Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 engine
Encyclopedia
Rolls-Royce (car)
This a list of Rolls-Royce motor cars and includes vehicles produced by:*Rolls-Royce Limited *Rolls-Royce Motors , which was owned by Vickers between 1980 and 1998, and after that by Volkswagen...
and Bentley
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
motor cars in the four decades after its introduction in 1959. With BMW’s acquisition of the rights to use the Rolls Royce name in 1998, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars is a British manufacturer of luxury automobiles based at the Goodwood plant in West Sussex, England. It is the current producer of Rolls-Royce branded automobiles, whose historical production dates back to 1904. The factory is located across from the historic Goodwood Circuit...
began using BMW supplied V12 engines but Bentley Motors Limited
Bentley
Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
under Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
ownership continued to use highly modified versions of the L Series on its Bentley Arnage
Bentley Arnage
The Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break...
, Bentley Brooklands
Bentley Brooklands
The Bentley Brooklands is a full-size luxury car introduced for 1992 as a replacement for the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8...
and Bentley Mulsanne
Bentley Mulsanne
The Bentley Mulsanne is a performance luxury car which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1980 until 1992, though derivative models like the Continental T and Azure continued in production into the 2000s...
models, with VAG W-12 engines being used in its Bentley Flying Spur and Bentley Continental
Bentley Continental
Bentley has used the Continental name on a number of automobiles since 1952From 1952 to 1965 always for cars with more powerful engines than used in standard cars installed in lowered chassis provided to coachbuilders for distinctive and distinguished body shapes of specially lightened...
models.
History
United States firm MarmonMarmon
Marmon Motor Car Company was an automobile manufacturer founded by Howard Marmon and owned by Nordyke Marmon & Company of Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. It was established in 1902 and was merged and renamed in 1933. They produced cars under the Marmon brand. It was succeeded by Marmon-Herrington and...
developed the first engine of V8 configuration in 1904, though it was experimental and did not find its way into a passenger vehicle. Rolls-Royce premiered the world's second V8 engine in 1905 for their eponymous Rolls-Royce V-8
Rolls-Royce V-8 (1905)
The Rolls-Royce V-8 was a car produced by Rolls-Royce in 1905 intended to compete with the then popular electric cars used in towns.Claude Johnson, business partner of C. S. Rolls suggested there would be a market for an internal combustion engined car that could take on the electric car market. To...
. Production of this engine predated by a decade Cadillac's
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
first mass production
Mass production
Mass production is the production of large amounts of standardized products, including and especially on assembly lines...
of a V8 engined automobile. The 1905 Rolls-Royce V8 was not a success, with only three made and just one sold, which was soon returned to the factory to be scrapped.
Rolls-Royce acquired Bentley in 1931 and continued to use Bentley engines alongside their own for a time, although none was a V8. Prior to World War 2, Rolls-Royce had developed a 7.3 litre V-12 for the Phantom III, which was succeeded by the F-head B60 straight-6 and B80 straight-8 series of engines. The B80 powered the Phantom IV limousine, whilst the 4.3 litre B60 was used until 1955 to power the Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith and Silver Dawn and the Bentley Mark VI. The B60's bore was enlarged in 1955, increasing the displacement to 4.9 litres, that engine being known as the B61.
The need for a new engine was recognised by Rolls Royce in the early 1950s and its development began in 1952, bearing no relation to the 1905 Rolls-Royce V8. The result was a series of V8 engines known as the L series, more specifically the "L410" for its bore size of 4.1 inches (104.1 mm), in keeping with company practice.
Developments of the L410 continued in production powering Rolls-Royces up to 1998 and Bentleys into the 21st century. Bentley, under Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
ownership since 1998, continues to develop the L410 for its range of cars. Roll-Royce ceased using the L410 with the switch to BMW ownership of that brand in March 1998 and introduction of a BMW sourced V12 engine in the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph.
Since 1998 therefore, development and use of the L410 engine can be said to have been exclusively a Bentley enterprise.
