- Filed under: Coupe, Etc., Videos, Bentley
The Swiss know a thing or two about skiing. Our neutral friends go downhill, cross-country and even joring. Yeah, we've never heard of "joring" before either, but it apparently involves slapping on a pair of skis and getting towed around by a horse or dog.
That doesn't sound like all that much fun to us, but if you replace the four-legged hauler with a Bentley Continental GT, we're inclined to change our tune. The good folks at Auto Express headed out to a joring track in Rougemont, Switzerland to try their skill with a 570 horsepower, four-wheel drive Continental GT, and they have video to prove it.
Hit the jump to watch exotic joring at 40 miles per hour.Continue reading How to use Bentley's Continental GT like a lead sled dog
How to use Bentley's Continental GT like a lead sled dog originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Convertible, Bentley, Luxury
Updated Droptop Doesn't Compromise Driving Dynamics For Fresh Air And Sunshine
Few experiences equal the feeling of driving a new 2012 Bentley Continental GTC down a crowded Los Angeles highway - especially when the droptop is prismatic magenta with highly polished 21-inch wheels.
Some stare. Others glare. But most simply sneer.
The response should be expected. After all, a vehicle of this caliber is designed to broadcast to others that you have succeeded. Unfortunately, this specific boisterously purple quarter-million dollar convertible with flashy wheels takes things a bit too far: it also seems to remind passers-by that they have failed.
But let's not blame Bentley for someone's misguided selection on the color wheel. A mere 30 microns of pigment over perfectly primed aluminum, whether or not it appears related to Barney the dinosaur, isn't reason to dismiss this magnificent open-top GT.
Or is it?Continue reading 2012 Bentley Continental GTC [w/video]
2012 Bentley Continental GTC [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Jan 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Bentley, Rolls-Royce
Easily one of the most beautiful cars to roll down the auction block at the 2012 Barrett-Jackson event was this 1947 Bentley Mark VI. It's hard to describe just what this Bentley's coachwork looks like, so we suggest you check out the live photos we took of the machine as it was being auctioned.
A few things we know for sure, though. This Bentley has won just about every award it has been eligible for, including being voted as the best of its breed by the Rolls-Royce Owners Club. That, for those unaware, is a very big deal in such circles.
Apparently, a number of bidders at Barrett-Jackson realized just how special this Bentley Franay is, because the gavel finally fell with a winning bid of $2.5 million and a final selling price of $2.75 million after all fees were calculated. Read more about the 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay after the break.Continue reading Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay sold at $2.5 million
Barrett-Jackson 2012: 1947 Bentley Mark VI Franay sold at $2.5 million originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Bentley, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Celebrities, Luxury
When Daimler let slip that Maybach was on the chopping block, the German automaker reportedly insisted that ultra-luxury editions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class would replace the doomed marque. We're all for a smattering of low volume, seriously pricey S-Class variants, but will the richest and most influential Maybach buyers feel the same way?
Automotive News reports that Bentley is betting that stars like Jay-Z and Samuel L. Jackson will want more than a gussied-up Benz, and the luxury car make is sending out olive branches in the form of a letter campaign. The premium Volkswagen brand is asking the high-rollers to step into a Bentley Mulsanne or perhaps a top-shelf Continental GT. To help persuade VIPs to switch to Bentley, the automaker is inviting select Maybach owners to tour its Crewe, England home.
Given the fact that many typical soccer moms and dads can afford an ML-Class, we can see why some movie stars and sultans would want to steer clear of the Three-Pointed Star. But is Bentley really going to gain much by wooing the 200 annual Maybach buyers? If a few more rap stars roll in a Bentley in their next music video, then the answer would appear to be yes.Bentley courting Maybach celebs with letter-writing campaign originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury
Bentley has at last debuted its latest beast at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The Continental GT V8 arrived in the Motor City boasting a new compact 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 under its hood. With 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet of torque on tap, the ultra-luxury coupe offers buyers heaps of performance in an efficient package. Well, efficient by Bentley standards, anyway. The company says the Continental GT V8 has an effective range of 500 miles, which translates to roughly 21 mpg. That's not a Prius-besting figure by any stretch, but it's far from embarrassing given the globe-spinning amount of power on tap.
Much of that efficiency comes from the fact that the 4.0-liter V8 makes use of cylinder deactivation when the driver maintains speed or decelerates. The engine automatically drops to four-cylinder power in those situations, though the remaining cylinders pick up the instant the driver tips into the throttle.
