One of the draws of the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar, besides its gorgeous two-seat roadster style, is that it’s a unique custom coachbuilt car. The company touts the fact that not a single piece of the exterior is shared with another Bentley. It will always be particularly rare, too, since only 12 will be built. But the unique, custom nature of the car extends beyond that to giving customers nearly free rein with interior components and colors. To show this off, Bentley designers created six gorgeous example models that have us wishing the company would make a few more than 12 Bacalars.
Speaking broadly, customers will get to choose unique exterior paint, but the interior is perhaps the most interesting, as choices will include bespoke fabrics, piping, stitching and dash materials. The first of these shown in the gallery is one of our favorites, named Clerkenwell. It features two shades of green leather, and some contrasting green tweed fabric on the seats and the dash, and it’s matched with huge swaths of a light wood veneer that stretches from the dash to the doors. The Greenwich interior that follows is also eye-catching with its oxblood leather, gray tweed, and two kinds of 5,000-year-old Riverwood veneer, part of it left as open pore, and the other part given a gloss finish.
The other trims in order of appearance are Fulton, Menlo, Brickell, and Randwick. These show additional variations on leather color, and some of them swap the wood veneer for carbon fiber, or the tweed for Alcantara. And of course, all six of these cars get their own corresponding paint colors. Let us know in the comments which ones you like the best, and here’s hoping Bacalar buyers get really creative with their cars.
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April 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Bentley designers show off how custom the custom coachbuilt Bentley Mulliner Bacalar can be
Mansory have been unseasonably quiet during the period of the Geneva Motor Show 2020. We can only assume that after the show got cancelled, they decided to hold back some of their planned releases for another event. What we did get to see is a unique take on the Bentley Continental GT Cabriolet V8.
In true Mansory fashion, the Bentley has been re-clothed with a carbon fibre body. The carbon fibre has been moulded into an extreme shape. The front gets a redesigned bumper with a brand new black grille and a new hood. The side receives new design lines and an extended wheel vent. The rear wheel arch gets green pinstripes which accent the swollen look.
Mansory Bentley Bentayga GTC V8
At the rear, Mansory offers a new fixed rear spoiler, a new rear bumper, diffuser and quad tailpipes. It’s not massively extreme by Mansory’s high standards, however, it does leave a lasting impression. The mixture of matte carbon fibre and matte black.
It’s the interior where things get interesting on the Mansory Bentley Cabriolet GT Cabriolet V8. Finished in chrome oxide green, it is distinctive. It has been crafted from scratch with the colour applied tot he steering wheel, the great lever and the centre console.
The Mansory Bentley Cabriolet GT Cabriolet V8 gets a power boost too. An ECU module boosts the twin-turbocharged V8 to 640 hp and 890 Nm of torque. It now hits 100 km/h in just 3.8 seconds. The question is, would you want one?
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March 5, 2020 / Comments Off on Mansory Reveals Bentley Continental GT Cabriolet V8
The Bentley Bacalar is the most exclusive and bespoke Bentley of the modern era. It was revealed today at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England. It was due to be revealed in Geneva this morning, yet with the cancellation of the show, Bentley executives decided to launch the car electronically instead!
The two-seat Bacalar marks a return to bespoke coachbuilding for Bentley Mulliner, one of the oldest names in coachbuilding. It also marks a return to bespoke limited edition custom models for Bentley, a stark change from the mass-production Continental GT and the Bentayga.
The release of the new model coincides with an announcement that Bentley will utilise Bentley Mulliner through a new three-portfolio future: Classic, Collections and Coachbuilt.
Bentley Mulliner Bacalar
The Bacalar is the first model to join the Coachbuilt sector. It is named after a lake called Laguna Bacalar in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula. The ‘Barchetta’ design “delivers the ultimate expression of open-top, driver-focused grand touring”. Top-down motoring sits at the heart of this two-seater.
The Bentley Bacalar uses an enhanced 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine producing 659 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Bentley has incorporated a rear-biased advanced Active All-Wheel-Drive System together with an adaptive chassis which uses Bentley’s intelligent, 48-volt Dynamic Ride System.