L Series Engine Nomenclature
The factory nomenclature for the L Series V8 engines, in chronological order, is as follows:- L380 1950s 5,204cc initial development version
- L410 1959 6,230cc production version powering Phantom and S Series
- L425 1965 7,439cc experimental version
- L410B 1965 6,230cc updated production version powering Silver Shadow and T Series
- L410 1970 6,750cc production version, capacity increase achieved by 'stroking' to 3.9 inches (99.1 mm)
- L410E 1970s 7,269cc development version with 4.2 inches (106.7 mm) stroke
- L380 1970s 5,352cc “Thermodynamically Optimised Porsche (TOP)” experimental version
- L410D 1982 6,750cc turbocharged production version installed in Bentley Mulsanne
- L410I 1986 6,750cc fuel injected version
- L410IT 1987 6,750cc fuel injected production version of Bentley Mulsanne Turbo R
- L675 1998 6,750cc development name for Arnage version of the turbo, later reverted to “L410”
- L410TT 2007 6,750cc production version introducing twin MHI turbochargers with intercooler
- L410HT 2009 6,750cc variable cam phasing “high-torque” production version for 2009 Mulsanne
6.25-Litre
The engine was of an overhead valveOverhead valve
An overhead valve engine, also informally called pushrod engine or I-head engine, is a type of piston engine that places the camshaft within the cylinder block , and uses pushrods or rods to actuate rocker arms above the cylinder...
(OHV) design, angled at 90 degrees, and featured a central camshaft
Camshaft
A camshaft is a shaft to which a cam is fastened or of which a cam forms an integral part.-History:An early cam was built into Hellenistic water-driven automata from the 3rd century BC. The camshaft was later described in Iraq by Al-Jazari in 1206. He employed it as part of his automata,...
and wedge
Wedge
Wedge may refer to:Mathematics:* Triangular prism, a parallel triangle wedge* Wedge , a polyhedral solid defined by two triangles and three trapezoid faces* Wedge product, a mathematical term, named for the ∧ operator symbol used...
-shaped combustion chamber
Combustion chamber
A combustion chamber is the part of an engine in which fuel is burned.-Internal combustion engine:The hot gases produced by the combustion occupy a far greater volume than the original fuel, thus creating an increase in pressure within the limited volume of the chamber...
s. As initially released, the bore x stroke was 104.14 by 91.44 mm (4.1 by 3.6 ) and displaced 6230 cc, which is rounded up to describe it as the six and a quarter litre engine.
When new, the Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 was rumoured to be an American license-built engine but it was developed in-house by Rolls-Royce and Bentley engineers. This can be seen in its design characteristics, with features like an aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloy
Aluminium alloys are alloys in which aluminium is the predominant metal. The typical alloying elements are copper, magnesium, manganese, silicon and zinc. There are two principal classifications, namely casting alloys and wrought alloys, both of which are further subdivided into the categories...
cylinder block
Cylinder block
A cylinder block is an integrated structure comprising the cylinder of a reciprocating engine and often some or all of their associated surrounding structures...
with wet liners, gear-driven camshaft, (initially) outboard spark plug
Spark plug
A spark plug is an electrical device that fits into the cylinder head of some internal combustion engines and ignites compressed fuels such as aerosol, gasoline, ethanol, and liquefied petroleum gas by means of an electric spark.Spark plugs have an insulated central electrode which is connected by...
s and porting inspired by the Rolls-Royce Merlin
Rolls-Royce Merlin
The Rolls-Royce Merlin is a British liquid-cooled, V-12, piston aero engine, of 27-litre capacity. Rolls-Royce Limited designed and built the engine which was initially known as the PV-12: the PV-12 became known as the Merlin following the company convention of naming its piston aero engines after...
aircraft engine. Rolls-Royce did use General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
transmissions in their vehicles, notably the Turbo-Hydramatic
Turbo-Hydramatic
Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of a family of automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. These transmissions mate a three-element torque converter to a Simpson planetary geartrain, providing three forward speeds plus reverse.The Turbo-Hydramatic series was...
in the Silver Shadow
Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation....
