There are plenty of interesting engine configurations floating through the collective car enthusiast consciousness. A few standouts would include the inline-six, the V-8, and maybe even the straight-five, if, you know, you get weird like that. The V-12 is another highly celebrated tradition, with the names Lamborghini and Ferrari immediately springing to mind.
But what about the W-12? It’s not exactly something you see every day, unless, of course, you own a Bentley Continental GT. With 6 liters of displacement and two turbos, the Continental’s mill churns out a healthy 617 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque, clearly underlining its speed potential. The question, however, remains: why would the British automaker choose to stuff such an unusual powerplant under the hood of its high-performance coupe?
XCAR set out to find the answer in this video. Taking the latest example of the luxury vehicle for a cruise around the snowy roads of northern Sweden, our host delves into the history and engineering of what makes the W configuration work so well in a car like the Bentley. The packaging, refinement, and performance are all paramount to its success, and the end result is a car that’s very fast and very comfortable.
As the rest of the world turns to smaller displacement, XCAR is hopeful that Bentley will continue to put the W-12 into its cars, and I for one share such optimism. Because after all, there’s something to be said about being unusual – even if you’re that straight-five guy.
Bentley Continental GT - W12 vs V12: Video originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 17 March 2015 12:00 EST.
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