Just 12 individual Bacalar’s will be released. Each one is designed, engineered and handcrafted to individual customers’ individual tastes. If you want one, tough, they are all already allocated.
The design uses the DNA and sustainable materials debuted in the EXP 100 GT concept car, launched last summer to celebrate Bentley’s centenary. The materials include ethically-sourced materials such as rice husk ash paint and 5,000-year-old Riverwood.
The Bacalar is also the first model to be produced in the world’s first certified carbon neutral factory. Each customer will get a bespoke Schedoni luggage to fit the rear compartment.
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March 3, 2020 / Comments Off on Bentley Mulliner Bacalar Revealed As Mulliner Takes Charge
Earlier this week, Bentley teased a photo of a modified Continental GT. The car sat on ice with multiple design additions and jacked suspension. Bentley has now released full details of its one-off Continental GT which has been prepared to compete at the famous GP Ice Race in Zell am See, Austria.
The special Bentley Continental GT will be piloted by Bentley’s first female racing driver, Catie Munnings. Bentley have a history on ice. The Continental GT set Ice Speed Records in 2007 and 2011. The Ice Race Continental GT hopes to emulate that success.
Bentley Continental GT
The livery reflects that of the Continental GT that broke the production car record at Pikes Peak in 2019. Underneath, the two cars are identical. They both share the 6.0 litre W12 engine with 635 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Both are capable of a 0-100 km/h time of 3.7 seconds (0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds) and a top speed of 333 km/h (207 mph).
Bentley have kept things pretty standard with a few choice upgrades. The Continental GT gets a rear roll cage, on-board fire suppression system, racing seats and harnesses. The Ice Race Continental GT also gets an increase to the nominal ride height to give greater ground clearance, arch extensions to accommodate a 15 mm increase in track width, studded Pirelli Scorpion Ice Zero2 tyres, a brace of Lazer high performance lights and a custom exhaust system from Akrapovic.
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January 31, 2020 / Comments Off on Bentley to Join 2020 GP Ice Race with Special Continental GT
With emission and safety regulations increasingly dictating the design and function of modern vehicles, there has been renewed interest in classic models. Companies such as Jaguar have capitalised with continuation models of the D Type. Others offer restoration services. Bentley are the latest to announce work carried out on a classic model, the 1939 Bentley Corniche.
Bentley are calling this particular car “the missing link”. It seems to be a model that was lost, the only 1939 Corniche ever made. The original Corniche was lost during the outbreak of World War II. Bentley had sent the only version across the channel for testing. It was crashed in August 1939 and, while making its way back to Derby, got caught in a bombing raid on Dieppe.
Bentley Corniche
The chassis made its way back to Derby but the bodywork was lost in France. Using the original technical drawings, Milliner were able to recreate the bodywork down to the smallest detail. While both chassis and bodywork are entirely new, the project is said to be identical to the original 1939 Bentley Corniche.
It is of course the first project Mulliner has undertaken in the classic arena. Traditionally reserved for Bentley’s modern vehicles, Mulliner’s expansion has allowed it to undertake the project. It was originally started by a dedicated external team in 2001, before money ran out and Bentley made an offer to bring it in house. The project has been run by Ken Lea; Robin Peel, Head of Heritage; Ian Broomhall, Mulliner Operations Manager and Glyn Davies, Mulliner Special Projects leader.
It is described as Bentley’s missing link due to the step change in design language. It is the link between the highly successful pre-war racers and the style icons that followed; the R Type Continental for example. It will make its debut at Salon Prive next month.
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August 9, 2019 / Comments Off on Bentley Corniche Lost in France During WW2 Brought to Life by Mulliner
We reported on the fact that Rhys Millen drove the Bentley Continental GT at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and set a new record for production cars. The time he posted was 10:18.488, which is insanely fast. Millen smashed the previous record by almost eight and a half seconds, proving not only that the Bentley Continental GT is a killer machine, but that he is an absolute madman behind the wheel.
Before today, we only saw images and some quick videos outside the car. Now we have the real deal dashcam footage, which was posted to YouTube by Bentley. In it, you can follow Millen’s path up the roughly 12.4-mile course up the mountain.