.
Models
- Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud IIRolls-Royce Silver CloudThe Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud was the core model of the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars range from April 1955 until March 1966. It replaced the Silver Dawn and was, in turn, replaced by the Silver Shadow.The J. P...
(1959–1966) - Rolls-Royce Phantom VRolls-Royce Phantom VThe Phantom V was a large, ultra-exclusive four-door saloon made by Rolls-Royce from 1959 to 1968.Based on the Silver Cloud II, it shared a V8 engine and General Motors Hydramatic automatic gearbox with its smaller sibling. Rolls-Royce assembled the cars' chassis and drivetrains with bodies made to...
(1959–1968) - Bentley S2Bentley S2The Bentley S2 was a luxury car produced by Bentley from 1959 until 1962. The changed designation S2 was to mark the new V8 engine and the improved air conditioning which could now be run from it...
(1959–1962) - Bentley S3Bentley S3The Bentley S3 is a four-door luxury car produced by Bentley from late 1962 until 1965.The S3 was very similar to the S2. The most-visible difference was a four-headlamp layout that paved the way for the radically new Bentley T1 in 1965. The interior was modified with individual seats for front...
(1962–1965) - Rolls-Royce Silver ShadowRolls-Royce Silver ShadowThe Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation....
(1965–1970) - Bentley T-seriesBentley T-seriesThe Bentley T-Series is an automobile which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1965 to 1980. It was announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 as a Bentley-badged version of the totally-redesigned chassis-less Rolls-Royce...
(1965–1980) - Rolls-Royce Phantom VIRolls-Royce Phantom VIThe Phantom VI was an ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce model made from 1968-1991.Based on the Phantom V, the Phantom VI had a re-styled facia and was powered by an engine derived from the current Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow...
(1968–1982)
Production
- Rolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
(1959–1973) - BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, subsidiary thereof - Rolls-Royce MotorsRolls-Royce MotorsRolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
(1973–1982), subsidiary of Vickers plcVickers plcVickers plc was the remainder of Vickers-Armstrongs after the nationalisation of three of its four operating groups: aviation , shipbuilding and steel...
(from 1980) - BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, subsidiary thereof
6.75-Litre
Starting in 1968 for the 1971 model year, the stroke of the V8 engine was increased from 3.6 inches (91.4 mm) to 3.9 inches (99.1 mm), thereby increasing the engine capacity to 6.75 litreLitre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
s - 6752 cc. Known as the Six and Three-Quarter Litre or simply the Six and Three-Quarter, it is the most widely used and well known of all the versions and possibly the most famous British V8 engine of all time, save for the Rover V8 engine
Rover V8 engine
The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom...
, which was actually an American Buick
Buick
Buick is a premium brand of General Motors . Buick models are sold in the United States, Canada, Mexico, China, Taiwan, and Israel, with China being its largest market. Buick holds the distinction as the oldest active American make...
design purchased from General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
.
Except for the Chevrolet Small-block V8
Chevrolet Small-Block engine
The Chevrolet small-block engine is a series of automobile V8 engines built by the Chevrolet Division of General Motors using the same basic small engine block...
and Lamborghini V12
Lamborghini V12
The Lamborghini V12 is a sixty degree V12 petrol engine designed by Lamborghini, and was the first internal combustion engine ever produced by the firm....
, the Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 is the longest-lived engine currently in production. From a standpoint of usage in currently sold vehicles, the 6.75 litre engine is the second longest lived engine produced (after the Lamborghini V12
Lamborghini V12
The Lamborghini V12 is a sixty degree V12 petrol engine designed by Lamborghini, and was the first internal combustion engine ever produced by the firm....
