Bentley Speed Edition 12 range revealed in celebration of the W12 engine

Bentley has revealed limited-run ‘Edition 12’ variants of its four Speed models, commemorating the end of the venerable W12 engine’s production run. The special series will be limited to 120 units of each variant – that’s Continental GT (coupe and convertible), Flying Spur and the Bentayga SUV – each finished with a selection of unique colour and trim elements. 

All models will be visually distinguished by a selection of subtle ‘12’ badges dotted around the interior and exterior. Continental GTs feature front wing-mounted badges, while the Flying Spur and Bentayga mount theirs on the rear pillars. All models are fitted with the Blackline Specification and gloss-black painted wheels, and there are a range of other small plaques and logos dotted around the engine bay and door sills. 

There is a bespoke paint colour available for the Edition 12 called ‘Opelite’, a light grey-green with a copper coloured metallic element that becomes visible under direct sunlight, but buyers are able to order from the full range of standard and Mulliner colour options too. Bentley also fits unique silver-painted brake calipers, replacing the standard black or optional red units found in other models. 

32

Bentley’s limited the interior leather colour to a single Beluga black option, but the cars come with unique stitching within the quilting pattern that graduates from light to dark grey as it goes up the seat back. You can also pair this with the contrasting colours in Bentley’s ‘Speed’ colour split. The veneer is lacquered in Bentley’s lustrous piano black – a finish that’s not to be confused with the glossy black plastic you’ll find in everything from a Toyota Aygo to the Lamborghini Aventador these days. 

Finally, each car will be delivered with a 15 per cent scale model of its 6-litre W12 engine, cast from the very same aluminium as used on the full-sized powerplants. The Edition 12’s mechanical elements are unchanged from standard Speed models, which means it produces an astounding 650bhp and 900Nm of torque, transferred to the wheels via either a dual-clutch transmission (or torque-converter automatic transmission in the case of the Bentayga).

Bentley hasn’t revealed pricing for its new specials, but we expect there to be a reasonable lift over the existing Speed derivatives.

Now take a look at our ten favourite luxury cars to buy now...