- Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Green, Supercars, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Bentley Brooklands
Bentleys and buckets of torque go hand-in-hand. Therefore, it might make some sense for the German-owned British luxury marque to consider one of the VW Group's big, powerful turbodiesels for one of its upcoming models. Not so fast, says Bentley. It has specifically polled its customer base -- made up mostly of Americans and Asians -- to determine if there's any interest in an oil-burning Bentley. Apparently, there isn't. Instead, the luxo-barge company will focus on biofuels in an effort to lower the fuel consumption and emissions of a numbers of its models. As a matter of fact, the first flex-fuel engine from the Flying B is expected to debut in 2009 and Franz-Josef Paefgen, Bentley's Chief Executive, says that all of its models will be capable of running on biofuels by 2012 as part of its plan to go British Racing green.
[Source: Autocar]
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- Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Bentley, Kia
Kia's hungry for your business, which explains the pending arrival of the Forte. The Spectra is a good car, but blends in far more than the attractively turned out Forte. It seems the Forte also has an appetite, and it's for the good stuff. Kia wants to bolster its image, so what better way than a clever commercial that infers that inside the Kia is all the goodness of a partially digested Bentley? Of course it's hyperbole, that's why it's so cool! Video embedded after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Alberto!
[Source: kia-world.net]Continue reading VIDEO: Kia Forte eats a Bentley, yum!
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- Filed under: Aftermarket, SUVs, Bentley, HUMMER
You can click to see more of the Bentley-bodied HUMMER, but we wouldn't recommend it
Bentley doesn't make an SUV. Though they've contemplated and toyed with the idea, the boys in Crewe ultimately decided against it. Sure, some of their sedans and coupes are roughly the size of trucks, with engines of similar proportions and torque output, but they hardly fulfill the same purpose as a sport-ute. So what's a guy to do? Well, most would pick up a Range Rover, frankly. Or a Q7 from Bentley sister-brand Audi. Badges aside, even a VW Touareg V10 TDI would fit the bill. But one driver apparently didn't like any of those ideas, so he had his own Bentley SUV made up. Er, sorta.
The abomination you see above is actually based on - yep, you guessed it - a HUMMER. Yes, it's horrible, but don't blame us. We're only the messengers. And just where might you stumble upon such misplaced gluttony? You'd be forgiven for thinking it was in Russia, where that hideous Cayenne/Touareg resides, but only if you couldn't tell the Arabic alphabet from the Cyrillic: this unfortunate embodiment of "too much money, not enough taste" comes straight out of new-money Dubai. Click on the images in the gallery below to see more, if you must.
[Source: Auto.sina via Le Blog Auto]
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- Filed under: In the Autoblog Garage, Coupes, Supercars, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of the Bentley Continental GT Speed
When we reviewed the Bentley Continental Flying Spur a couple of years ago, we showed you just how many other forms of transportation could be bought with the car's $183,825 out-the-door asking price. For this review of Bentley's new super coupe, the Continental GT Speed, we thought we'd list just a few of the cars that produce the same or less horsepower than the fastest Flying B ever made. The complete list is rather long considering that the GT Speed is powered by a twin-turbo, twelve-cylinder engine producing 600 horsepower, but here are just a few.
Dodge Viper - 600 horsepower
Lamborghini Murcielago - 571 horsepower
Ford GT - 550 horsepower
Porsche 911 GT2 - 530 horsepower
Corvette Z06 - 505 horsepower
Ferrari F430 Scuderia - 503 horsepower
1999 Oldsmobile Alero Coupe - 150 horsepower
While it's true that cars with 600+ horsepower are becoming common in the supercar segment, the GT Speed's 48-horsepower bump over the standard Continental GT drives it into some truly rarified air. Read on to find out how it fared in the Autoblog Garage.
Photos Copyright (C)2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.Continue reading In the Autoblog Garage: Bentley Continental GT Speed
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- Filed under: Etc., Tech, Bentley
Click above for more pics of the Bentley laptop
As a devout lover of both technology and expensive cars, there are few things more exciting to me than an exotic vehicle or new gadget. It's cool when new technologies are integrated into cars, too. Unfortunately, the car/technology marriage doesn't work so well when the paradigm is shifted in the other direction. Ferrari and Lamborghini have tried to push exotic-branded tech with limited success, and now the latest offering from Bentley and Ego Lifestyle takes a bolder step towards brand-whoring.
