Bentley Continental GTC V8 Rioja Spain 2012

THE NEW BENTLEY 4.0 V8 CONTINENTAL MODELS IN DETAIL

"The new V8 engine gives Bentley a three-engine line-up for the first time since the early days of the company and we're confident it will characterise the Bentley driving experience just as the 6.75 V8 and 6.0 W12 drivetrains do. Hitting the efficiency targets we set ourselves was a tough challenge; but not only is the new 4.0 V8 a standard-setter for fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, it also rewards the keen driver exactly as a Bentley engine should."

Brian Gush, Head of Chassis and Powertrain Engineering, Bentley Motors.

Bentley performance with 40 per cent efficiency gain

•Downsizing
•Engine Optimisation
•Variable displacement
•8 Speed Transmission
•Thermal Management
•Recuperation
•Low rolling resistance tyres
The red winged 'B' and black gloss grille provide a strong indicator that a different Bentley powerplant nestles in the engine bay of the Continental GT V8 and its convertible stablemate.

Settle into the supportive cobra-style seats, press the start button, and all is revealed. The new 4.0 litre Bentley engine comes to life with an unmistakable V8 burble: deep, sporty and ready for action.

To achieve the 40 per cent efficiency improvement targeted by Bentley's Board of Directors back in 2008, Bentley's engineering team left no detail unexamined. The reduction in displacement from 6.0 litre W12 to 4.0 litre V8 was the first starting point -- but a smaller capacity engine in itself would not have delivered anything close to the ambitious power and emissions targets.

Variable displacement -- deactivating cylinders when at a gentle cruising speed or light throttle -- was already an area of Bentley expertise. The Bentley Mulsanne's 6.75 litre V8, though similar in format to the original Bentley V8 of 1959, features variable displacement as part of its technologically-advanced specification.

Similar technology now features on the Bentley 4.0 V8: when the engine's control microprocessor detects a lig