The video is harrowing stuff. You’re bound to pucker up more than once. What’s surprising about Millen’s run is just how smooth he is along the course. It’s also important to note that Millen did this run in the Continental GT not too long after Ducati’s racer Carlin Dunne tragically perished while taking on the course on the company’s latest prototype motorcycle.
To get after it this hard after one of your colleagues has just met his unfortunate demise is truly brave. It’s unclear if Millen knew about Dunne’s death before he laid down this run, but no matter what his display of guts and skill is noteworthy.
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July 8, 2019 / Comments Off on Watch Rhys Millen Drive the Bentley Continental GT on Its Record Setting Run
The Bentley Continental GT raced to the clouds at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event covering the 12.4-mile course in just 10:18.488. That’s 8.4 seconds faster than the previous record holder, which is astonishing. Rhys Millen was behind the wheel of the car for Bentley for the run up the route. He sounded extremely pleased with the results considering the conditions of the route were less than ideal.
We came here with one goal in mind, and that was to be the fastest production car up the mountain and set a new record. It was an incredible week. Today was a challenge with what Mother Nature threw at us, but the Continental GT held strong all the way to the top, and we are now Number One.
The Continental GT that Millen controlled up to the top of the treacherous route that actually claimed Ducati rider Carlin Dunn’s life during the motorcycle class, was the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine with 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. All that power filters through an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The car is capable of 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. The top speed is 207 mph. As you might expect, this car isn’t just a straight line speed demon. It handles too, as Millen masterfully showed at the event.
Last year, Millen piloted the Bentley Bentayga up the mountain. He set the time for the fastest production SUV. It’s cool to see him continue to get behind the wheel of Bentley’s vehicles and make things happen. Bentley has to be pleased with the results.
July 1, 2019 / Comments Off on The Bentley Continental GT Sets New Production Car Pikes Peak Record
Bentley’s Flying Spur has today been revealed. Updated off the back of a successfully updated Continental GT platform. The mid-range sedan will get many of the same technical features alongside its new look. The Flying Spur is all-new with a new chassis, suspension, W12 engine and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Bentley has torn apart the old model and started from scratch. The launch engine will be the twin-turbocharged W12 engine which was recently refreshed for the Bentley Continental GT. it packs performance figures of 635 hp and 900 Nm of torque. The limo gets a top speed of 333 km/h and a 100 km/h sprint time of 3.8 seconds as a result. An entry-level V8 will be added to the range at a later date, followed by a V6 petrol-powered plug-in hybrid at some point in the future.
2020 Bentley Flying Spur
The engine sits within the MLB structure which also underpins the Porsche Panamera. All-wheel steering is key to the Flying Spur package, together with an active system that favours rear wheel drive until it feels that the front wheels need to get involved. Improvements have been made with the addition of Bentley’s version of the 48V electric active roll control system and a new three-chamber air springs suspension setup.
In terms of design, the Flying Spur is longer than the outgoing model with shorter overhangs. The grille is the first difference you notice. The Flying Spur does not share the matrix grille of its smaller family members. Instead, Bentley has fitted veins which shroud the matrix. The Flying B mascot has been redesigned with illuminated wings, it sits on an electronically retractable plinth. The design lines are longer and lower than before with the rear arches noticeably dominant.
It’s on the inside that the differences need to be felt though. Bentley has not disappointed. Bentley has fitted a new set of seats finished in 15 hide colours. The traditional round ‘bullseye’ vents have been moved from the centre of the dashboard to a slightly lower location and re-shaped to sit either side of the Bentley clock. There is plenty of diamond quilted leather, a new Crown Cut Walnut veneer and a range of 7 other alternatives.
The dash has been redesigned using the centrepiece of the rotating display. The main display is a 12.3in touchscreen with the option of a single display or 2:1 split showing the functions of the car. Three audio systems are on offer, a standard 650-watt system featuring 10 speakers, a Bang & Olufsen 1,500-watt system with 16-speakers and illuminated grilles. The top of the range option, unique to Bentley, is a Naim, 2,200-watt, 19 speaker system.
The Bentley Flying Spur is available to order, except in EU28 countries, Israel, Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine where it will launch later this year. Pricing has yet to be announced.