The new Bentley laptop attempts to class up the notebook computer business with rich leather and hand-sewn cross stitching that comes directly from the storied brand's seats. Further connection between notebook and luxury vehicle comes from the use of a Bentley door handle that has been converted for computer carrying duty, and the laptop is supposedly "hand-built" just like the cars. Besides looking like a cross between a Coach hand bag and a George Foreman Grille, it also has sub-standard hardware specs as well. Oh, and it'll cost you a cool £10,000 to live the life of a poseur, too. What a deal. All is not lost, however, as the rest of the luxury automobile universe can look to this monstrosity as a reminder to never again build a branded laptop. Somehow we doubt they'll heed the warning.
[Source: T3 via Engadget]
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- Filed under: Sports/GTs, Bentley, Misc. Auto Shows
Click above for a high-res gallery.
Big, blocky, heavy, low - whatever. The one and only phrase you need to remember is "hellaciously fast." Bentley's Continental Flying Spur Speed, officially announced in June, is pretty much what it'd be like to strap an EMD powertrain from a freight locomotive into a car, without all the noise and industrial fumes. Set off by subtle cues, the Flying Spur Speed turns the burner up on the already hot Flying Spur, boosting horsepower out of the twelve cylinder powerplant to an even 600 hp from 552 hp. It's enough to hurtle this elegant block of English-cum-Germanic automobile to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and filthy automotive types will be able to crawl all over this fine automobile at the British International Motor Show. In a mere 15 days, the special brightwork, rifled exhaust tips, and smooth as glass paint will be littered with fingerprints once the show opens to the public July 23rd at the ExCel London. Pardon us while we scour the intertubes for cheap airfare. Press release after the jump.
[Source: Bentley]
Continue reading Bentley to release Continential Flying Spur Speed at British Int'l Motor Show
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- Filed under: Sports/GTs, Japan, Bentley, Chevrolet, GM, Special/Limited Editions
Click above image for a gallery of the Corvette S-Limited
In celebration of GM's 100th Anniversary, GM Asia-Pacific has unveiled the Corvette S-Limited, a 30-car special for the Japanese market. priced at ¥7,980,000. The allotment is split evenly by color -- 15 in Arctic White and 15 in Black. All the cars get the full leather-wrapped interior package; a rear spoiler, mesh grillework , and screened inserts for the side coves and the plate between the exhaust outlets. 'Vettes in Japan are probably scarce enough that they still draw plenty of attention. Hey, in the land where the best-selling car's engine displaces 660cc's, a thundering, 430-horsepower American pushrod that displaces 6.2 liters is always gonna make people look. Appropriately, the Corvette S-Limited officially goes on sale on the Fourth of July.
[Source: GMAP]
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- Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Bentley, Rendered Speculation
The next Bentley Arnage is due in 2010, and thank heavens it won't be a biggie-sized clone of the Continental Flying Spur. That means we don't expect it to look so much like the rendering above, which is 75-percent Flying Spur with a GT tail. A bit long-in-the-tooth by modern replacement standards, the Arnage still sells about 600 - 800 units per year, which is not far behind the much newer Rolls-Royce Phantom.
The next Arnage will take advantage of Audi's spaceframe technology, which will ultimately be utilized by every car in the range. With a 150-kg-plus drop in the car's weight, your gas mileage should improve to a number you still won't care about if you can afford a Bentley.
Engine choices will remain in the all-gasoline family. Bentley says that there simply isn't demand for a diesel in one of its cars, and it's not going to put one out there to try and stimulate it. It might -- and we stress, might -- however, be looking for something to do with the quad-turbo W16 from the Veyron, and that could make for a very interesting Bentley indeed.
