- Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Bentley
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Bentley GTC Speed
The Bentley GTC has only been out for two years and a bit, but you might not know that; the car is so popular in some parts that it has become something like Ugg Boots for the monied-up automotive fashionista. Like its other Continental stablemates, Bentley has finally taken the drophead into their Speed garage for the transformation from really fast to "Egads!" fast.
It emerges from said garage with its twin-turbo W12 producing 553 lb-ft. of torque and 600 horsepower - 100 ponies more than the Azure T, making it the most powerful convertible Bentley has ever made. The Speed treatment alters the front end, with a more upright, dark-tinted matrix grille flanked by chrome bezels around the headlights, and the face is framed by firmer lines sweeping up from the lower air dam.
While it is still not - and isn't mean to be - a sports car, the handling ante is upped by a lowered ride height, low-friction dampers, stiffer rear axle bushings, wider tires, and retuned steering. When it's time to stop, newly available carbon-ceramic brakes, at 16.5 inches up front and 14 inches in back, are the largest factory-fitted brakes on a passenger car today.
When it's time to get on it, you'll reach 60 in 4.5 seconds, and with the top up you'll find terminal velocity is 200 miles-per-hour with the lid up. Should you not wish to go easy on your follicles, the GTC will still reach 195 mph with the top down - just make sure to lather up your 'do with plenty of product.
There are two new official exterior paint choices from the factory: Aquamarine and Blue Crystal, and you can get the interior done in Aquamarine as well. However, since Bentley's bespoke department will make your GTC any color you want, that's probably of little concern to most buyers. Even so, we must ask: who's been requesting an Aquamarine interior? Check out the full GTC Speed press release after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below.
[Source: Bentley]Continue reading Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least
Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Bentley
Click above for a gallery of the Hamann Bentley Continental GT
No stranger to tuning supercars like the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Hamann's most recent addition to its parts catalog is the Bentley Continental GT and and GT Speed. There's no word on what will exactly be available for the brawny two-seater, but judging from the photos it looks like pretty standard Hamann fare. A new body kit consists of a more aggressive front fascia, side skirts, rear wing, and a lower rear fascia that makes room for a new exhaust system with quad tips. Inside, carbon fiber replaces the carefully crafted wood trim. We'll be sure to bring you more details and plenty of photos as soon as Hamann releases them.
[Source: Hamann]Coming soon: Hamann tuning for the Bentley Continental GT and GT Speed originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 05 Jan 2009 09:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Government/Legal, Green, Bentley, Celebrities
Click above to view the Bentley State Limousine in our hi-res gallery
Britain's royal family may not have the power to legislate any new initiatives, green or otherwise, but the heads of state still wield influence over public opinion and have taken up the cause of environmentally-conscious motoring. Following the lead of her son and heir Charles, the Prince of Wales - who had his Aston Martin converted to run on old wine and his Range Rover, Jaguar and Audi to run on discarded cooking oil - Queen Elizabeth II is having her bespoke Bentley limos converted to run on bio-fuels.
The Bentley State Limousine is based on the Arnage, but custom-crafted in-house by the company's Mulliner coachbuilding division. Only two were ever made, at a reported cost of over $14 million a piece, one of which was presented as a gift to Her Majesty upon her Golden Jubilee in 2002, while the second was commissioned by the crown as a back-up. The four-ton armored vehicles, continuously maintained by Bentley, are powered by the company's perennial 6.75-liter V8 producing 400 horsepower, and will be converted to run on bio-fuel. Bentley says the royal family are big supporters of Crewe's initiative to switch to bio-fuels, as Bentley aims to offer all its models with flex-fuel capacity by 2012.
[Source: The Daily Mail via Luxist]From Royal Blue to Green: the Queen retrofits her Bentleys to run on bio-fuel originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 31 Dec 2008 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Etc., Euro, Bentley, Ford, Nissan, Rolls-Royce, Toys, Special/Limited Editions
Click above for a high-res image of Santa Claus' Bentley Continental GTC
Thanks to CAR and a few masters of vehicular design, Santa is bringing some serious automotive enthusiast cheer. The glossy euro mag asked designers from Ford, Bentley, Nissan and Rolls-Royce to design some sleighs for Santa, and while a few of them look to be from the land of misfit toys -- and one of them looks like Santa's Death Star -- it's a fabulously cool exercise. Nissan's intergalactic sleigh is pulled by a GT-R, Bentley's got a W12-powered sled, Ford's got some popout snowboard action happening, and the Rolls sleigh looks, of course, like Santa should have a snifter of Louis XIV in one delicately gloved hand while an elf named Jeeves tends the Smythson leather reins. Check them all out here.
