If you're considering buying a new Bentley with a W12 engine, I'm afraid I have some bad news. You can't have one.
That's because the W12 is no more. Actually, that's not entirely true; Bentley is currently phasing out production in order to fill the final orders for W12-powered cars, which are expected to be completed by mid-year. But the order books are closed - you can no longer buy one. Make no mistake: the time of the W12 is almost over.
It would be unfair to try to compare Bentley's W12 imports with that of the old L-series V8 - the engine on which almost all of the brand's cars were based from 1959 to 2001 and which, somewhat unbelievably, remained in production in 2020. .
But it would equally be rude to underestimate the significance of the arrival of the W12 in the 2003 Bentley Continental GT. This, as you can see, was a turning point for the company; the first Bentley in decades that wasn't just a rebadged or rebodied Rolls-Royce, developed with new money from the Volkswagen Group takeover and with the engine that would form the backbone of Bentley's rebirth.
The W12 was developed by Volkswagen and the principle is simple: take two VR6 engines, with their staggered cylinder arrangement halfway between that of an inline and a V engine. Tilt them all at a 36 degree angle from the vertical and connect them to the crankshaft.
Smooth operator
Bentley would rather you not point out that the origins of the W12's design lay in the Mk3 Volkswagen Golf, which featured the aforementioned VR6 unit, but the fact remains. Nevertheless, a good idea is a good idea no matter where it comes from; the result is an engine that is almost as smooth as a V12 and delivers just as much power, but takes up less space under the hood, leaving more space for passengers. In the latest Continental GT it produces 650 hp, enough to reduce the 0 to 100 km/h time to just 3.6 seconds.
Under the hood of the 2003 model, it marked the beginning of a new Bentley - one that appealed not only to the landed gentry. Traditionalists may scoff, but there is no doubt that the money that has poured into Crewe since then - from footballers, musicians, YouTube celebrities, film stars and those who wanted to emulate them - has helped propel Bentley to heights the company could only have dreamed of. the nineties.
The story continues
So there's good reason to mark its passing. And what's better than a toast, with a very special whisky? Bentley's own, in fact. For that we had to drive to Scotland. Well, not really, but it seemed like a good excuse for one last explosion in a W12. A Continental GT Convertible, to be precise.
Fog lights
It's a damp March morning as we leave Crewe and point the nose of the Conti north, the second in a convoy of four W12-powered Bentleys. But the fog lifts quickly and with it the top falls off.
Driving on the highway with an open roof is quite possible even in the fresh air of early spring; With the windows and wind deflector up, shocks are minimal, while the heated seat and neck warmers keep the cold at bay.
A trip like this - 400 miles of highway, just over seven hours' drive - plays to the Continental's strengths. The name is not a misnomer; this is a true grand tourer, in the best tradition of the kind, and at highway speeds the miles pass unnoticed. The angular tower of Forton Services seemingly slides a few minutes after we reach the M6; A little later we stop at Tebay for a driver change and a comfort break, and then continue.
Our northern swing is broken up by a stop at Glenskirlie Castle, halfway between Cumbernauld and Bonnybridge. Built in 2007, it has the distinction of being the first new castle built in Scotland in the 21st century.
In a banquet hall with a vaulted ceiling, surrounded by suits of armor and stained glass windows - which feel a bit strange knowing the age of the building - we feast on crispy, perfectly run Scotch eggs and fresh salmon.
This place feels like a fitting metaphor for the Bentleys parked outside: it's reminiscent of a distant past, that's true, but the glow of modernity is inescapable - for better or for worse. Although in the case of the Bentleys it is almost always for the better.
So it is no problem to take a seat in the vermilion-colored driver's seat of the Continental again. From here the roads go from three to two and then to one lane in each direction - and this is where one of the great advantages of the W12 comes into play.
You pay your money...
It's time for me to own something. Despite all this emotional talk about the end of an era, I've actually always preferred a V8 in a modern Bentley.
Yes, the W12 has become a bit of an icon, but the smaller engine isn't exactly short on power and with its peak power and upbeat soundtrack, its slightly more crazy character still makes it the engine of choice in a Continental. For me anyway.
