Next-generation Bentley will get a plug-in hybrid version
By Andrew, 16 Jan, 2012. 0 Comments
2012 Bentley Flying Spur Speed
Bentley chief Wolfgang Dürheimer has announced that its plug-in hybrid won’t arrive before the next generation of Bentleys becomes available. In addition, the luxury brand won’t be leading its development. Instead, it will make use of technology that’s shared with the other brands in the Volkswagen Group. Dürheimer said Bentley is turning its attention to this hybrid system, which isn’t something that it should deal with on its own as a “matter of differentiation.” He said that differentiation is “styling, appearance, prestige, craftsmanship, luxury.”
He explained that what the company requires is to have hybrid tech but he pointed out that it’s totally appropriate that brands like Audi and Porsche would take the development lead. However, this strategy isn’t being undertaken just because of the lack of differentiation. Those larger brands benefit from having greater experience and engineers that will develop the tech, says Caranddriver.
Also, the development costs can be absorbed into their larger budgets. This is the same thing as when VW provided the funding for the architecture for Bentley’s current Continental line through its Phaeton program. However, it’s likely that more VW Group brands will make use of the result in this specific case. Dürheimer said that Audi’s new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8, which is used in the new, entry-level Continental GT, would be the most possible gasoline-powered part of the hybrid system, which will sandwich a motor-generator between the engine and transmission. This is relatively short for its cylinder count as well as the electric motor accommodated behind it too. He added that he believes that a 16-19 mile has an electric-only range of 16 to 19 miles to be acceptable for a Bentley.
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