[Source: CAR]Automakers tapped by CAR to redesign Santa's sled originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Videos, Bentley
Click above to watch video after the jump
The Bentley Continental series is a lot of fun. The cars look good, are appropriately sybaritic and, most importantly, they go like stink. The have all-wheel drive, too - mostly to help keep Johnny Swell's 550-horsepower chariot on the pavement and out of the tree line when he gets delusions of grandeur behind the wheel. We thought that was pretty much the extent of things, but as one UAE driver demonstrates in the video after the jump, the Continental's AWD and trick air suspension let a Bentley GTC hold its own in a 4x4 caravan through sand dunes and over a desert road. With the stock wheel/tire setup, no less. Be forewarned: the music becomes a little grating after the first couple of minutes. Now please excuse us, as we've got a sudden hankering for falafel. Thanks for the tip, lowlow!
[Source: YouTube]Continue reading VIDEO: We wonder if this voids the warranty
VIDEO: We wonder if this voids the warranty originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of the Bentley Continental GT Speed
Ever since Bentley came out from under the shadow of Rolls-Royce after the Volkswagen takeover in the late 1990s, the marque has been on a roll. The venerable British brand started getting its first bespoke designs in over half a century, which paid off in a huge spike in sales. After topping 10,000 sales for the first time in 2007, Bentley is feeling the same force of gravity as everyone else (except Audi it seems) this year. So far sales have dropped by 30 percent in 2008 and the Crewe factory has already cut production by 15 percent. Further cuts are likely and Bentley is providing assistance to dealers who have too much inventory. With the situation on Wall Street unlikely to abate anytime soon, it appears that Bentley's 37 U.S. dealers will be feeling the pain for a while longer.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]Bentley prepares to weather a tough 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Green, Bentley
Bentleys are known, among other things, for their train-like torque delivery. But while Bentley has toyed with the idea of an oil-burning engine for its big saloons, the idea was ultimately rejected by the luxury automaker due to low market interest. However, Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Bentley's parent Volkswagen Group, has now suggested that diesel engines could make it under the Flying B bonnet after all.
Although previous reports placed one of the group's big V10 or V12 turbodiesels in a potential Bentley model, Winterkorn suggests something decidedly more compact. Namely, a twin-turbo version of the company's 3.0-liter TDI V6, currently under development for sister-company Audi's range-topping new A8. That may be a far cry from the Jurassic-era 6.75-liter V8 pictured above and currently found in the Arnage/Azure/Brooklands or the twin-turbo W12 in the Continental range, but Winterkorn appears more eager to lead the market than follow it.
[Source: AutoCar via AutoblogGreen]
On Again, Off Again: Winterkorn suggests Bentley diesel originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 24 Nov 2008 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Time Warp, Bentley, Bugatti
Preparations for the Pebble Beach Concours are a year-long process and start the day after the Best of Show has been crowned. The organizers are working hard to make next year's show one of the best ever, and have already announced that Bugatti and Bentley will be the featured marques, with Zagato designs, and the 100th anniversary of Morgan and Audi also highlighted. Bugatti was last featured in 2003 and has the largest number of best of show winners of any make, with a total of nine. Entry forms were mailed out a few months early in an effort to bring out the best field of cars possible, and if history is anything to go by, the selection of cars will be nothing less than impressive. Full details in the press release after the jump.
All photos copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
Continue reading Bentley and Bugatti to be featured at Pebble Beach in 2009
Bentley and Bugatti to be featured at Pebble Beach in 2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertibles, Bentley
Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2009 Bentley Azure T
The Bentley Azure T sits on its raised, hardwood decking like it's about to dance with the stars. At 18 feet and 5,700 pounds, it probably won't be pulling any Thriller moves, but we bet it could do a mean tango. The lowered stance and larger wheels make the car gentlemanly mean, and the 6 3/4-liter engine is good for 500 hp and 738 lb-ft. and a 176 mph top-down speed for your hair's pleasure. We could tell you how much it costs, but there are far more interesting things to talk about. Frankly, all you need to know is, as AB'er Alex Nunez wrote: "It comes with everything. Bring money. "
Live photos copyright (C)2008 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading LA 2008: Bentley Azure T arrives in style
LA 2008: Bentley Azure T arrives in style originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertibles, Bentley
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Bentley Azure T
The current Bentley Arnage family's farewell tour culminates with this. We've already seen the Brooklands coupe and the Arnage Final Series sedan, and now with the L.A. Auto Show, the Azure droptop gets its opportunity to take a curtain call. Say hi to the 2010 Bentley Azure T, which gets the same 500-horsepower, 737 lb-ft 6¾-liter V8 lump found under the substantial bonnets of the aforementioned duo. A 6-speed auto directs all that grunt to the rear wheels. What's it cost? No word yet, but the regular Azure is already a mortgage on wheels, so use your imagination. Then add more.