June 11, 2019 / Comments Off on 3rd Gen Bentley Flying Spur Revealed with 333km/h Top Speed
There are car mods, and then there are car tank mods. This one is the latter. Russian YouTube channel AcademeG‘s team decided to take a luxurious Bentley Continental GT and slap some monster tank tracks…
In an attempt to set the world production car record at Pike’s Peak, Bentley will bring the Continental GT and let Rhys Millen pilot the car along the route, according to Carscoops. Bentley previously set the SUV record with its Bentayga, and now it wants the car record as well.
The Continental GT wouldn’t be our first choice to make the run. Sure, it’s an amazing car, but it’s also heavy. It weighs somewhere around 4,800 pounds. However, the car comes with a W12 engine that produces 626 hp and 663 lb-ft of torque, so that weight is moved easily. Also, the car has all-wheel drive, which it’s going to need because Pike’s Peak is one of the most challenging courses out there. It’s no straight shot up a hill.
The record for the fastest production vehicle was once held by a Land Rover Range Rover Sport. A 2014 model, to be exact. The Bentayga blew that vehicle away. It made the run roughly two minutes faster with a time of 10:49.9. The Continental GT should be able to crack the 10-minute mark.
There are many production cars more extreme than the Continental GT, but many manufacturers don’t bring their production cars to Pikes Peak. That means the Continental GT has fewer competitors and a better chance of claiming the title the company seeks. We wish them well in their efforts. There’s nothing like watching a Bentley racing along at high speed.
March 26, 2019 / Comments Off on Bentley Wants the Pike’s Peak Production Car Record
Less than a decade ago, the distinction between SUV’s and other vehicle types was clear. The introduction of SUV cross-overs brought about a new breed of SUV. An off-shoot of these cross-over SUVs came to being once sports car manufacturers entered the SUV market, creating the “Super SUV.”
The idea was to provide everything in one vehicle – a powerful engine, elegant design, luxury interior, and unparalleled performance with a 4×4 option. Lamborghini came up with the term Super SUV in 2017, when they released the concept of the Lamborghini Urus.
Following in their footsteps, other major sports car manufacturers also joined in.
The S-SUV Future
[Image via Autocar]
Sports cars have traditionally featured two-seats, with some exceptions offering four passenger options as well. However, that’s not enough for some people. Super SUV’s are 5-7 seater vehicles, boasting powerful engines that make light work of the added weight.
Super SUVs deliver a faster, more comfortable off-road experience. Imagine sitting in the luxury of a Bentley while crossing the Himalayan plains, or cruising through the desert with a Ferrari roaring under you. As these super crossovers make their way into the mainstream, maintaining these vehicles also doesn’t demand much effort.
For instance, in Arizona, you can explore the Apache Trail in your S-SUV, or cruise the historic Route 66.
There’s no worry if you damage your windshield because SunTec’s Scottsdale windshield replacement crew will have you sorted in no time! SunTec Auto Glass specializes in repairing and replacing windshields and auto glass on exotics, supercars, and of course Super-SUV’s.
The future is all about convenience and this is precisely why Super SUVs are set to take over the automobile industry. An all-in-one option is an automotive enthusiast’s dream come true — spacious cabins, higher seats, and more driving options.
Eventually, it is estimated that future S-SUV’s will be more affordable, providing a luxurious and powerful alternative to sports cars and SUV’s alike.
The Lamborghini Urus
[Image via Lamborghini]
Lamborghini’s first attempt at an SUV caused ripples across the automobile industry. A combination of Lamborghini’s classic style coupled with outstanding performance, the Urus starts out at $200,000.
Its twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 delivers a whopping 641 horsepower on an all-wheel configuration alongside an eight-speed automatic transmission. This powerful engine boasts a 0-60mph time of 3.2 seconds!
The interior has a classic Lamborghini jetfighter-style design that has all the hallmarks of a luxury SUV and sports car. From leather seats to adjustable gauges, go from luxury to raw power in seconds, literally.
The Bentley Bentayga
[Image via Bentley]
Bentley was looking to rock the SUV world and their introduction of the Bentley Bentayga blew everyone away with a top speed of 187 mph! With a price tag of $197,725, the Bentayga is a supercar in an SUV’s body – the very definition of a Super SUV.
A twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine under the hood delivers a robust 600 horsepower. Along with the eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, the Bentayga goes 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds.
The entirely leather interior comfortably seats 5 people. The full-option Bentayga also offers 22-inch alloy rims as well as an absolutely ridiculous 1,950-watt, 20 speaker audio system and back-seat entertainment tablets.
The Maserati Levante
[Image via Motor Trend]
Following the trend of Super SUV’s, Maserati came up with the relatively cheaper Levante starting at $77,475. Positioned as the reinvention of Italian luxury, the Levante is available in four varieties with individual engine capacities and features.
The base version has a twin-turbocharged V-6 capable of 345 horsepower. Maserati’s Trofeo version put out an unimaginable 550 horsepower but also costs an eye-watering $171,475. The all-wheel base version goes 0-60 mph in 5.1 seconds, rivaling mid-tier sports cars.
With a specific focus on the leather-intensive interior, Maserati has also splashed out on a fully automatic, state-of-the-art, all-inclusive infotainment system. While the Levante cuts corners on trunk space, it offers a world-class luxury experience.
March 25, 2019 / Comments Off on Why Exotic Super SUV’s Are The Way Of The Future
What better car to give a V8 engine to than a grand tourer? Thankfully, Bentley knows full well that’s true, so its latest Continental GT coupe and convertible boast twin-turbocharged 4.0L V8s. At 542 ponies and 568 lb-ft of torque, they’re two of the highest-performing GTs Bentley has ever assembled. That and the fact that these rides feature improved fuel efficiency is sure to impress any coupe head out there, Bentley fan or not.
The Continental GT V8 coupe and convertible will zoom from zero to 60 in just 3.9 seconds. The convertible, meanwhile, does it a hair longer at four seconds. Both can hit a stop speed of 198mph. An all-wheel-drive system comes standard, although the car defaults to a rear-wheel-drive in normal driving situations. No need fret, though. That’s a deliberate failsafe from Bentley to ensure sportiness and efficiency.
Customers will get to pick from a number of selections. There’s a variant with wheels that include 20-inch, 10-spoke alloys, for starters. Some options go all the way up to 22-inch wheels.
You get a handful of extras, as well, like an improved neckwarmer in the convertible, LED Matrix headlight technology, and twenty-way adjustable leather seats. Onboard is a stunning roster of technology and interior options, from Bentley’s 007-esque Rotating Display to a 650-watt, 10-speaker Bentley Audio system, which comes standard.
Both the V8 GT coupe and convertible will start rolling out in the United States once the third quarter hits, then hightail toward the rest of the world starting in 2020.
Bentley has officially revealed the Bentley Continental GT V8 and GTC V8 models, weeks after the GTC debuted at the Geneva Motor Show 2019. Arguably, the V8 version of the Bentley Continental GT has been the pick of the range. This was true of the previous generation and we wonder if the same is true of the latest generation.
The third generation GT V8 Coupe and Convertible use the same running gear as the Porsche Panamera Turbo. The 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine develops 550 hp and 770 Nm of torque. Different gearing means that the Continental GT V8 hits 100 km/h 0.4 seconds slower, in 4.0 seconds. Top speed higher by 12 km/h at 318 km/h. Cylinder deactivation and stop-start are both standard.
Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8
To tell the V8 versions apart, Bentley has added quad-tailpipes and V8 badging. Each model will get 20-inch, 10-spoke painted alloy wheels and the option to choose from nine other designs measuring up to 22-inches.
Convertible versions of the V8 will get heated and vented Comfort Seats incorporating a neck warmer. The drop-top can be deployed or stowed in just 19 seconds, with the car travelling at speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h). Inside, five colour splits are available. Crown Cut Walnut is the standard wood option with plenty of other choices available. V8 models also feature a 10-speaker Bentley Audio system which can be coupled with the optional Bentley Rotating Display.
Bentley will focus on the US market with these models with deliveries expected during Q3 for US customers and other regions in Q1 of 2020.