Bentley says the Conti V8 can jump to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 188 mph thanks in part to its eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system. The company also says the Continental GT V8 and the Continental GTC V8 will be sold right alongside the standard Continental GT models with their more potent W12 engine. Click past the jump for the full press release.Continue reading Bentley Continental GT V8 brings the motor to Motor City
Bentley Continental GT V8 brings the motor to Motor City originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Bentley, Earnings/Financials, Luxury
After two consecutive years posting losses in its balance book, Bentley is back in the black as the figures came in for the close of 2011. But don't think for one minute that the ultra-luxe British marque is about to stop there. No, Bentley's new CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer (pictured above, right) has big plans for the company, and having headed product development at Porsche for years, that can only mean one thing: more new vehicles. More types of vehicles, more bodystyles and more derivatives.
The biggest potential item in the pipeline is an SUV, a plan which Bentley has had in the making for some time now and which Dürheimer recently indicated in a conference call will be decided on soon. The Bentley of sport-utes would be significantly more upscale than anything currently offered, with a price tag upwards of $140,000, with underpinnings borrowed from the Porsche Cayenne which Dürheimer helped launch himself.
Beyond the SUV, the Bentley chief executive also hinted at a new sportscar range that would include a two-seat coupe, a hardtop convertible and even a racing version. The model would likely take the fight more directly to Aston Martin, against whose smaller GTs the larger Continental GT range currently competes with.
On the sales front, The Flying B was the first automaker to report its December figures and the 2011 calendar year as a whole, with global sales up 37 percent last year to 7,003 units. Sales for December were also up 69 percent versus 2010 to 1,059 cars, which Bentley claims is its second-best sales month of all time and best since the recession began.
What's more interesting is how Bentley sales break down geographically. The U.S. remains the brand's best-selling market with 2,021 cars sold, but sales in China "virtually doubled" last year to 1,839 units. In fact, the Chinese had already bought more Bentleys by last July than they did in all of 2010. With that kind of momentum, China should easily overtake the U.S. as as the automaker's best customer base in 2012. Even struggling Europeans managed to increase their appetites, buying 53 percent more last year than the year before. Follow the jump for the latest statement on Bentley's financial health.Continue reading Bentley coming down to SUV decision as 2011 figures return it to profitability
Bentley coming down to SUV decision as 2011 figures return it to profitability originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury
The Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8 has been unwrapped and it's a kinder, gentler bulldog that makes do with "just" 500 horsepower and 481 pound-feet from its 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8. That is down 20 horsepower and up just 8 pound-feet from the output of the Audi S8, with which it shares the innovatively-packaged, cylinder-deactivating V8. We're going to guess that's to leave unquestionable space between it and the 631-hp Continental GT, and so Bentley could reach its 40 percent improvement goal with respect to emissions and gas mileage.
Specific numbers aren't divulged just yet, but it will get from standstill to 60 mph in under five seconds and will go more than 500 miles on a tank. Unless the tank size has changed from the 24-gallon receptacle in the big daddy W12, which we doubt, that means the V8 is good for at least 21 miles per gallon.
You'll be able to tell this one apart by its black grille with chrome accents, red Bentley "B" badge (red badges were traditionally used on sportier Bentleys, so we're not sure if that's meant to be a sign of this coupe's performance vs. the W12) and reworked treatment of the lower grille. The package rides on 20-inch wheels, same size as the flagship GT, but in back you'll find "figure-eight" tailpipes (which will quickly be swapped for something less obvious) and another red badge.
Both coupe and sedan will introduce themselves to rich buyers and not-so-rich voyeurs at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. You'll find a press release after the jump with obligatory references to inconceivable colors like Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus, and a high-res gallery of photos for much more understandable pleasures above.Continue reading Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit
Bentley bringing 500-hp, twin-turbo V8 Continental to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 04:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Bentley, Design/Style, Luxury
Back in 2008, Milanese design studio Zagato got together with Bentley to create the Continental GTZ, a coachbuilt version of Crewe's prolific luxury coupe. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, the design had some beautiful elements, but the GTZ wasn't supposed to be a one-and-done affair. For a handsome fee, Zagato offered to rebody anyone's Continental GT to mirror the show car; no more than nine examples were to be built. Unfortunately, it looks like nobody was willing to shell out the €800,000 asking price (a bit over $1M USD - plus the donor car's MSRP) to have theirs converted.
As a result, it seems that only the one example was made. But - good news, everyone! - that solitary example, in two-tone silver and green - is now in the United States and available for sale. This is said to be the actual show car, based on a Continental GT Speed, that debuted at the Geneva Palexpo two and a half years ago. The one-of-a-kind creation has just 870 miles on the odometer and promises to endure as a unique collectable. However, that uniqueness carries an insane price tag: Bentley San Francisco, the seller, is looking for a $1.1 million starting bid (on a $1.45 million Buy It Now price). No bids have been registered thus far.