The T is distinguishable by its "Le Mans" vents, a darker grille finish, and 20" five-spoke wheels, among other things. Based on the photo to the right, it would seem that there are no more cows or trees on Earth, because Bentley is using all of them to trim the Azure T's passenger compartment. Top speed is 179 mph and zero-to sixty takes 5.2 seconds. Not bad for a sled that weighs in at a shade under 5,700 pounds. Stopping power comes from the same massive carbon/silicon carbide brakes fitted to the Brooklands. Is all this excessive? Sure. Does it have the approximate carbon footprint of Indonesia? Quite possibly. Do we want one? Oh, hell yeah.
Bentley's unnecessarily verbose press release follows after the jump. They could have done it in a couple of sentences, like "It comes with everything. Bring money. " See? Done.
[Source: Bentley Motors]Continue reading LA Preview: Bentley Azure T to debut in city of angels
LA Preview: Bentley Azure T to debut in city of angels originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Gadgets, Bentley
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Amosu Luxury diamond Bentley key
As if losing the car keys weren't already enough of a nightmare scenario - the keys to your Bentley that much more so - along come the innovative jewelers at Amosu Luxury to make the key itself that much more precious. The company has staked its reputation among the nouveau riche for taking things like cell phones and icing them out in diamonds. Now Amosu has turned its attention to another item commonly found in the hands of the luxo-bling crowd - a Bentley key - and decorated it with 101 little diamonds (no more, no less) for a total of 1.09 carats, focused on detailing the Flying B logo.
Icing out your Bentley keychain will set you back nearly $8,000, so you may want to get a special leather case for it or keep it in your Bentley safe. But if "the world's fastest lorries" aren't your bag, Amosu can do the same for Lamborghini, Ferrari and Mercedes keys as well, which'll go nicely with that platinum Mercedes-Benz keychain. Thanks for the tip, Christian!
[Source: Motor Authority via 4WheelNews]Bling It On: Amosu Luxury paves Bentley keyfob in diamonds originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Bentley
The world's fastest lorries. That's what Ettore Bugatti once reportedly called Bentleys. Of course, that was long before the two companies fell under common ownership of ze Germans, when Bugatti's own engine was itself used for a locomotive. But Bugatti's derisive summation of his erstwhile arch-rival may be coming full circle.
For its recent Bentley Worldwide Conference, the luxury automaker chartered a first-class Pullman train car to transport its best customers and top dealers in comfort and style from London to its headquarters in Crewe. The two-and-a-half-hour ride was catered with meals by famous chef Anton Mosimann and proved to be a big success. So big, in fact, that Bentley is now considering going full time with the train service to bring customers up to the factory from London to specify their trim and color options. There are several luxury trains available for charter in England, but we think it'd be much cooler if Bentley were to commission its own rail cars and decorate each compartment in different interior trim options available on its road cars. How about a Mulliner-spec Caboose? We'll just have to sit tight to see what Bentley decides to offer its poshest of clientele, but in the meantime you can check out the press release after the jump.
[Source: Train Chartering via Luxist]
Continue reading Bentley commissions luxury train from London to Crewe
Bentley commissions luxury train from London to Crewe originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 08 Nov 2008 15:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA, Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of the Tetsu GTR Bentley Continental GT
When we heard that the Tetsu GTR would be here at SEMA, we knew we'd have to find it and shoot it. Since we didn't have a gun on us, we just shot it with our cameras instead. The Tetsu GTR is actually a perfect SEMA car. Rather than showing what people should do with their tunable treasures, it shows you what you could do (but shouldn't). Starting out with a perfectly capable and tasteful Bentley Continental GT, the ASI crew went berserk. It features a custom carbon fiber wide-body kit that makes the Continental GT look like a DTM art car, and that two-tone matte paint scheme with leaf graphics on the hood is definitely attention-getting. There's even a custom graphic on the 22-inch black wheels that matches the theme. Fortunately, only 29 Tetsu GTRs will be produced. Well, at least those owners can take solace in knowing their vehicles will be boosted to 800 horsepower. That guarantees at least half of them will end up damaged beyond repair within a week of ownership.
