Bentley will soon offer a more powerful V8 plug-in hybrid powertrain in its flying Spur saloon, according to the car’s chief technical engineer. The set-up, a version of which is currently offered in the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, creates almost 700bhp.
Speaking at the introduce of the new Bentley flying Spur Hybrid, Steve Jones – chief technical engineer for Continental GT as well as flying Spur – told auto reveal the V6 is a “stepping stone”. Bentley will electrify its entire variety by 2024, with hybrids playing a huge part in the switch to EVs.
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With the new flying Spur hybrid lifting the entry-level Panamera 4 E-Hybrid’s 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 – rather than the Bentayga Hybrid’s less powerful, single-turbo 3.0-litre – we asked Jones whether we may see Porsche’s flagship V8 motor fitted to a Bentley in the future.

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“That is absolutely the path,” he said, suggesting that while the end goal is an entire variety of pure-electric Bentleys, in the interim the maker is looking to offer a range of electrified options, including other engines from the wider Volkswagen Group.
Exact specs for the range-topping hybrid Bentley have yet to be revealed, however. While the new flying Spur V6 utilizes the extremely exact same 134bhp electric motor as the Panamera, the British manufacturer has provided the petrol engine a somewhat different tune. creating 536bhp, the flying Spur sits between the cheapest Panamera 4 E-Hybrid as well as the quicker 4S variant.
It’s therefore uncertain whether Bentley may select to boost the power of the V8 even further when fitting it to its high-end saloon. Either way, with a figure in the region of 700bhp, it’s likely the hybrid V8 will handle 0-62mph in comfortably less than four seconds as well as hit almost 200mph flat out.
While the two-door Continental GT is yet to be officially exposed as a hybrid, we understand that a person is on the way. like the flying Spur, it’s expected Bentley will ultimately offer the coupe with both V6 as well as V8 hybrid powertrains.
Bentley verified its beyond 100 strategy back in 2020, specifying it will offer hybrid versions of every design in the line-up by 2024, before declaring itself a pure-electric brand by the end of the decade. The maker means to introduce its very first EV in 2025.

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