[ChiragM]

Bentley's V8 engine is now 60-years old and is said to be the world's longest-serving V8 in production. 35,898 engines have been produced since 1959.



The engine made its debut in the 1959 Bentley S2 and had a cubic capacity of 6.2-litres. Over the decades every part of the engine has been re-engineered, but Bentley claims that the basic principles and dimensions that have defined the engine are still the same. The engine size has now gone up to 6.75-litres. In the past, the engine has powered cars like the Mulsanne Turbo and the Brooklands V8.

The original engine was designed and built in 18 months, and it was lighter than the six-cylinder engine it replaced. Today, in the Mulsanne Speed, it produces 530 BHP and 1,100 Nm of torque.







Link to Team-BHP News

[KMT]

Really amazing, thanks for sharing.

However, I think the 6750cc V8 was originally a RR engine that was used in Bentleys.

The L series engine debuted in a RR not a Bentley.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by KMT

Really amazing, thanks for sharing.

However, I think the 6750cc V8 was originally a RR engine that was used in Bentleys.

The L series engine debuted in a RR not a Bentley.

You are correct. When BMW took over, RR walked away with the badge and nothing much else. Pre BMW/VW takeover of RR/Bentley. The engine was discontinued for a while.

The Bentley Arnage Green Labels had the BMW V8 and the Roll Royce Silver Spirit had the BMW V12. VW, post take over of Bentley, were miffed at how BMW snatched RR from under their noses and wanted to get the BMW engines out of their cars. They immediately started work on rapidly updating the 6.75 to meet modern emissions and requirements (i.e wafting with power). the Continentl and Flying Spur have VW designed W12 and recently a new V8 engine.

The 6.75 will be phased out once a new Arnage appears

[gauravanekar]

Originally Posted by ajmat

You are correct. When BMW took over, RR walked away with the badge and nothing much else. Pre BMW/VW takeover of RR/Bentley. The engine was discontinued for a while.

The Bentley Arnage Green Labels had the BMW V8 and the Roll Royce Silver Spirit had the BMW V12. VW, post take over of Bentley, were miffed at how BMW snatched RR from under their noses and wanted to get the BMW engines out of their cars.

This story seems interesting, where can I read more on this?

[padmrajravi]

Originally Posted by ajmat

The 6.75 will be phased out once a new Arnage appears

Is Bentley having plans to resurrect the Arnage brand? I thought Mulsanne was the Arnage replacement and going forward will be the flagship Bentley. Arnage even had a going away ceremony with a final series advertisement and all. Dont remember reading anywhere that Arnage will come back again.

[GeeTee TSI]

Just sounds all the more British when pronounced "Six and three quarters of a litre"

Wonder how long this iconic engine will soldier on with this massive displacement, what with downsizing or electric assist trends

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

This story seems interesting, where can I read more on this?

More here - engine was out of production 1998-2002 till VW revamped the unit

Originally Posted by padmrajravi

Is Bentley having plans to resurrect the Arnage brand? I thought Mulsanne was the Arnage replacement and going forward will be the flagship Bentley. Arnage even had a going away ceremony with a final series advertisement and all. Dont remember reading anywhere that Arnage will come back again.

Sorry, I meant the next Mulsanne, rumour has it that it might go all electric.

[ChiragM]

Originally Posted by KMT

However, I think the 6750cc V8 was originally a RR engine that was used in Bentleys.

The L series engine debuted in a RR not a Bentley.

Originally Posted by ajmat

You are correct. When BMW took over, RR walked away with the badge and nothing much else. Pre BMW/VW takeover of RR/Bentley. The engine was discontinued for a while.

Originally Posted by gauravanekar

This story seems interesting, where can I read more on this?

A bit about the engine's history from the Bentley press release:

Origins of the Bentley V8

The development of the first Bentley V8 engine began not long after the company moved to its current headquarters in Crewe. In the early 1950s, Jack Phillips, Senior Engine Designer, was asked to undertake a confidential study to find a replacement for the six-cylinder engine used in the Bentley Mark VI, R-Type and S1.

His brief was to build an engine that was at least 50 per cent more powerful than the six-cylinder it would eventually replace, while occupying the same space under a bonnet with no increase in weight. A ‘V’ configuration was the natural choice and it is a testament to Phillips and his team that the engine ran just 18 months after the start of the design process.

From the very beginning of production, engines were ‘run in’. They ran on a test bed for more than 500 hours at full throttle and covered hundreds of thousands of miles in real-world conditions to prove their worthiness. A department of skilled inspectors would then strip down the mechanics to ensure the highest standards were maintained.

The resulting 6.2-litre V8 engine was 30 lb lighter than the six-cylinder model. It made its debut in the Bentley S2 of 1959. The car featured air conditioning, power steering, electrically-operated ride control and press button window lifts – the most luxurious equipment for a car of that era.

In Pursuit Of Excellence

The original V8 engine had to be redesigned to fit into the new Bentley T-Series cars introduced for 1965. The engine design team focussed on improving performance, while reducing the overall engine dimensions to fit the space available under a lowered bonnet.

Engine capacity was increased to the eponymous 6¾-litres in 1971 through an increase in stroke from 3.6 to 3.9 inches the delivered even more torque.

The arrival of the first Bentley Mulsanne in 1980 required major changes to the V8, not least the need for stricter emission controls and improved passenger safety in the event of a front-end impact. The latter included a collapsible water pump, which effectively shortened the engine by four inches (10.1 cm).

The biggest single change to the engine was for the launch of the Mulsanne Turbo. With the fitment of a large single turbocharger, the 6¾-litre engine become the first forced-induction Bentley engine since those that powered Tim Birkin’s Blower Bentleys of the 1920s. Power and torque made a step change, and the single turbo setup was eventually replaced by a twin-turbo design. Fuel injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation have all been engineered-in to the engine since. Power slowly climbed to levels above 500 bhp, while torque figures rose to exceed 1,000 Nm – for a time, the L-series V8 made more torque than any other automotive engine in the world.

With the modernization of the Crewe facility from 1998 and an increase in production, the V8 engine also underwent on-going development. Cars such as the 2008 Bentley Brooklands V8 benefitted greatly and although separated by almost 50 years of development, the Brooklands’ V8 design clearly had its roots in the 1959 original, with almost 200 per cent more power and torque.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by ChiragM

A bit about the engine's history from the Bentley press release:

Bit? They never really spoke about the format period. Guess the BMW swiping of Rolls Royce was too embarrassing for them