A Porsche-developed platform will provide basis for all of Bentleys’ two-wheel as well as four-wheel drive models, according to a recent report by AutoCar UK.
The report said Porsche engineers have started working on new platform for Volkswagen that has been derived from the Porsche Panamera, and that the platform labeled MSB (Modular Standard Architecture) would be used to underpin all the upcoming Bentleys.
The concerned platform will reportedly be composed from a blend of steel and aluminium, which is capable of providing considerably enhanced weight distribution as compared with existing Bentley-Porsche shares platform positions the engine further towards the rear of the vehicle’s front axle line. In other words, the new platform will allow the engine of the vehicle to position closer to the back of the front axle line to allow it to have a lower center of gravity, which will make handling much better.
The Bentley-Porsche shares platform will be seen in future models that will come equipped with V12-power engines. The use of the platform by Bentley will make it the main stomping ground for the Volkswagen’s next-generation of high-end twelve-cylinder engines.
The extensive use of high-strength steel and aluminum to create the platform will help the manufacturer in streamlining manufacturing processes; in addition to help some Bentleys lose weight.
The development is apparently a preparation to cope with the phasing out of the long-running 6.75-litre L-series V8 engine in 2013. The manufacturer will stop using 6.75-litre L-series V8 engines in its future cars as these engines will require a costly re-engineering programme to meet Europe’s tighter regulation rules.
The upcoming Mulsanne is going to be the last Bentley car to be powered by the long-running 6.75-litre L-series V8 engine.
The news about the Bentley-Porsche shares platform surfaced more than a month after Volkswagen Group’s takeover of the Stuttgart-based Porsche.