Have a closer look at the auction images from Bentley San Francisco in the gallery above, scope out our original images in the high-res gallery below and follow the link to the auction page for more.eBay Find of the Day: Zagato's 2008 Bentley Continental GTZ show car originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Performance, Videos, Bentley, Luxury
How should a Bentley drive? Should the machine serenely coddle its driver and passengers in the lap of luxury, or should the Flying B hint at a sportier side? And what should it sound like - quiet and subdued or raspy yet refined?
Up until now, Bentley has focused on an elegant experience over one that's overtly sporty. Judging from the video you'll see after the break, though, the time has apparently come for a dose of exhilaration and some much welcome exhaust wail.
Bentley will be releasing a new V8 engine, possibly at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, and has released a little teaser offering a taste of what is in store from the historic marque. While we can't really see too much to get excited about, this video is really all about the sound. And that chorus is enough to get the blood pumping rather nicely.
But don't just take our word for it. Hit the jump to check out the video for yourself.Continue reading Bentley teases sound of new V8 engine
Bentley teases sound of new V8 engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Dec 2011 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Motorsports, Bentley, Rumormill, Off-Road, Racing
Dakar. The very name conjures up images of daring dashes through the brutish desert, running down scorpions and dodging terrorists at full throttle. Not exactly the place you'd expect to find a Bentley, then, but that's what the rumormill is pointing towards today.
Wait a second, you say, Bentley's parent company Volkswagen is already a dominant force in the Dakar rally! And right you are. But now that it's heading to the World Rally Championship, VW isn't expected to return to the iconic desert race. Which leaves it with two options: either mothball the operation it's been cultivating to domination over the past several years and hand victory to one of its erstwhile rivals, or bring in one of its subsidiary divisions.
Okay, makes sense, but why Bentley? Well, the British luxury marque is understood to be preparing to roll out an SUV, and Dakar could be just the place to prove it won't be just some pampered show horse.
The last rumor linking Bentley with a world-class racing series revolved, much like its actual last foray, around Le Mans. But with sister-companies Audi and Porsche gearing up to contest the endurance race next season, this Dakar scenario suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched.Bentley gearing up to take on Dakar? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Bentley, Luxury
Sport-utility vehicles and big engines go together like peanut butter and jelly. Surprising, then, that nobody offers one with a twelve-cylinder engine. But if the latest reports prove accurate, that's all about to change.
It's not that there's never been a twelve-cylinder SUV, but none are currently offered in the U.S. market and the only offerings from mainstream automakers are from Volkswagen Group divisions. Audi continues to offer the Q7 with a V12 in overseas markets, but that's a diesel. Lamborghini shoehorned the Countach's V12 into the LM002, but that hasn't been around since the early 90s.
Enter the next contender from the VW Group, coming from the division that produces more twelve-pots than any other automaker on God's green earth. Bentley's upcoming SUV is expected to borrow its underpinnings from the Porsche Cayenne (no V12 there), but the upcoming crossover from Crewe is, according to sources quoting Bentley CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer, slated to get a new version of the W-12 engine in the Continental. The Q7's V12 TDI could find its way under the Bentley's hood as well, which would be a first for the Flying B marque that has long been linked to potential diesel propulsion.Bentley's upcoming SUV to pack twelve cylinders originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Convertible, Auctions, Bentley, Specialty, Luxury
Even though "recession" and "double-dip" are familiar to anyone au courant with headlines, to the bidders at Pebble Beach auctions, the first is a lexicological sibling of "recede" and the second is dessert. That's why Gooding & Company was able to make the till ring like a fire alarm again his year, selling 106 of 127 lots for more than $78 million and setting 19 records for cars sold at auction.
One of those lots was a 1921 Bentley 3-LItre, Chassis #3, and the oldest production Bentley in existence. Follow the jump for the story behind it...Continue reading The story behind the 1921 Bentley 3-Litre, the world's oldest production Bentley
The story behind the 1921 Bentley 3-Litre, the world's oldest production Bentley originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Oct 2011 12:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Convertible, Videos, Bentley, Luxury
We've gotten the details. We've seen it at the auto show. We've even driven it in Croatia, and brought you our impressions. But there's only so much we can describe a car like the new Bentley Continental GTC, because the luxury cabriolet is an experience. It's about seeing and being seen. It's about wafting effortlessly down azure coastlines and feeling the wind in your hair.
Fortunately, for those of us who will never have the privilege, Bentley has released video footage of its new Continental GTC showing exactly that. Check it out after the jump.Continue reading Bentley showcases new Continental GTC in motion
Bentley showcases new Continental GTC in motion originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Oct 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Bentley, Luxury
AutoExpress reports that Bentley plans to bring a GT2 version of the Continental to market next year. The word comes straight from Bentley head-honcho Wolfgang Durheimer, and while it's unclear at this point whether the machine will make use of the same W12 engine at the heart of the current Continental, the story suggests that buyers can expect to enjoy up to 650 horsepower. That's a 100 horse jump over the base model. In addition, the Continental GT2 is expected to tip the scales at a full 441 pounds lighter than its tamer sibling.
