Bentley Continental GT and Flying Spur V8 RELEGATED to the Bentley history book

Bentley has announced the end of the road for the V8-powered Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur for the UK, Europe and the Middle East.

It was the end of 2011 – just before the 2012 Detroit Motor Show – when Bentley revealed V8 power for the Continental GT to deliver a ‘lesser’ sibling for its W12, since when more than 53,000 Bentleys with a V8 have been sold.

Despite its lesser billing, the V8 Bentleys turned out to be more fun to drive and delivered almost sensible economy despite 500bhp, and certainly more fuel efficient than the Flying Spur Speed W12 we reviewed around the same time which managed only 12mpg. 

But now Bently has announced the end of the road for the V8 in the Continental GT, Continental GTC and Flying Spur for the UK, Europe and the Middle East, with the rest of the world to follow later. The V8 will, for now, continue to be available in the Bentayga.

Bentley says production will end in June, with no new orders taken and very limited stock at dealers.

It’s all part of the aim by Bentley to go all-electric by 2030 (it won’t happen), with the V8 – and the now also pretty much binned W12 – to be replaced by a 750bhp hybrid V8 very soon.