March 19, 2019 / Comments Off on Bentley Continental GT and GTC V8 Models Revealed
In 1919, W.O. Bentley built his first car, which means his eponymous car company is celebrating a 100 year anniversary this year. We’ve seen plenty of brands celebrate anniversaries in interesting ways, but Bentley is…
‘We don’t believe that the Continental GTC has any competitors, it is completely unique in this space’ responded Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive, Anthony Hallmark. My question was not one to probe or test Mr Hallmark, but one that I asked to learn and understand more about the 2019 Bentley Continental GTC before jumping in and making my own judgements. Then again, my 25 year old judgements were somewhat irrelevant to the illustrious British brand – Bentley are the first to point out that the typical Bentley owner is typically in their 50s or 60s, China being an outstanding anomaly with 80% of buyers being under the age of 45…yikes, how’s that for a diverse demographic?
I had been shipped out to the Marbella Club to put the Bentley Continental GTC through its paces (tough gig) on what turned out to be a rather special days driving in Bentleys latest topless offering. The previous generation GT and GTC proved to be roaring successes, the introduction of the new Conti GT took the dynamics and breadth of ability of the luxury GT car to new levels.
Zaid Hamid Bentley Continental GTC
As you would imagine, the GT and GTC are very similar. Both share the same 6.0-litre, W12 engine that churns out 626bhp and 664lb ft that will launch the GTC to 100km/h just a tenth of a second slower that the coupe – 3.8 seconds (expect a V8 and hybrid options soon). Also shared are the four wheel drive system, eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and 48-volt body control system that can be found in the Porsche Cayenne, Panamera and Bentley Bentayga, although Bentley say the calibration had been fiddled with to make sure your sexy topless Bentley feels a little different from a diesel Cayenne. The chief of Continental engineering went on to tell me about the painstaking hours that went into the gearbox calibration and how this is not just a simple copy of the PDK DSG transmission.
So what is the GTC like on the road? To find out, I embarked on a 400 kilometre day trip over a variety of roads and surfaces to see what puts the G and T into the GTC. Allow me to start off with that engine. I’ve driven the W12 Bentayga and can vouch for just how good it is in the SUV – the effortless character of the engine suits the truck well. In the GTC, however, it left me wanting a little more.
The Bentley looks fabulous, I felt that it needed an attention drawing engine tone to match the eye catching angles and do those giant oval exhausts some justice. Then you put your foot down and the sheer force of the torque punting the car towards the horizon reminds you why this huge great engine is still being used. It is remarkable, even more so when you consider the GTC weighs in at heaving great 2,414kg with the W12 pounding away until you’re doing 207mph/333kmh.
So the engine can deal with the weight when it comes to blisteringly fast straight line pace, but what happens when your grand tour takes you over a mountain pass? Remember that 48v system? It works astonishingly well and essentially counteracts any body roll using motors that prop the side of the car that would roll back up. Working in conjunction with the 3 chamber air suspension, the ride is sublime and the gargantuan weight is masked like a Donald Trump ‘grabbing’ episode.
Bentley Continental GTC Rolling
When you start to increase speeds into some tighter, more twisty sections, things get a little less refined. As good as the systems are, hiding such hefty mass is undone by Newtons laws of physics and the Bentley starts to struggle – the brakes show themselves as being a major weak point. I cannot blame the poor things, regardless of how massive they are. Carbon ceramics are not an option…best take it easy and enjoy the breeze in your toupee after retracting the Z-fold roof in 19 seconds.
Speaking of enjoyment, when you are cruising and taking in the surroundings, as you should be, the GTC really does come into its own league of refinement and comfort. The interior is a masterpiece. Yes, you’ll recognise elements of the infotainment from other VAG products, but the physical switches, materials and all round ergonomics are second to none.
Bentley Continental GTC Exterior
The finish on the woods, metal switchgear and quality of leathers are worth drinking in for hours. Set the heads up display to show you all you need, engage lane assist and active cruise control, prod the air scarf button to maximum and you’ll be glad that you were not sat in any other car on that stretch of road. It is a soothing experience, a memorable one. A Bentley moment.