[Source: Autocar]
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- Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Bentley, UK, Special/Limited Editions
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed
Bentley has chosen to update its Continental Flying Spur super sedan for 2009 with the same model upgrades given to the Continental GT coupe last year, which means the sedan receives a more upright grille, larger lower air intakes, a new rear bumper, more sound deadening material, a new Naim for Bentley premium audio system, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a host of new hides and color choices for the interior. But wait, there's more. So much more. While power for the standard Flying Spur stays put at 552bhp and 479 pound-feet of torque, a new model will kick things up a notch to 600bhp and 553 pound-feet. That's right, just as the powerful and extremely fast Continental GT Speed coupe was born last year, so follows in its wide tire tracks the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, which will officially hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds (that's probably conservative) and crest 200 mph. The Flying Spur Speed also gets a 10mm chopped off its ride height, new 20-inch multispoke wheels with available carbon ceramic disc brakes, and returned steering and suspension systems. It's outwardly different thanks to dark-tinted chrome matrix grilles, wider exhaust pipes, sill plates emblazoned with the word "Speed" on all four doors, a three-spoke steering wheel and unique interior trim. With this new Speed model, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur should have no trouble holding onto its title of World's Best-Selling 12-Cylinder Sedan. Follow the jump for the official word from Crewe.
[Source: Bentley]Continue reading Officially Official: 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed
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- Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Bentley
click above for high-res gallery of LWB Bentley Arnage spy shots
While Bentley continues to achieve sales success with its Continental line of cars that includes the GT, Flying Spur, GTC and new GT Speed, the upper-level Arnage line has been left to get by on its old world charm and bespoke everything hand-built construction. We showed you some spy shots of the next-gen Arnage back in April that suggests Bentley may position the next-gen Arnage as a direct competitor to the Rolls-Royce Phantom, and whether that's the case or not, the next Arnage will most certainly continue catering to the wealthiest 1% of the world. A super extra long version of the Arnage was recently spotted by KGP photographers with an extra 18 inches of wheelbase, and while Bentley already offers the LWB Arnage RL model, this particular car eclipses that and then some to firmly land in limousine territory. In other words, it's not a car drive, it's a car in which you're driven. Whether this mule is based on the current model or actually hiding some hardware for the next-gen model isn't known, but either way it shows just how interested Bentley has become in attracting the chauffeur-driven crowd.
[Source: KGP Photography]
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- Filed under: Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Supercars, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of the ASI Tetsu GTR
Most Bentley Continental GTs leaving the Crewe factory in England are bound for lives of leisure in the climate-controlled garages of the fiscally fortunate. Sure, a few end up in music videos or the movies, but we're certain none ever expect to be bastardized the way this one was. Created by Japanese tuner ASI, the Tetsu GTR takes one Bentley Continental GT and adds a new front and rear apron; exposed carbon fiber hood, trunk and spoiler; a set of oversized wheels and a custom paint job that plasters said carbon fiber hood with... flowers. The flower bed on the hood was reportedly painted by Japanese artist Nakamura Tetsui, but that doesn't make it any more palatable. There seems to be some method to the Tetsu GTR's madness, as the front turn signals appear inspired by the Porsche 911 and the rear has an unmistakable Audi R8 flavor. The car has been upgraded with unspecified mechanical components that boost the twin-turbo W12 up to 800 horsepower, which just makes driving away from all those confused stares in public a faster affair. We hope you join us in pouring a 40 out on the sidewalk for this particular Bentley Continental GT, because it's so hard to say goodbye.
[Source: Carscoop]
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- Filed under: Tuners, Sedans/Saloons, Bentley
Click above for high-res gallery of RENNTECH's handiwork
You may remember my little hissy fit last week over RENNTECH using our photos of a Bentley Continental Flying Spur taken when the Flying B was in the Autoblog Garage two years ago. We and the graphic designer over at RENNTECH have since patched things up, aided in no small part by his flattery of my photos and me being a sucker for compliments. Taking our advice, the RENNTECH folk quit shopping in the Google Images section of the store, parked a tastefully tuned Flying Spur next to their building and proceeded to shoot away, the results of which ain't too shabby. Their Bentley is lowered with a dark window tint and some deep dish rims as opposed to the stock one we photographed, and theirs is no doubt sporting the tuner's new ECU module for Bentley automobiles that boosts the twin-turbo W12 to 625 horsepower. You can check out RENNTECH's new pics in the gallery below, as well as all of the Bentleys that have been in the Autoblog Garage after the jump. We think it's about time for another one.
