Bentley Completes First 650 HP W12 For Production Bacalar

Bentley first introduced the 6.0-liter W12 TSI engine to its lineup in 2003 and since then has increased its power rating by 27% and its torque rating by 38%. That means that today, it produces 650 hp.

The configuration is being used for the Bacalar production car. Each engine is built over the course of six and a half hours by 45 craftspeople.

The engine improvements have come through several iterations. Over the years the crankcase has been strengthened by 30%, cylinder surfaces have been coated to reduce friction, cooling systems have been improved to include three separate coolant circuits, and much more.

Also Read: Bentley Whets Our Appetite With Six Mulliner Bacalar Specs

To make sure that each engine is up to snuff, the company tests them thoroughly. The first test checks for leaks by pressurizing the water, oil, and coolant systems one at a time and determining how quickly or (hopefully) slowly the pressure drops. Bentley then uses a liquid to determine where any leaks are coming from.

The second test is the Cold Test. This one affixes an electric motor to the crankcase, which spins the engine at 120 RPM over the course of a 15-minute test cycle. The result is kind of like spinning the engine in slow-mo, allowing the team to measure 600 individual properties and find minor anomalies that would not be detectable if the engine was running.

Then, finally, comes the Hot Test, which simulates real-world usage. With a UV liquid in the engine, the team fires up the engine and runs it at idle while technicians listen for refinement issues and run a UV light over it to check for leaks.

Most W12s only have to go through a 21 minute and 30-second test, but one in every hundred engines is singled out for a full eight-hour power test. Whereas regular engines only go up to 3,800 RPM, the one-in-a-hundred engines are run up to 6,000 RPM.

Since 2002, Crewe has produced more than 100,000 W12s and passed them through its battery of tests. In the Bacalar’s case, though, it won’t add up to quite as much time. Just 12 are being built and they’ve all been spoken for.