Bentley Continental GT W12: twelve cylinders worth hearing, the exhaust system guide
Whether it belongs to the first series, from 2004 to 2010, or to the second generation, from 2011 to 2013, the Continental GT W12 rests on the same principle: a 6.0-litre twin-turbo twelve-cylinder in the service of grand touring. And it shares the same flaw: a factory exhaust that filters it until it is almost inaudible. The ROG valved exhaust fits both; the following pages help you put yours together.
Written by ROG Motorsport · Updated
Your ROG exhaust for the Bentley Continental GT W12
From €3,990 in stainless steel, €4,990 in titanium
Configure my exhaust- Vehicles
- Bentley Continental GT W12 (2004-2010) ; Bentley Continental GT W12 (2011-2013)
- Engine
- Bentley Continental GT W12 (2004-2010): 560 hp; Bentley Continental GT W12 (2011-2013): 575 hp
- Exhaust
- Valved cat-back, built for your VIN
- Material
- 304 stainless steel or titanium
- Front section
- Optional: catted downpipe with 200 or 100 cells, or decat
- Valves
- ROG remote, or factory control if your vehicle has it
- Lead time
- 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship
Closely related versions have their own guide: Bentley Continental Flying Spur W12 6.0, Bentley Continental GT V8 4.0, Bentley Continental GT W12 6.0.
The 6.0-litre twin-turbo W12: the engine in both Continental GTs
The W12 in the Continental GT combines two narrow-angle VR6 blocks on a common crankshaft, which fits twelve cylinders into a very compact package. Two turbos feed it. In the 2004 to 2010 Continental it produces 560 hp and 650 Nm; the second generation, from 2011 to 2013, takes it to 575 hp and 700 Nm. Either way, the thrust is continuous and seamless, whatever the pace.
From one generation to the next, the engine keeps the same architecture and the same breathing, which allows a single ROG exhaust to serve both cars. Two turbos and a factory exhaust designed for absolute comfort muffle the W12 to the extreme: you sense its strength, but you never hear its true nature. The ROG exhaust gives it back its presence when you open the valves and takes it away again when you close them, without modifying the engine or its management.
What makes up the exhaust on your Bentley Continental GT W12
An exhaust system is best understood in two parts. Here is what each one does, and what ROG replaces.
The cat-back is the complete exhaust system
It is everything you can see under the chassis of your Bentley Continental GT W12, from the outlet of the front section to the tips: pipes, silencer, valves. Routing, silencer, valves: this is where the sound is shaped, and where we focus our research and development.
The front section, where the catalytic converter sits
On your Bentley Continental GT W12, that is the downpipe, the pipe leading from the turbo. It contains the factory catalytic converter: the second restriction in the exhaust, after the silencer. Changing this part remains a choice: it pays off mainly with an ECU remap, which turns the freed-up flow into power.
The figures for your Bentley Continental GT W12
What an exhaust changes straight away is the sound, the engine's breathing and the weight at the rear. For more power, add an ECU remap.
Bentley Continental GT W12 (2004-2010)
Power
Torque
Bentley Continental GT W12 (2011-2013)
Power
Torque
Published factory and Stage 2 figures.
With or without an ECU remap, the exhaust fits and works. But it is an ECU remap at an approved tuning centre that truly unleashes your Bentley Continental GT W12, and that is what we recommend.
The twin-turbo W12 hides considerable reserves: at Stage 2 it is quoted at 656 hp for the first generation and 693 hp for the second. This work on the forced induction calls for a tuner who knows the platform and for mechanicals in perfect condition. The ROG exhaust does not contribute to it directly: it provides the soundtrack.
Configuring your exhaust, step by step
4 choices, in the same order as the product page configurator.
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Step 1 of 4: Material: stainless steel or titanium
For your Bentley Continental GT W12, the exhaust costs €3,990 in stainless steel and €4,990 in titanium.
304 stainless steel
€3,990
- Weight
- Baseline
- Sound
- Full and rounded
Durable, corrosion-resistant, with a rounded, full sound: the most popular option.
Titanium
€4,990
- Weight
- Around 40% lighter
- Sound
- Metallic, crystal-clear
For the same design, it weighs around 40% less than stainless steel. A more metallic note at high revs and a look all of its own, from brushed to blued.
Both materials age well: 304 stainless steel copes with winter and salt, and titanium does not rust. Stainless steel or titanium: what really changes.
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Step 2 of 4: Front section: downpipe and catalytic converter
Optional: the downpipe on your Bentley Continental GT W12, with its catalytic converter. Sound rating out of 10, valves open: the factory exhaust sits at 3.
Cat-back only
Included
7/10Factory emissions control
Nothing changes at the front: the cat-back alone is already enough to change the car.
200-cell sports catalytic converter
+€1,120
8/10Road use and inspection
The everyday compromise: emissions control is still there, and breathing improves noticeably.
100-cell sports catalytic converter
+€1,120
9/10Inspection: depends on local rules
One step further: more flow, a more aggressive sound, reduced emissions control.
Decat
+€800
10/10Track use
Everything unleashed: maximum flow and unrestrained sound, for the track.
Sound intensity, on a scale of 0 to 10
- 10/10Decat downpipe + ROG cat-back
- 9/10100-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 8/10200-cell sports catalytic converter + ROG cat-back
- 7/10ROG cat-back only, factory catalytic converter retained
- 3/10Factory exhaust, for comparison
Valves open. With the valves closed, every configuration becomes discreet again.