[Source: RENNTECH]Continue reading RENNTECH takes its own Bentley pictures, doesn't do too bad
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- Filed under: Recalls/TSBs, Safety, Bentley
The fact that there's 13,000 Bentley Continentals out there takes us a little by surprise. The last time Bentley issued a recall, fewer than 600 cars were involved. We know the Continental has been hugely popular for Bentley, but with those types of numbers, it must be one of the most popular Bentley vehicles ever. Unfortunately, owners of 2004-2008 Continental GT, GT Speed, Flying Spur, and GTC should pay the dealer a visit for a recall campaign. Road salt can potentially eat through the fuel filter housing, allowing fuel spray, and potentially leading to fire. Fail to heed the warnings, and you should at least consider packing the glovebox with marshmallows to roast once the inferno breaks out. Thanks for the tip, Rick
[Source: usrecallnews]
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- Filed under: Etc., Bentley, Lifestyle
Click above for photo gallery
Devil May Care, the new James Bond novel set back during the Cold War in 1967, arrives on bookstore shelves May 28th. The book's author, Sebastian Faulkes, has written the story in the style of the late Ian Fleming to celebrate the 007 creator's centenary. As we first reported last September, MI6's greatest secret agent also returns to his Bentley-driving roots in Devil May Care. The car is the same one he drives in Fleming's Thunderball and On Her Majesty's Secret Service: a custom 2-seat Bentley R type Continental convertible with the 4½-liter engine from a Mk VI stuffed underhood. To celebrate Bond's return to Bentley, Penguin Books asked the automaker to design a very limited Special Series Edition -- just 300 copies will be made. (Anyone want to place bets on the aftermarket value of book #007?)
Under the supervision of chief designer Dirk Van Braeckel (the man responsible for the current Continental GT's lines), Bentley has delivered a leather-bound, heirloom-quality piece. The 'Flying B' hood ornament is featured on the cover and spine, and the outer leather is stitched in the same diamond pattern you'll find on the seating surfaces of a modern Bentley road car. The inside cover is also finished off in leather, but is styled in tune with cars of the era in which the story is set. The typeface used is the same one you'll find in a Bentley owner's manual, and each individually-numbered book comes with a matching-number pewter die-cast R type model and a similarly-snazzy book block. The numbering on each book, by the way, is featured on a metal plate supplied by the same firm who does the engine plates for the cars. Finally, all books come with a plexiglass slipcase.
As you might expect, this mega-exclusive book is also mega-expensive. £750 will put one on the bookshelf, where it would surely look nice next to the divorce papers you'll be handed shortly after its arrival. If you're a Bond completist, recent lottery winner, or a Bentley fanatic, you can order the super special edition via Penguin007.com, where they've got all manner of Bond info, a countdown clock ticking off the seconds to the book's release and a link to the Special Series Edition minisite. You regular folk (we know you're out there) can meet us at Amazon, where the pricing's a bit more in tune with blogger pay.
[Sources: Bentley, Penguin Books]
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- Filed under: Motorsports, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Bentley
Click above for gallery of the Bentley Continental DC
We can't imagine being an apprentice at Bentley leaves you a lot of spare time, what with your full class load on how to stitch the perfect steering wheel, match wood grains and build twin-turbo V8s with your bare hands. A team of nine apprentices comprising the Bentley Greenpower Team, however, have found the time over the past ten months to build an exceptional little electrical vehicle for the Greenpower Corporate Challenge that kicked off at the Goodwood race circuit yesterday.
Their car, dubbed the Continental DC, was developed using the same CAD software that Bentley uses for its own cars, and is powered by two 12-volt batteries and a 24-volt motor that's required by competition rules. The body is also based on Bentley's 2004 Goodwood soap box racer and is basically invisible to wind resistance. The use of carbon fiber to keep weight down is extensive, to say the least. The body, chassis, wheels and even a specially designed suspension with carbon fiber beams under tension are all made from the exotic weave. Despite being green as can be, the Continental DC still sports some flare from Crewe thanks to a single leather Bentley seat with a four-point harness, a custom Bentley-inspired steering wheel and Bentley "dashboard".
[Source: Bentley]Continue reading Bentley goes green with Continental DC
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Archive for the 'BENTLEY' Category
Tuesday, August 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 »
Tuesday, August 8th, 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:
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Tuesday, August 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 »
Monday, August 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 »
Monday, August 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 »
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