Bentley SUV to get 600bhp W12?

At the Vienna Motor Symposium last week, VW Group board member Dr Heinz-Jakob Neußer announced: "Climate protection is an integral part of [Volkswagen's] responsibility towards people and society."

So welcome, everyone, to the Group's monster new 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, ready for service in Volkswagen's premium portfolio. Because nothing screams eco like a 600bhp, range-topping twelve-cylinder engine.

We jest, naturally - there were other, more efficient engines revealed too - but this one's important. Likely to feature in the new Continental and Mulsanne, as well as the VW Phaeton and Audi A8, it combines Audi's FSI direct injection and Bentley's TMPI multi-point injection, and features a host of engine improvements to make the business of suck-squeeze-bang-blow that much punchier.

Things like cylinder bores with APS coating, a cooling system with integrated temp management, dual fuel injection with high pressure direct and low pressure manifold injection, twin-scroll twin-turbos, cylinder bank deactivation and an ECU with two controllers. You still with us?

Good, because the next few bits are interesting. This new 6.0-litre W12 gets an oil circuit "suitable for off-road use", we're told, with a switchable oil pump, and adaptive engine suspension with hydraulic damping. All set up perfectly, you'd imagine, for the new Bentley Bentayga SUV.

With 600bhp and a whopping 664lb ft of torque, it'd certainly be powerful enough for the Big Bentley. VW reckons - depending of course within what lump of metal this 6.0-litre is deployed - it'll propel its host from 0-62mph in less than four seconds, and top out at well over 186mph. Yowser.

Elsewhere, VW also revealed a 268bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine with "genes from the Polo WRC's rally engine", and a new 2.0-litre diesel for light-duty vehicles. But you don't care about that. You care about the 6.0-litre.