, 1963-2010). Production of the Chevrolet small-block engine has been relegated to sale as a crate engine
Crate engine
An automobile engine replacement is an engine or a major part of one that is sold individually without any other parts required to make a functional car...
and the replacement GM LS engine
GM LS engine
The GM LS engine family is an engine design intended as the only V-8 engine used in General Motors' line of rear-wheel-drive cars and trucks. The LS series was a "clean sheet" design with little in common with the classic Chevrolet small block V8...
is dynamically unrelated to the classic Chevrolet V8 engine, (though the Chevrolet 90-Degree V6 engine
Chevrolet 90-Degree V6 engine
The Chevrolet 90° V6 family of engines began in 1978 with the Chevrolet 200 cid V6 as the base engine for the all new 1978 Chevrolet Malibu. This engine family is still produced today, as the 4.3 L V6 engine used in Chevrolet and GMC trucks and vans.These engines have a 90° vee block...
is directly related to the original small block and is still in production).
The power output of the 6.75-litre over the 6.25-litre version was not very significant at the outset, the emphasis being on increased torque. However, with improved tuning and the addition of turbochargers, the 6.75-litre became one of the world's powerful automobile engines and enormously enhanced the image of Bentley as a sporting car maker.
The process of evolving the engine has been gradual and continuous; by 2006 almost all the 1959-specification engine components had been upgraded, so that the current twin-turbo
Twin-turbo
Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...
6.75-litre engine produces over 150% more motive
Motive power
In thermodynamics, motive power is an agency, as water or steam, used to impart motion. Generally, motive power is defined as a natural agent, as water, steam, wind, electricity, etc., used to impart motion to machinery; a motor; a mover. The term may also define something, as a locomotive or a...
power
Power (physics)
In physics, power is the rate at which energy is transferred, used, or transformed. For example, the rate at which a light bulb transforms electrical energy into heat and light is measured in watts—the more wattage, the more power, or equivalently the more electrical energy is used per unit...
and torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
than at the beginning of its life, has 40% better fuel economy
Fuel economy in automobiles
Fuel usage in automobiles refers to the fuel efficiency relationship between distance traveled by an automobile and the amount of fuel consumed....
, and produces 99.5% less exhaust emission. In the current Brooklands and Mulsanne
Bentley Mulsanne (2010)
The new Bentley Mulsanne is a high-end luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing...
, the 6.75-litre engine produces 395 kW and 1050 newton metres (774 ft·lbf) of torque.
Models
- Rolls-Royce Phantom VIRolls-Royce Phantom VIThe Phantom VI was an ultra-exclusive Rolls-Royce model made from 1968-1991.Based on the Phantom V, the Phantom VI had a re-styled facia and was powered by an engine derived from the current Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow...
(1968–1991) - Rolls-Royce Silver ShadowRolls-Royce Silver ShadowThe Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is a luxury car that was produced in Great Britain in various forms from 1965 to 1980. It was the first Rolls-Royce to use a monocoque chassis, a response to concerns that the company was falling behind in automotive innovation....
(1970–1980) - Bentley T-seriesBentley T-seriesThe Bentley T-Series is an automobile which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1965 to 1980. It was announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 as a Bentley-badged version of the totally-redesigned chassis-less Rolls-Royce...
(1970–1980) - Rolls-Royce CornicheRolls-Royce CornicheThe Corniche was Rolls-Royce's coupé and convertible version of the Silver Shadow produced between 1971 and 1996. The Corniche was named "Silver Shadow Mulliner Park Ward two door fixed head coupé " from 1966 until 1971 when the Corniche name was applied. The exterior design was by John Polwhele...
(1971–1996) - Rolls-Royce CamargueRolls-Royce CamargueThe Rolls-Royce Camargue is a two-door coupé introduced by Rolls-Royce Motors in March 1975. The Camargue's body, built in London by their coachbuilding division Mulliner Park Ward, was designed by automotive designer Paolo Martin at Pininfarina — the Camargue was Rolls-Royce's first post-war...
