it has an agility that really belies its size. There’s a great balance between cosseting the driver and thrilling them through the corners, and the W12, like the best 12-cylinder engines, adds performance and smoothness in spades.

How does it look?

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Since the demise of the larger Mulsanne, the Flying Spur has taken up the mantle of Bentley’s only four-door saloon. But despite its smaller proportions, the Flying Spur is no shrinking violet – it has a huge amount of on-road presence.

The Edition 12 adds another level of visual self-assurance with its black painted exterior trim which contrasts well with the Opalite paintwork. But this being a Bentley, customers can customise virtually every element of the car’s interior and exterior, with thousands of options available.

What’s it like inside?

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Magnificent, frankly. The craftsmanship is clearly evident and the standard of build quality is in a different league compared to rivals. Edition 12 gets its own selection of special features, but owners virtually have no limits when it comes to choosing interior colours, veneers and how the stitching should be on the sumptuous leather; even the air vents and switches can be ordered with a ‘diamond knurled’ finish.

The rotating display is, of course, a highlight, but if we’re being picky some of the menus and general appearance of the infotainment and digital dials is looking just a little tired – but it’s a tiny detail.

What’s the spec like?

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The Edition 12 is based on the existing Speed model, which only arrived in 2022 replacing the standard Flying Spur W12. Bentley Dynamic Ride – which is an anti-roll system that keeps the car level when cornering – is standard as is electronic all-wheel steering. Black 22-inch wheels in a design unique to the Speed along with all of the special Edition 12 features complete the package.

But as we’ve already mentioned, few Bentleys remain standard with owners diving into the options list to make their car their own.

Verdict

In recent years it’s been clear the 4.0-litre V8 has been the better and more sensible choice for the Flying Spur, as it delivers almost as much performance from a far lighter engine. However, there will always be something special about a 12-cylinder engine and the W12 will go down as one of the all-time greats of this most desirable of cylinder configurations. The Edition 12 is a very fitting tribute.