Bentley teases new V8-powered Conti GT

Bentley has provided the first glimpse and earful of its imminent 4.0-litre turbocharged V8 Continental GT via a teaser video (watch it here) that features shadowy footage of the car being fired up and hustled around a closed course.

From what we can glean – and we’re sure you’ll agree – the growling, spitting V8 sounds infinitely better than the venerable 6.0-litre W12 that’s currently the only engine configuration offered in the Continental.

The company’s flowery prose reads: “Welcome to the new sound of Bentley. Stirring and thunderous, it is the prelude to a potent new Bentley driving experience that begins in 2012.”

It’s believed the new ‘entry-level’ Conti V8 will debut at next month’s Detroit motor show and, according to well-placed sources, the 4.0-litre unit will be offered in 310kW single-turbocharged guise as well as a more potent twin-turbo 415kW variant.

This would mean the twin-turbo V8 is only 8kW shy of the 423kW 6.0-litre W12. Add to that the fact it will be lighter than the W12, and the result could be performance that matches, or perhaps even eclipses, that of its big brother – which sprints to 100km/h in just 4.4sec.

The new V8 was co-developed with VW Group stablemate Audi, and it’s designed to deliver appreciably better fuel economy while meeting ever-stricter emissions regulations.

It’s believed the new powerplant will be hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, which reportedly necessitated some surgery to the Conti’s platform in order for it to be accommodated.

The only question left is: who will want to buy the W12 once the V8 debuts? The appealing growl and anticipated stats of the new-gen engine could effectively render the W12 a white elephant.

However, the official line for now is that the well-seasoned 12-cylinder flagship will continue to soldier on alongside the cutting-edge V8.

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