(1975–1986) - Rolls-Royce Silver SpiritRolls-Royce Silver SpiritFor the cruise ship see MS Silver SpiritThe Silver Spirit is a British saloon automobile made by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, in England. It was launched in 1980.The Silver Spur was a long-wheelbase version of the Silver Spirit, produced at the same time....
(1980–1988) - Bentley MulsanneBentley MulsanneThe Bentley Mulsanne is a performance luxury car which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1980 until 1992, though derivative models like the Continental T and Azure continued in production into the 2000s...
(1980–1992) - Bentley EightBentley EightThe Eight was Bentley's "entry-level" offering from 1984 until 1992. Distinguished mainly by a wire-mesh grille radiator instead of vertical slats, the Eight also had somewhat less equipment than the similar Mulsanne on which it was based. A firmer suspension offered slight handling improvements...
(1984–1992) - Bentley Turbo RBentley Turbo RThe Bentley Turbo R was a high-performance model produced by Bentley Motors Limited. The "R" stood for "roadholding", to set it apart from its predecessor. It initially inherited the turbocharged engine from the Mulsanne Turbo and also sported a retuned suspension and wider tires on alloy wheels, a...
(1985–1997) - Bentley AzureBentley AzureThe Bentley Azure is a large, four seater convertible built by Bentley Motors Limited at its factory in Crewe, England. The model debuted in 1995 on the Continental platform and was produced in its original guise until 2003. A completely new version powered by a significantly updated engine and...
(1995–2003, 2006–present) - Bentley Continental RBentley Continental RThe Bentley Continental R is a large, expensive, luxury coupé made by Bentley from 1991 to 2002. It was the first Bentley to feature a body not shared with a Rolls-Royce model since the S3 of 1965, the first to use the GM 4L80-E transmission, and the quickest, most expensive, and most powerful...
(1991–2003) - Bentley BrooklandsBentley BrooklandsThe Bentley Brooklands is a full-size luxury car introduced for 1992 as a replacement for the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight models. It was intended as a slightly cheaper alternative to the Bentley Turbo R, featuring the same styling, underpinnings and the Rolls-Royce 6.75 litre V8...
(1992–1998) - Bentley Turbo RTBentley Turbo RTThe Bentley Turbo RT was the last, rarest, most powerful and most expensive of the Turbo line. The Bentley RT came with the twin-turbo 6.75 L V8 engine of the two-door Continental T installed. It is visually differentiated from other Bentley Turbo models by its sport wheels, radiator mesh grille...
(1997–1998) - Bentley ArnageBentley ArnageThe Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break...
(1998–2009) - Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000)Rolls-Royce Corniche (2000)The Rolls-Royce Corniche is a two-door, four-seater luxury car with a cabriolet body, made in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2002. Rolls-Royce's flagship car, it was the fifth model to bear the Corniche name on its debut in January 2000. At the time of its release, it was the most expensive...
(2000–2002) - Bentley Brooklands Coupé (2008–present)
- Bentley Mulsanne (2010)Bentley Mulsanne (2010)The new Bentley Mulsanne is a high-end luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom. The name is derived from Bentley's historical racing pedigree, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans — the Mulsanne Straight being the stretch of the Le Mans racing...
(2010-)
Production
- Rolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce LimitedRolls-Royce Limited was a renowned British car and, from 1914 on, aero-engine manufacturing company founded by Charles Stewart Rolls and Henry Royce on 15 March 1906 as the result of a partnership formed in 1904....
(1968–1973) - BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, subsidiary thereof - Rolls-Royce MotorsRolls-Royce MotorsRolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
(1973–2002), subsidiary of Vickers plcVickers plcVickers plc was the remainder of Vickers-Armstrongs after the nationalisation of three of its four operating groups: aviation , shipbuilding and steel...
(1980–1998) - BentleyBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, subsidiary thereof (until 1998) - Bentley Motors LimitedBentleyBentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later...
