German Car Zone

Purists may scoff at the idea of a diesel powered Bentley but officials say the idea has merit. Bentley’s parent company Volkswagen, after all, has some of the most refined diesel powerplants on the planet, and it also has a number of high-performance engines including V10 and V12 units. There’s no reason why diesel can’t be an option for future models, but Bentley says there’s still not enough demand to warrant engineering the oil-burners for its cars.

Speaking recently with AutoTelegraaf, marketing director Adrian Hallmark said customers enjoy the high-torque and low-rev nature of a Bentley, and a diesel engine perfectly matches this criteria. Some of the engines available, include VW Group’s 5.0L V10 TDI but according to Hallmark the engine is too big to fit under the hood of the Continental GT and Flying Spur, the most likely models to receive a diesel if the project is given the green light.

Arch rival Rolls Royce is also rumored to be investigating the potential of a diesel model. Its parent, BMW, is developing a new twin-turbo V8 diesel, and this engine could potentially feature in the upcoming entry-level Rolls due at the end of the decade.


Source: Motor Authority >> Future Bentleys may get diesel power

Interesting to say the least.

I've wondered why Bentleys don't have diesels already. The Earth-rotating torque and low rev propensity would still be there, just with better fuel economy and vastly superior mechanical efficiency and longevity.

Yeah, modern diesel are/can be refined enough for a Bentley, they offer an enormous torque, less consumption...and a far better autonomy, which is a strong argument for such cars! Only not the V10 please, he's less refined than the diesel in my Golf...Even Audi refused it for the A8..

IMO,its only a matter of time for diesel to penetrate in every possible car model..So,Bentley is no exception..Actually,as kovachian said,low end torque of diesel power plants would only do good to these heavy-weight monsters.Personally,I would buy it..if I could afford it..