Harnessing Power and Luxury: The Dawn of Bentley's Hybrid GT Era

Embracing Sustainability without Sacrificing Splendor

As luxury got serious about the environment, Bentley says it has led the way with its latest innovation, a hybrid GT that shows the brand is serious about looking to the future: ‘You can’t go into an ultra-big engine any more… So now we have a hybrid, signalling our shift towards sustainability.’ But it is not just the car on the way that is going green. Bentley is adapting to the fact that many cities now have strict emission controls on vehicles, forcing drivers to rely less on big engines if they want to enjoy the luxury of a journey.

The End of an Era for Bentley's W12

And for decades the W12 engine has also been the engine of choice for Bentley’s most legendary models. Fused from two V6s to create an engine that was in itself a masterstroke of Bentley engineering, this powertrain, while definitely not environmentally friendly, has always defined Bentley. These days, though, a W12 engine gives way to a passenger plug-in hybrid system to make way for the latest Bentley technological evolution designed with eco-sustainability in mind.

Innovation at the Core: Bentley's Hybrid Transition

The Continental GT, Bentley’s highlight of the design era of a masterful and handsome grand tourer, is substantially reworked to incorporate a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Bentley won’t simply meet the times, but will again set new standards of performance going forward. Its claims for the Bentayga’s electric powertrain – ‘the SUV with plug-in hybrid technology’ – sound not apologetic but bold. Bentley aspires to become ‘the world’s most sustainable luxury automotive company’.

The Power Behind the Luxury: A New Hybrid Heart with 771 HP

Its hybrid system pairs a turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 with an electric motor. The result is 771 hp and, thanks to a complex bit of vibration cancelation, zero emissions. The new Continental GT goes from 0 to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds, which is fast for a car, but its real party trick is the fuel bill. Bentley has given us speed without sin.

Aesthetic Mystique: The Continental GT's Stealthy Evolution

While it’s too early to know the details, the taped-up styling of the prototype models of the fourth-generation Continental GT, due to be shown next year, suggest a car that blends some of Bentley’s timeless grace into the future. It’s a car that’s beautifully recorded in a short film Bentley has made, set in Los Angeles.

On Track with the Future: Testing the Hybrid GT with 771 HP

The prototype takes to the Circuit de Castellolí for a quick demonstration of its potential: smooth handling, explosive acceleration, a tantalising hint of the hybrid powertrain’s promise. Sure, I’m on a track instead of a road, and this baby isn’t ready to head out on the streets. But this is what I signed up for. Can I get an Amen?

Looking Ahead: The Impact of Bentley's Hybrid GT

But in the Bentley ‘horseless carriage’, relying on hybrid technology (rather than the traditional 12-cylinder petrol engine), Bentley not only produced a new model, it helped to establish a new aesthetic for luxury models, one that can be both beautiful and somewhat environmentally friendly. Bentley will now have something to offer the eco-conscious luxury consumer. It will also lead the way for others to follow, and it certainly won’t be the last such hybrid vehicle Bentley produces.

Understanding hp in the Context of Bentley's Innovation

An ‘hp’ or horse power is a measure of engine or motor power and, with Bentley’s latest hybrid GT possessing a combined 771 hp, that’s a good sign of both potent performance and progressive efficiency at play. This combined power – from the Bentley V8 and the electric motor (giving extra torque rather than outright horse power) – means that, as the petrol Bentley continues, so does Bentley driving of the most luxurious kind, but this time with the benefit of being much kinder to our shared planet.

By adopting the hybrid drive, Bentley shows that sustainability can go hand-in-hand with luxury and performance – a new phase in automotive technology.