When Bentley rolled out the V8 version of its Continental GT last year, we wondered what would be the fate of the W12. In stock form, after all, the twelve-cylinder twin-turbo develops 567 horsepower - just 67 more than the 500hp twin-turbo V8. The answer, however, may be found in this latest report from PistonHeads. Citing unnamed sources at Bentley, the British car news site reports that the crew from Crewe is planning much more powerful versions of its prolific, four-banked twelve-cylinder engine.

The current top of the line is the Continental GT Speed, whose upgraded W12 produces 625 horsepower to make it the fastest Bentley ever made. It's still five horses shy of the most powerful, however, as the Supersports that topped the pre-facelift generation of Continentals packed 630 hp. A Supersports version of the new Continental - or a road-going version of the Continental GT3 concept - could stand to produce significantly more, all the while maintaining Bentley's focus on reliability. However much power the next uber-Conti offers, though, Bentley's engineers says the engine "has much more to give".