, subsidiary of Volkswagen GroupVolkswagen GroupVolkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
(1998–present)
The Marques' Split
BMWBMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
obtained an interest in Rolls-Royce and Bentley in the 1990s and began supplying them with engines in 1998, specifically a V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph
Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph
The Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, produced from 1998 to 2002, was first unveiled on March 3, 1998 at the Geneva Motor Show. The Silver Seraph replaced the Silver Spur, which ended production in 1997....
and a twin-turbo
Twin-turbo
Twin-turbo refers to a turbocharged engine, in which two turbochargers compress the intake charge. There are two commonly used twin turbo configurations: parallel twin-turbo and sequential twin-turbo...
4.4 litre
Litre
pic|200px|right|thumb|One litre is equivalent to this cubeEach side is 10 cm1 litre water = 1 kilogram water The litre is a metric system unit of volume equal to 1 cubic decimetre , to 1,000 cubic centimetres , and to 1/1,000 cubic metre...
V8 engine
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
to replace the 6.75 litre for the Bentley Arnage
Bentley Arnage
The Bentley Arnage is a large luxury car produced by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage, and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the Spring of 1998, and were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.Another break...
. BMW V8 engines were used exclusively in the Arnage from 1998 to 2000.
In 1998, Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group
Volkswagen Group is a German multinational automobile manufacturing group. , Volkswagen was ranked as the world’s third largest motor vehicle manufacturer and Europe's largest....
outbid BMW to acquire Rolls Royce and Bentley Motor Cars. BMW reached agreement with Rolls Royce plc to secure usage of the Rolls Royce brand, the badge and the Flying Lady
Spirit of Ecstasy
The Spirit of Ecstasy is the name of the hood ornament on Rolls-Royce cars. It is in the form of a woman leaning forwards with her arms outstretched behind and above her...
mascot—the aero engine company having retained control of the brand when it split from the car manufacturing business. A deal was finally reached whereby Volkswagen Group retained use of the Rolls Royce brand until the end of 2002, when Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors
Rolls-Royce Motors was created from the de-merger of the Rolls-Royce car business from Rolls-Royce Limited in 1973. The original Rolls-Royce Limited had been nationalised in 1971 due to the financial collapse of the company, caused in part by the development of the RB211 jet engine...
transferred to BMW control, leaving VW with the Bentley marque, the factory, and ownership of all current models (although production of the Rolls Royce Silver Seraph was discontinued).
BMW no longer owns the rights to produce any pre-2003 Rolls-Royce or Bentley engines. The current Rolls-Royce Phantom
Rolls-Royce Phantom (BMW)
The Rolls-Royce Phantom is a saloon automobile made in England by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, a BMW subsidiary. It was launched in 2003 and is the first model introduced during the BMW era. The Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé, and the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé, are both based on the 2003 Phantom...
and its derivatives use a normally aspirated BMW V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, which has no technical similarities with the L410 engine. The Rolls Royce Ghost introduced in 2010 uses a 6.6 litre twin-turbo V12.
Under Volkswagen Group, the Bentley Arnage's BMW engine was phased out from 2000 to 2002 and the L410 engine was reintroduced in highly redeveloped form. The Arnage-derived Brooklands uses the most powerful version of the engine yet. Those models and the convertible Bentley Azure
Bentley Azure
The Bentley Azure is a large, four seater convertible built by Bentley Motors Limited at its factory in Crewe, England. The model debuted in 1995 on the Continental platform and was produced in its original guise until 2003. A completely new version powered by a significantly updated engine and...
are produced alongside the Bentley Mulsanne
Bentley Mulsanne
The Bentley Mulsanne is a performance luxury car which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1980 until 1992, though derivative models like the Continental T and Azure continued in production into the 2000s...
and smaller Bentleys based on the Continental GT
Bentley Continental GT
-Flying Spur:The four door Continental Flying Spur saloon was first displayed at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show. The Flying Spur utilizes most of the technical underpinnings of the Bentley Continental GT, and was introduced to European and North American markets in the summer of 2005...
, which use the VAG W-12 engine.