Photos copyright (C)2008 Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.SEMA 2008: Tetsu GTR needs to stay in Vegas originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Nov 2008 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedans/Saloons, Auction Action, Bentley, Special/Limited Editions
Click above for gallery of the 1983 Mentley Insanne Turbo
Andy Saunders has been responsible for some off-the-wall creations - like the Aurora, the chopped-down Fiat lowrider and the Hyundai ice cream van - but this one makes us wonder if he didn't take the car's title to heart. Called the Mentley Insanne, the custom rod is based on a 1983 Bentley Mulsanne, a fairly staid but powerful limousine with a 6.75-liter turbo V8 that Saunders evidently felt could use some extra flash. So he chopped the roof, tacked on some Range Rover parts (notice the headlights and side gills), the panoramic glass roof from an old Mercedes SL, dropped the suspension on some 20-inch dubs and crafted some custom aero bits.
The one-off creation was recently sold at the RM Automobiles of London auction for £18,700, several grand under estimates and undoubtedly less than it cost Saunders to make the thing. The buyer must by anonymous, as we wouldn't expect any self earth-respecting celebrity to pull up in this on the red carpet... unless ZZ Top is planning a reunion.
[Source: RM Auctions and PistonHeads.com]1983 Mentley Insanne Turbo lives up to the name originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments - Filed under: Etc., Bentley, BMW, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Misc. Auto Shows, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo
Click above for high-res gallery courtesy our friends at Speed and Motion
Long known amongst car people around southern California for its fine dining, upscale boutiques and most importantly its twice-monthly collector car breakfast cruises, the Enderle Center in Tustin, California decided to do something a little different to celebrate its 30th Anniversary: host a Classic European Concours. For this inaugural event they even flew in Pininfarina designer Maurizio Corbi who answered questions and sketched dream cars for the crowd. When someone groaned after hearing Corbi was partly responsible for the new Ferrari California's form, he quickly pointed out he did the front, which brought relieved laughter. Local collector Dick Marconi brought several cars from his nearby Marconi Automotive Museum, which supports the Marconi Foundation for Kids. Several of Dick's artworks were also displayed in the center's Chemers Gallery, but the cars were really all the art we needed to see.
Classics from the '30s, '40s, '50s, and '60s, along with sportscars from the '70s, '80s, and '90s were arranged by country of origin and parked through the central parking lot alongside a pedestrian-friendly red carpet. Ferraris were featured and there was an incredible assortment on hand, everything from Cher's Daytona Spyder to an extremely rare 195S, one of two in existence. The F50 wasn't too bad either. Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Jaguar, Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Pegaso were also well-represented. It was a great first effort and a fun show, small and manageable with some breathtaking classics, all with great stories behind them.
When our camera started acting up we spotted our pals from Speed and Motion, who graciously agreed to let us use their images for our gallery. Click and enjoy, and be sure to check out the Speed and Motion site for a greater selection of photos and videos from this show, as well as dozens of HD clips from other local events.
Photos copyright (C)2008 Speed and MotionInaugural Enderle Concours features Pininfarina designer, classics originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Archive for the 'BENTLEY' Category
Saturday, October 13th, 2007
Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Convertibles, Bentley
German tuning house MTM is creator of the schnellest Audi RTT and the sickness-on-wheels RS4 K540. It follows up those two acts with a tastefully-tuned Bentley called the GTC Birkin Edition. (Sir Henry Ralph Stanley “Tim” Birkin, 3rd Baronet, was one of the original Bentley Boys of the 1920’s.) It is wonderful to see a tuner take an already beautiful car and forgo visually mad modification for jet black understatement.
In fact, the only exterior mod, other than the 21″ Bimoto wheels, is the rear apron and staggered pipes. Frankly, we like those better than the elliptical versions on the standard car. The real fettling has taken place on the engine and suspension. Two kits are available, one that ups the HP from 560 to 635, with a jump in torque to 575 lb-ft. The second kit raises that again to 650 HP and 585 lb-ft. The German oomph will get you to 62 in 4.2 seconds, a 0.6-second improvement over the “basic” Bentley GTC.
MTM has also added a proprietary, stainless steel exhaust that includes a center and end muffler with throttle control. To top it off, the suspension’s been lowered, which always helps even the baddest Bentley boy look that little bit badder. Click through the jump to read the full press release, and check out the gallery of hi-res images below.
[Source: 4 Wheels]
MTM Bentley GTC Birkin Edition
Posted in World Cars, Tuning Cars, Automotive News, BENTLEY | No Comments »
Thursday, June 22nd, 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 »
Thursday, June 22nd, 2006
Details info: Alternative names:
Bentley Continental Coupé 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 »
Thursday, June 22nd, 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 »
Wednesday, June 21st, 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:
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