Nevertheless, I have to admit that what the W12 has over the V8 is a thumping big sled of low-end torque. Where the V8 needs a downshift and a few revs to really get going, the W12 is gifted with a bucketload of grunt that pours itself out onto the road as soon as you approach the accelerator.
Yes, the Conti will drop a few ratios to get you into the powerband, but the difference is that when you need to get past a lingering Toyota, the W12 is already up and running before the downshifts begin, rushing forward and getting you safely wears. long ago before there is any danger of the road running out.
As a result, overtakes become perfunctory; if the road is straight and clear enough, a quick blip with the right foot is all it takes, and you're over.
Thrown away
The sun is shining as we drive into the Dowans Hotel in Aberlour. Twenty minutes later we are picked up by a glittering red Bentayga for the short drive to our final destination: the Macallan Estate.
It is here that we will salute the W12 tonight - and what better way to do so than with a whiskey that bears the Bentley name? Horizon, a limited edition release from The Macallan, is a celebration, if the marketing spiel is to be believed, of the two brands' combined heritage and their shared commitment to fine craftsmanship.
It is presented in a bottle that is completely different from anything you have seen before; a glass vessel nestled in a cradle of copper, aluminum, leather and wood, which stands horizontally instead of vertically - "inspired by the horizontal trajectory of the automotive world", apparently.
It's easy to make fun of the lavish copy, but we're in pretty high-end territory here; Granted, Horizon won't come close to the £2 million that the most expensive bottle of whiskey ever sold - also a Macallan - fetched in November last year. But this is still a dram beyond the reach of most of us, priced at £40,000 a bottle.
Roaring forties
Inside The Macallan's extraordinary new distillery, whose roof is covered with undulating grass mounds to blend in with the hill on which it stands, we are led into a darkened, circular room with all-glass walls, through which hanging There are racks of soft illuminated vessels visible. And here, on a podium in the center, is the strange, twisted shape of the Horizon bottle.
It is important to state for the record that I am not an expert on whisky. Sure I enjoy a little tipple every now and then, but on a motoring journalist's salary I can only branch out to the kind of single malt you find on the supermarket shelves - it's rare that I get to try something more exclusive .
So you'll have to forgive my taste buds for their inexperience with whiskeys of this kind of character. Luckily, The Macallan's master whiskymaker Kirsteen Campbell is on hand to tell us what to taste: dried fruit and spices apparently, as well as aromas of oak and leather meant to evoke the interior of a Bentley.
I pour the £40,000 whiskey into my mouth and hold it there. I am immediately surprised by the sweetness; or rather, the lack of bitterness. That's the sherry cask talking, I was later told - the specialty of the Macallan; indeed, all his whiskeys are put into the barrels in this way.
Fruit of vroom
After a while, yes, there is the dried fruit - like a deliciously boozy Christmas cake with candied orange peel. I can detect the spices too, but the oak and leather are harder to come by; undoubtedly the relative coarseness of my taste is to blame.
What strikes me is the depth of flavor; a lush kick of gentle warmth that radiates outward from the chest and feels like it's slowly but inexorably seeping into every corner of your torso. It's something I've never experienced before; is this what it's like to drink really expensive whisky? If so, I understand why people do that.
It would be easy to write off Horizon as nothing more than a marketing exercise, but somehow it still feels like more than that. Both Bentley and The Macallan point out that if they had been looking for a quick PR win, they could easily have slapped the Bentley name on a bottle of The Macallan 18 year old.
Instead, the folks at The Macallan - and Bentley - all speak of Horizon like proud parents, suggesting that the experience of creating it was so fruitful that it won't be the last time the two companies work together.
As one door closes, another opens. However, this won't be the last time we see a top-of-the-range Bentley sitting above the pure petrol V8 in the range. Rumor has it that a hybrid V8 is on the way, offering even more power than the W12 - along with the promise of quiet running at times. How bad Bentley.
Of course, enthusiasts will regret the loss of a cool Bentley. But its passing reminds us that change is inevitable. The W12 once represented that change; a sign of a bold new era in which Bentley had to change enormously to survive.
Twenty years later, as I drink the last drops of (probably) the most exclusive thing that will ever pass my lips, it's hard not to conclude that mission has been accomplished.
