Audi will share S Tronic gearbox with Bentley too

2011 Bentley Continental GT

New S Tronic gearbox will be used in next Continental GT model slated to debut next year as a 2012 model

Last week we reported that Bentley was developing a new 4.0 liter V8 engine with sibling brand Audi that will be introduced in the 2012 Continental GT model.

Now, Autocar is reporting that the next Continental GT with the new V8 engine will also feature the S Tronic gearbox from Audi. The coupling of the two technologies will deliver a sporty GT that also features reductions in fuel-economy and CO2 emissions over the current W12-powered one.

"The V8 will find a new audience for us. There are sports car enthusiasts out there, particularly in the US, who won't buy a sports car unless it's powered by a V8," said Alasdair Stewart, sales and marketing chief at Bentley, in the Autocar story.

But the luxury British automaker will need to conduct some re-engineering of the GT's undercarriage and running gear in order to fit the 7-speed S Tronic. The W12-engined GT currently has a 6-speed gearbox from ZF.

Bentley hopes the new power train on the next Continental GT will help the model achieve the same sales level of 5,000 units a year that the current GT did at its peak.

Source: Autocar

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Hero Sina

what's next? Drift package?

October 12, 2010 8:10 am

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2 replies

moodyaaa

maybe 3.2 engine

October 12, 2010 8:16 am

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6SPEEDV8

whats the problem. a dual clutch is better than any slushbox.

October 12, 2010 8:58 am

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thecarenthusiast

Some part of me thinks that the upcomming 4.0 will in priciple be designed around the 3.0 TFSI phylosophy. I think it will be supercharged, allowing say 450 hp and 450 lb/ft. A compelling package I'd say, especially for as heavy a platform as Conti.

October 12, 2010 8:55 am

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Francois

It's all about the sales level, that's all. If it is going to be like this, soon Audi will use more and more VW/Audi parts just to fullfil the demand and increase sales level. Rubish strategy which destroys the Bentley brand.

October 12, 2010 9:00 am

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3 replies

Uptohere

Audi's 7 speed S-Tronic is an excellent piece of hardware and obviously Bentley has no issue with it going into the Conti. And the fact that it comes from Audi hardly destroys the brand. Could Bentley justify the cost of developing their own gearbox with no guarantee that it would be better than Audi's? Bentley is a much more viable brand than it was 10 years ago and sales reflect that fact.

October 12, 2010 9:53 am

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Garais87

you talking total sh.t man :D soon Audi will use more and more VW/Audi parts just to fullfil the demand and increase sales level??????? :D are you even read this story????? Audi is only company in that VW group who is making something new all the time(introduced and improves TDI all the time, introduced AWD(quattro), introduced TURBO, introduced ceramic brake discs, introduced the aluminum, introduced LED, introduced lightweight aluminum discs) well and that mean that without Audi actualy cars would be still in stone stage or real cr.p :( and ofcourse here will be many dudes who will start now argueing with me, but the thing is real, that before Audi introduced Quattro and TDI for cars, everybody else (Mercedes, Ferrari, Toyota, GM, etc.) was laughing heavy till they sh.t the pants when they saw that its realy working.... and one more thing, there is no VW/Audi anymore its just VW group and there is including Audi, Lamborgini, VW, Skoda, Seat, Bently, Bugatti, Scania. They wants to change the groups name to Auto Union to people not get confused :)

October 12, 2010 10:58 am

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Francois

To Uptohere . Off course you're right about that this is a great gearbox but Audi shouldn't tell it to the whole world, only sneak it into the car queitly and be proud how great it works in a Bentley. If I was a Bentley client I wouldn't like to hear about the parts which maybe are great but come from the Seat, Skoda or VW in my brand new 200 000 euro or more car. It spoils the magic. And to Garais87 : I didn't use VW/Audi as a company name but only a parts supplier. And there's no such brand as you call it : BENTLY

October 12, 2010 11:03 am

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Garais87

to Francois: you should be totaly full if you think that Seat , Skoda or VW have same gearbox as Audi!!! ooo yee and sorry for BENTLY(Bentley) :D is anyway for me is just a more expensive Audi, Bentley already using Audi W12 6.0L petrol engine and now they will add S-tronic, well is will work better with full set :) wake up my friend it's not as same Audi as 10 year ago :)

October 12, 2010 1:12 pm

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1 reply

Francois

You can't find the point of my comment about using the VW group parts, you can only think about this gearbox. You think it's great putting this gearbox to Bentley, so let it be.

October 13, 2010 2:24 am

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torqueofthetown

The days of RR and Bentley using their own engines are GONE. RR sources their engines from BMW and Bentley sources Audi. IMHO there is going to be more and more German engineering in those British nameplates. I just hope the German companies do a better job than Ford did with Jaguar.

October 12, 2010 9:23 pm

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R0ADR4G3

can someone say supersexy?? i love the styling ques used from the other bently.... but i cnt rememebr the name fudge!

October 12, 2010 10:56 pm

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Wunderkind

I think VW-Audi and BMW have proven themselves to be great custodians of Bentley and RR respectively. They have invested enormous sums of money in new models, new facilities and new factory (in RR's case). Both Bentley and RR have access to components and facilities that previously only existed in their dreams. The current crop of Bentleys and RR's are simply superb and will only get better. The interior and exterior of the car have been thoroughly redesigned The W12 engine used in the Bentley may be originated from VW-Audi. But it is a great engine and continues to be updated with the latest technology. It may be equipped with hybrid and the 8-speed gearbox in the future. Yes, the Bentley Continental may be based on the existing platform. But Bentley engineers have worked to reduce its weight from circa 2,500kg to circa 2,300kg now. These figures put the Bentley Continental 150-250kg more than its contemporaries such as the Mercedes-AMG CL65 or the Porsche Panamera Turbo. The Bentley's higher kerb weight is due to the qualityin every facets of the car and the 4WD hardware. Improving exhaust emissions and driving dynamics are the priorities for Bentley. A double-clutch transmission is quite heavy (can be even more so than a automatic transmission). Unless it is re-engineered properly, I fail to see a double clutch transmission can offer any significant improvements. For RR, why haven't they put the Ghost's twin-turbo V12 engine and transmission used in the Phantom yet?

October 13, 2010 1:46 am

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iamkhanz

okay how come no one commented about the 12 CYLINDER GOING AWAY?!?!?! Dude I mean I know us Americans are idiots and we love V8s.. but it's because we love BIG!! If the common guy could afford a V12 he'd have one... so the made it a W12...yea a little less torque but you know what I read that still as 12 CYLINDER!!! BIGGER BADDER then 8 CYLINDER... that's just me.. this one one of my main reasons of liking the Bentley GT.. used it's a cheap 12 cylinder as it depreciates well...

October 13, 2010 2:13 am

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