Going back to the opening of this review, there are a couple of competitors that sprung to mind on the flight home – think Aston Martin DB11 Volante, Ferrari Portofino and perhaps Mercedes-Benz S Class. These could arguably all be considered competitors, but after spending a long day behind the wheel, it is safe to say that all of the aforementioned cars sit towards the sharper end of the sport vs comfort spectrum with the Bentley being the car with the wider breadth of ability. At €192,000 pre tax and options, it is a much more expensive purchase too. It really is in a category of its own.
Bentley Continental GTC Details
February 25, 2019 / Comments Off on 2020 Bentley Continental GTC Review
Bentley have officially revealed the Bentley Bentayga Speed… and it’s faster than the Lamborghini Urus. 1 km/h to be exact! Oneupmanship aside, the fastest version of the Bentley Bentayga gets the usual Speed treatment. Performance, aerodynamic and cosmetic tweaks.
To start at the business end. The 6.0-litre W12 engine’s updates allow it to generate 635 hp and 900 Nm of torque. Bentley claim a top speed of 190 mph (306 km/h) and a 0–62 mph (0–100 km/h) time of just 3.9 seconds (an improvement of 0.2 seconds over the standard W12).
Bentley Bentayga Speed
Cosmetic touches include a set of dark-tint headlights, body-coloured side skirts and a larger tailgate spoiler. Bentley have also added dark-tint radiator and bumper grilles, a unique 22-inch wheel design and Speed signature badging
The interior of the Bentayga Speed gets similar touches. A new ‘swoosh’ design incorporates the door and door grab, the edge of the seat cushions and backrest bolsters, and the lower console. Plenty of contrast stitching diamond quilting is included together with a Speed illuminated treadplate signature and, for the first time in the Bentayga, Alcantara is available.
The Bentley Bentayga Speed is equipped with an Electronic Differential Lock and up to eight Drive Dynamics modes. Sport mode gets a recalibration to suit the style of the Bentayga Speed. A new exhaust system provides a unique soundtrack during start up and on downshifts. A firmer suspension setup enhances the handling. The Bentayga Speed boasts the biggest ceramic brakes fitted to a Bentley, capable of generating torque of 6,000 Nm while saving 20 kg of weight.
Details on pricing and availability are yet to be announced. We will hopefully see the Bentley Bentayga at the Geneva Motor Show 2019.
February 14, 2019 / Comments Off on Bentley Bentayga Speed Officially Revealed
An Automobile report looks into what’s happening on the organizational and technical sides of the Volkswagen Group, and what those changes could mean for the premium brands. The wide-angle view is that Porsche appears to have been anointed to “coordinate the future activities” at Audi, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini. Audi would cede Lamborghini guardianship to Stuttgart, and Ducati — via a new concern called Ducati Enterprises — would become the shepherd for VW’s other Italian investments. Executives target Jan. 1, 2019, to complete the reshuffle.
VW wants to save a boodle by tying up four of its five top-tier brands, and putting the one with the highest ROI in charge. Porsche, within its own house, wants to reduce expenditures by $2.3 billion per year over for four years, the savings already earmarked for improving internal processes like R&D and production. Having Porsche share those gains as well as lead development of platforms, components and future-tech strategies for the sister sports car brands could benefit everyone.
In the near-term, the brands have their own plans:
Bugatti CEO Stephan Winkelmann is said to want a ChironSuperleggera, a roofless and “completely reskinned” Chiron Aperta, and a track-only Chiron SS. The Superleggera could take the Chiron Sport‘s and Divo‘s Jenny Craig routines even further. The Aperta seems a natural successor to the Veyron Grand Sport, a natural evolution of the recently introduced Sky View roof, and a reskin might include numerous Divo cues. It’s also said Bugatti’s considering “an all-electric high-end model” in conjunction with Porsche, Rimac, and Dallara, but name one supercar or hypercar manufacturer that isn’t considering a lightning-fast EV.
Lamborghini, deep into work on follow-ups for the Huracán and Aventador, might get a bit of a bump with the new plan. The carbon “monofuselage” for the next V12 flagship is said to be too far developed and too complex to scrap. It puts two electric motors on the front axle, batteries in the middle, and a naturally aspirated V12 with around 770 horsepower plus another e-motor with 402 horsepower in back.