As a result, the high-strung coupe may be able to turn out 0-60 mph sprints in the sub-four-second range. Even more impressive is the fact that the model may abandon its all-wheel drive system for the feat. AutoExpress reports that Bentley may abandon the tried-and-true W12 for a forced-induction V8. Whatever shows up under the hood, we can't wait to see the machine in action.Bentley Continental GT2 expected next year originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Classics, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Volkswagen, SEAT, Skoda
You may remember the name Franz-Josef Paefgen. Until recently, the German engineer and executive was head of both Bentley and Bugatti. Before that he was chief executive of Audi, after working for several years at Ford. He technically "retired" earlier this year, but like the cars he helped create, an executive like Paefgen could never really retire. So it should come as little surprise that the Volkswagen Group has named Dr. Paefgen head of its Classic program.
In his new capacity, Paefgen will oversee the historic automobile activities of the entire VW Group, including those of Volkswagen, Seat, Skoda, Audi, Lamborghini, and of course Bentley and Bugatti. It strikes us as a suitable semi-retirement for the man responsible in no small part for the Bugatti Veyron and Bentley Mulsanne, to name just two, and who was decorated in 2006 by the ACO as the "Spirit of Le Mans" for his contribution to endurance racing. Read the official announcement after the break.Continue reading Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program
Volkswagen Group names Paefgen head of classics program originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Archive for the 'BENTLEY' Category
Monday, May 8th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Eight/ Mulsane/ Turbo/ Brooklands
(1980 – 1999)
Sales Company:
Available version:
Previous version:
Variation:
Rolls-Royce (United Kingdom) Silver Spirit/ Silver Spur/ Flying Spur
Jankel (United Kingdom) Rolls Royce & Bentley Conversion
Info: Eight, Mulsane, Mulsane S, Turbo R, Turbo S, Brooklands,
Donors:
Rolls-Royce – Silver Spirit/ Silver Spur/ Flying Spur
Posted in BENTLEY | No Comments »
Monday, May 8th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Bentley Continental CoupГ© 2d
Sales Company:
Available version:
Personal Commission T – 6.75 V8 Turbo aut.
R – 6.75 V8 Turbo aut.
T – 6.75 V8 Turbo aut.
Previous version:
Continental
(1991 – 2003)
Variation:
Info:
Although for many years the actual power of a Bentley engine was never declared as anything but “adequate”, we now realise that the T model develops around 420-450bhp, depending on application (greater power in the saloon), which affords it a top speed in the region of 170mph. The Continental is a beautiful design that shocks with its phenomenal turn of speed.
Donors:
Posted in BENTLEY | No Comments »
Monday, May 8th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Bentley Azure Cabrio 2d
Azure
(1995 – 2003)
Sales Company:
Available version:
6.75 V8 Turbo aut.
Previous version:
6.75 V8 TwinTurbo aut.
Variation:
Info:
Based on the fractionally smaller platform of the Arnage, the Azure is the ultimate means of travel in places such as Monaco and, unsurprisingly, the Cote d’Azur.
Donors:
Posted in BENTLEY | No Comments »
Sunday, May 7th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Bentley Arnage L – LWB
Arnage
(1998 – 2004)
Sales Company:
Available version:
RL – 6.75 V8 Turbo aut.
Previous version:
Variation:
VG (United States of America) Shooting Brake
Info:
Fractionally smaller than its predecessor, the Arnage was designed initially to use the same BMW 4.4-litre V8 engine and gearbox as the BMW M5. The V12 BMW engine was reserved for the smoother and less fussy Rolls-Royce model. However, VW invested in bringing the former 6.75-litre V8 up to a standard, where it could pass exhaust emissions legislation. Therefore, it is now the base engine in three states of tune.
Donors:
Posted in BENTLEY | No Comments »
Sunday, May 7th, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Limousine 4d
(by Mulliner – LWB)
(2002 – )
Sales Company:
Available version:
T – 6.75 V8 TwinTurbo aut.
Previous version:
Variation:
VG (United States of America) Shooting Brake
Info:
Fractionally smaller than its predecessor, the Arnage was designed initially to use the same BMW 4.4-litre V8 engine and gearbox as the BMW M5. The V12 BMW engine was reserved for the smoother and less fussy Rolls-Royce model. However, VW invested in bringing the former 6.75-litre V8 up to a standard, where it could pass exhaust emissions legislation. Therefore, it is now the base engine in three states of tune.
Donors:
Posted in BENTLEY | No Comments »