Remember EngineLabs‘ recent story on the Bentley 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 that was rated at 530 horsepower with a stump-pulling 811 lb-ft peak torque at just 1,750 rpm? And it’s a gas engine, not a diesel. Now we’ve uncovered a couple of videos that follow the assembly of these hand-built engines in England.
The Bentley V8 traces its roots to the iconic Rolls-Royce L-series platform that was introduced in 1959, and its still has the same general architecture with a single cam-in-block and two-valves-per-cylinder. Sharp eyes will notice the deep-skirt aluminum block design, much like the LS with cross-bolted mains. The rest of the engine is rather familiar with shaft-mounted rockers and a massive Hemi-like long-runner intake manifold that helps give the engine its amazing twisting force.
The Bentley engine also features cam phasing and variable displacement. You can see the cam phaser tested in a unique cell that brings the rotating assembly up to speed with clear plates over the cylinder deck in place of the heads. The video below offers animation into these fuel-saving measures. Also, every Bentley engine is fully dyno tested after assembly and before the engine builder signs off with a personalized plate on the intake manifold.
It takes 26 hours to assemble the more than 700 parts in the Bentley V8. The biggest disappoint of the two videos is the lack of insight into the turbo and intercooler system. But this is how you go 190 mph in a classic luxury car with a single-cam, OHV engine!