The Huracán is said to get a version of the same carbon architecture at the moment, but the corporate reorganization might press pause on it. Automobile says options include continuing the Huracán/Audi R8 twinning, but that depends on Audi saying “Ja” to a third-gen R8 with Lamborghini bones. Beyond that, the Huracán could move to the Mimo II platform created by Porsche for the in-limbo-since-2011 mid-engined 960, or the entire premium group could get a new aluminum architecture for a “modular multi-brand sports car.”
Bentley and Audi need the most help at the moment. The UK carmaker needs to flesh out its current financial issues and vision for the future, and the latter relies in large part on the former. Audi remains in upheaval — the Automobile piece calls the brand “seriously overstaffed and worryingly over budget.” — and we can’t know when that will end. The ex-CEO who made the brand VW’s highest earner remains in jail, and we wouldn’t be surprised by any new bombshell that drops when he gets his days, or weeks, in court.
A total reintegration, if it all comes off, means monumental work. Yet according to a Bloomberg corporate analyst, potential rewards from going all the way with the plan might make it impossible to resist. Bloomberg said that if VW created a premium group and floated it on the markets, the result “could be valued at more than 120 billion euros,” when the stock market capitalization of the entire VW Group right now is 67 billion euros.
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Adrian Hallmark took over the helm at Bentley on February 1 this year. Volkswagen poached him from Jaguar, where he headed the brand’s global strategy. Or perhaps we should say re-poached him, since Hallmark served as Bentley’s board member in charge of sales and marketing from 1999 to 2005, and helped guide the original Continental GT to market. He’s now responsible getting Bentley in better shape financially and sales-wise, and positioning it for growth. Among the products necessary to do that, Hallmark recently told Autocar that flashy coupes won’t cut it. “I’ll tell you what we won’t be building,” he said, “and that’s sports cars.”
That means we can forget about the gorgeous EXP 10 Speed 6 coupe that had a rumoredplace in the lineup after a sub-Bentayga CUV, and the EXP 12 Speed 6e battery-electric convertible. Hallmark cited a few issues with the segment, the first being that the segment hasn’t yet recovered from the recession, and the buyer demographic that’s left goes up in age every year, clearly a losing game. The kinds of younger buyers who would buy Bentleys, athletes and entertainers, are deterred from the purchase by contractual limitations like injury clauses or aversion to paparazzi photos. As well, in China, wealthy buyers get SUVs or limousines, but Hallmark believes Bentley hasn’t adopted the the proper strategy there to take advantage.
This is far more than about sports cars for Bentley, though; a recent article in German newspaper Handelsblatt outlined a number of situations the carmaker needs to rectify, including the finding that Bentley’s “losing money hand over fist instead of racking up the hefty margins more typical of the class.” A German study claimed that whereas Ferrari makes around $80,000 on every car it sells, and Porsche makes a little more than $19,000 on each car (last year it was a little more than $17,000) Bentley loses a little more than $19,000 on each unit. The English manufacturer has posted an operating loss of roughly $92 million through the first six months of 2018, the latest figures in a decline that began in 2014. That financial timeline, however, coincides with Bentley’s $1.1B investment in new technologies, which the carmaker cites as the reason for profitability woes.
Beyond that, Handelsblatt claimed VW insiders said the recent Continental GT launch was the “worst production ramp-up of all time.” Bentayga sales are down a little in Europe, quite a bit in the U.S., and overall brand sales are down nearly ten percent globally this year. Bentley needs to invest its electrification plans — it wants electrified versions of all its models by 2025 — and that’s going to be expensive. The report said those insiders want Porsche to have a bigger hand in helping Bentley get on track and move forward.
That would tie in well with Hallmark’s experience, too, since he did a stint in charge of Porsche UK. He told Autocar that in addition to V8 models throughout the lineup, he’d like to crib from Porsche’s proficiency in creating special editions with more luxury or performance, and Stuttgart’s success in making its hybrid models the most desirable. Bentley wants to crack 15,000 to 20,000 units globally. The most it has achieved in the past five years is around 11,300.
Somehow, though, while tiny, independent Aston Martin gets stronger than its ever been with a growing lineup of incredible sports cars, Bentley has to walk away from the segment that made it what it is today.
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