Posted on: Sep 05, 2012 | 13,483 reads

Bentley to Share Porsche Platforms

Porsche's new MSB platform will likely underpin next-generation Bentley models.

Following Volkswagen Group's takeover of the famous Stuttgart outfit, all future Bentley models will be underpinned by a Porsche-developed platform. That's according to Auto Car, who are claiming that a new platform, codenamed MSB, is currently being worked on by Porsche engineers derived from that's been derived from the Panamera sedan. The MSB platform is reportedly set to form the basis of all future Bentley models, two- and four-wheel drive configurations alike.

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A mix of steel and aluminum is expected to be used in the composition of the platform, allowing for the potential of significantly improved weight distribution over the current Bentley lineup.

Future models are also likely to be powered by the VW Group's next generation of high-end V12 units with the long-standing 6.75-liter L-series V8 engine set to be phased out beginning in 2013. The upcoming Mulsanne Convertible, which Autocar claims could arrive in either 2014 or 2015, could well be the enduring V8's last hurrah. Production of the convertible could only reach around 250 units annually, most of which will be for the the US market.