Bentley will sign off its Continental GT and Flying Spur V8s with ‘Edition 8’ variants

As you may remember, last week Bentley announced that it was retiring the V8 engine option for its Continental GT and Flying Spur models to make way for a hybrid successor, and - never one to miss the opportunity for a special edition - it has now announced a last-of-the-line ‘Edition 8’ set of cars for the North American market. 

The Edition 8 includes a selection of bespoke commission options from Mulliner. Externally, the highlights include five or 10-spoke 22in alloys, a ‘jewel’ fuel filler cap and many Edition 8 badges to signify your superiority over standard Bentley owners. Well, unless they bought a W12.

Luckily, the cabin of the Edition 8 has seen much more attention. There's something called ‘Palm Fluting’ upholstery - which has never been offered on a mainstream Bentley model before - plus contrast stitching, and there's no denying it looks mighty special in there. Given the way house prices are going, an Edition 8 seems incredibly tempting as a makeshift home/transport/office, no?

The engine remains untouched, so the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 - which has apparently powered over 53,000 vehicles since its introduction in 2012 - will continue to float around the 542bhp mark. 

Pricing and build numbers have not been announced by Bentley, but it has confirmed initial deliveries for Edition 8 models are due in the coming weeks. A fitting way to say goodbye to the non-hybrid V8, or would you have liked to see Bentley give it more of a send off?