Bentley: Bye, bye for legendary engine

The special series features all sorts of tinsel work, including stylized valve covers on the air vents on the dashboard.

Replacement for weaker six-cylinder
When it debuted in 1959, the engine was intended to replace the less powerful inline six-cylinder; its performance was rated "sufficient".

Today, Bentley is more forthcoming and puts the power output at the time at around 180 hp. Subsequently, the engine migrated to the entire model range of Rolls-Royce and Bentley.

Not a particularly rosy outlook
The original 6.2-liter engine was enlarged to 6.8 liters toward the end of the 1960s. Nevertheless, the prospects for the classic engine were not particularly rosy.

For while the two-door models built in small numbers still relied on the 6.75-liter unit, the new owner BMW planned to equip the brands' core models with completely newly developed engines. The four-door Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph received a 5.4-liter V12, while the sister model Bentley Arnage was equipped with a 4.4-liter V8 turbo.

513 hp and 1020 NM torque
The L-series experienced its final technological leap in 2009 with the introduction of the top-of-the-range Mulsanne model. With 513 hp and 1020 Nm of torque, the engine delivered, according to the brand, the "effortless torque wave for which Bentley is famous. And at the end of 2014, a variant with 530 hp and 1100 Nm of torque was added, with which the two-and-a-half-tonner reached a top speed of 305 km/h.

Drive for legendary models
Over its lifetime, the engine was fitted in the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, Phantom V and VI, Silver Shadow, Silver Spirit, Silver Spur, Corniche and Camargue. At Bentley, it was used in the S2 and S3, the T-Series, the two Mulsanne generations and their derivatives, as well as the Azure, Continental R/T/S and Brooklands.

With its low-speed character and massive torque, the aluminum unit acted like a steam engine. Now the world's longest-serving V8 engine is retiring.

bentleymotors.com