Alternative Fuel Heading to Bentley

The Bentley name has a certain air of exclusivity to it. It screams out, “I’m better than you and I know it.” That’s why a little surprising for me to hear that Bentley is apparently working on hybrid and/or diesel versions of its vehicles, making the luxury sedans a little more fuel efficient and just a touch more environmentally friendly. And who said rich snobs don’t care about Mother Nature?

According to Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, a German newspaper, Bentley may simply source the powerplants from its parent company, Volkswagen. For example, they could quite easily pull the V12 TDI from the Audi Q7 and plunk it into one of their vehicles. This engine produces 510 horsepower and 738 lbs-ft of torque. The same can be said about the hybrid side of things, because a hybrid Touareg SUV is also in the works.

On a side note, Bentley is also planning on releasing the Brooklands coupe in 2008. Branching out, are we?