What about the engine warning light? It can appear with a sports catalytic converter: the downstream oxygen sensor reads a different level of cleaning from the factory unit. It is not an engine fault, and it is dealt with by an ECU remap or a diagnostic tool. With a decat, an ECU remap becomes necessary. If it happens to you, call us and we will point you in the right direction. Passing vehicle inspection with a sports exhaust.
-
Step 3 of 4: Valves: ROG remote or factory control
Two ways to control the valves on your Bentley Continental GT W12.
ROG remote
The simplest solution: a control unit in the boot and a remote, open or closed at the press of a button, whatever mode you are in. A question while fitting? We will get back to you.
Factory control
- Only for vehicles fitted with factory valves
- Controlled by the drive modes
Does your vehicle have factory valves? The exhaust keeps their existing control: the drive modes operate the valves, as before, with no added electronics.
On a long journey, what matters is the absence of drone at a steady speed. With the valves closed, the exhaust keeps the cabin calm; the show is still there whenever you ask for it. More about exhaust drone.
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Step 4 of 4: Tips: the visual signature
Match the tips to the style of your Bentley Continental GT W12, understated or bold. A particular finish in mind? Send us a photo and we will look at it together.
- Stainless steel
- Black
- Carbon
- Blued titanium
The ROG sound signature on the Continental GT's W12
A twelve-cylinder does not roar like a V8. Its voice is denser and smoother, a broad rumble in which the combustion events merge into one another, with a metallic edge as the load builds. Behind the Continental's factory exhaust, all that is left is a muted breath, so much so that many owners have no idea what their engine has to say.
With the valves open, the ROG exhaust lets the W12 speak: a start-up that announces itself, then a silky rumble that swells every time you accelerate and accompanies overtaking on the motorway. With the valves closed, the Bentley regains the cosseted atmosphere it is famous for, ready to cross a whole country without fatigue.
From order to fitting
-
Configuration
You choose the options for your Bentley Continental GT W12 and enter its VIN, found in box E of the registration document or at the base of the windscreen.
-
Check
We confirm compatibility with your car before we build it.
-
Manufacturing
Made to order, for your Bentley Continental GT W12.
-
Delivery
Free, insured delivery, with tracking sent on dispatch.
-
Fitting
Clamps and gaskets, no welding: two hours on average at the garage of your choice.
20 working days from order confirmation to delivery
- Warranty
- 3 years, parts and workmanship, from the date of delivery
- Payment
- In instalments with Klarna
- Installation
- At the garage of your choice
What about the manufacturer's warranty? In Europe, fitting a part from another brand is not enough on its own to void it; the manufacturer has to prove the link between that part and the fault. Our article on the manufacturer's warranty.
Our recommendations for your Bentley Continental GT W12
-
Daily driving
€3,990
- Stainless
- Cat-back only
- ROG remote
Your Bentley Continental GT W12 stays easy to live with, the factory emissions control is retained, and you open the valves whenever you choose.
View this configuration -
Fast road
€6,110
- Titanium
- 200-cell downpipe
- ECU remap
For great roads: more voice and more response, while staying road-friendly.
View this configuration -
Track
€5,790
- Titanium
- Decat downpipe
- Stage 2
The most extreme configuration, for track use only.
View this configuration
These profiles are starting points. The right choice is often made in five minutes on the phone.
Bentley Continental GT W12: your questions
How much power does an exhaust system add to the Bentley Continental GT W12?
From the factory, the Bentley Continental GT W12 (2004-2010) produces 560 hp; the Bentley Continental GT W12 (2011-2013) produces 575 hp. Without a remap, the exhaust transforms the voice and lightens the rear; it is the ECU remap that increases power. The published Stage 2 figures for each model are shown in the figures table.
Stainless steel or titanium: which material for the Bentley Continental GT W12?
For the Bentley Continental GT W12, the ROG exhaust costs €3,990 in stainless steel and €4,990 in titanium. Choose stainless steel for value for money and a rounded sound, titanium to save around 40% in weight and get a clearer tone.
Do you need to replace the catalytic converter on the Bentley Continental GT W12?
No, the cat-back alone already does most of the work on the Bentley Continental GT W12. The downpipe option is for those tuning the engine: 200 cells to stay road-friendly, 100 cells or decat for the track.
Will a ROG exhaust pass vehicle inspection on the Bentley Continental GT W12?
The cat-back only and the 200-cell sports catalytic converter both keep emissions control: that is the configuration to present, with the valves closed. The 100-cell brings more sound and flow, and whether it is accepted at the emissions test depends on the car and local rules; the decat version is intended for track use on the Bentley Continental GT W12.
How is the ROG exhaust fitted to the Bentley Continental GT W12?
Fitting needs no welding or cutting and takes two hours on average on a lift. We check compatibility with the VIN of your Bentley Continental GT W12 before manufacturing.
What does a ROG exhaust for the Bentley Continental GT W12 cost, and how long does it take?
From €3,990 to €6,110 depending on the configuration. Allow 20 working days from order confirmation to delivery. Free delivery, 3-year warranty.
Unsure about your configuration? Give us a call.
Between stainless steel and titanium, between the cat-back only and the full system, the right choice depends on how you drive and on your Bentley Continental GT W12. We take the time to talk it through before you order, with a reply within 24 hours. We are not here to sell to you over the phone: we help you choose, even if that means a cheaper option because it suits the way you drive.
Behind every ROG exhaust is a French team you can actually reach, who know the cars they talk about. More than 500 exhaust systems fitted and a rating of 4.9 out of 5.
Further reading
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