Bentley has released this teaser image of its new flagship due this summer. A replacement for the ancient Arnage, this vehicle will slot above the Continental series in Bentley's lineup.
That's about all those crafty Brits were willing to say at this point, so we'll have to wait another month or so to get full details.
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
U.S. Attorneys have charged the owners of a New York Bentley and Aston Martin dealership with corporate espionage after discovering they had tapped into the email network of a rival Ferrari and Maserati dealership.
According to Bloomberg, Giacomo Ciaccia and Leka Vuksanaj, the co-owners of Universal Autosports LLC,were former employees of the Ferrari dealership. A third man, Michael Lussos, listed as the Creative Director of Universal Autosports, helped to set up the email system for the Ferrari dealership.
Investigators discovered that the Ferrari dealership's email were being forwarded to an outside account. In some instances, Universal Auto sport attempted to use the information to thwart potential sales by contacting customers directly. The three men each face up to five years in jail and a fine of $250,000.
If you're a numbers guy the 2009 Bentley Continental GTC Speed can impress with many of spec. Six-hundred horsepower W12 engine, 200 mph top speed (195 if you leave the top down), zero-to-60 in 4.6 seconds and 60-to-zero braking in 104 feet (possibly the most impressive number when you consider its 5,600-pound curb weight). Finally, for those boorish types who require such data, it's hard to ignore the GTC Speed's $240,000 price tag.
At $273,295, the Supersports is the most expensive Continental coupe by a wide margin. For the extra cash, you get unique bodywork, a 621-hp version of the standard twin-turbo W12 and carbon-fiber brake rotors.
Oh, and starting in 2010, the Supersports will be capable of running on ethanol. We hear it's finally going to catch on big next year. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
In addition to his duties running the one-model Bugatti lineup, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen also heads up Bentley. This meant a repeat performance at tonight's Volkswagen Group event for the introduction of the Bentley Continental Supersports.
We've already told you just about all there is to know about this car in earlier posts, so consider this another chance to admire those shiny black wheels against all that glossy white paint. Did we mention this thing runs on corn? -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line
How do you make a 5,000-pound coupe "green"? You can't really, but the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports is a fine attempt. It's not only lighter than your typical Continental GT, its 621-horsepower W12 engine is also capable of running on ethanol.
Well, it will be once the EPA approves it for U.S. sales. Bentley doesn't expect that to happen until mid-2010, so until then you'll have to either get by with the 600-hp, gasoline-burning Continental GT Speed or move to Europe.
Other notable changes include a 2-inch-wider track for the rear wheels, standard carbon-ceramic brakes, a quicker-shifting six-speed automatic and retuned dampers.
The 2009 Geneva Auto Show is still over a month away, but Bentley couldn't wait to tell us all about its new biofuel-powered supercar. Well, actually Bentley didn't really tell us much. Instead, it passed along this teaser photo and the promise that it represents the company's "fastest and powerful production car ever". Oh, and it runs on biofuel, so it's a very light shade of green.
Considering that the current Continental GT Speed already has 602-horsepower and a top speed of 202mph, anything faster and more powerful is probably something worth waiting for. We'll see March 3rd.
Which would be your preferred scalp-ripper: The 217-mph Mercedes-Benz SLR Stirling Moss, or the 195-mph Bentley Continental GTC Speed? -- Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit
So Detroit is hurting and the Asian automakers are pulling out of Detroit. So what's left?
Plenty of room for the Europeans apparently. There will be no less than ten world debuts from the other side of the pond at this year's show, a sign that although our market is down, it's can still make or break a new product for most manufacturers. Here's a rundown of what the German et al. will have on display next week.
The 2009 Bentley Continental GTC Speed might be the least surprising debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. After rolling out high-performance "Speed" versions of the GT coupe and Flying Spur sedan, the GTC was the only worthwhile model left.
Like the Continental coupe and sedan, the GTC Speed gets a 600-horsepower W12 engine along with a few minor suspension tweaks. Bigger wheels and high-performance summer tires are also part of the performance upgrades. The interior gets cool stuff like diamond-quilted seat trim and drilled alloy pedals. And the price? Let's just say it's more than a Corolla and less than a Maybach.
Today's press conference for the 2009 Bentley Azure T at the L.A. Convention Center was like no other we've ever heard from a top-end manufacturer. With no warmup, Stuart McCullough, member of the board for sales and marketing, started in:
"We expect the year-over-year decline to continue. Every company is affected and Bentley is no exception. We've moved swiftly to adjust production."
After the conference, we asked McCullough to elaborate: "Right now I think worldwide we're probably anticipating a similar level of fall for 2009 with the market not bottoming out until at least 2010," he offered.
"It's new model introductions that are driving what little growth there is to be had at the top of the luxury car segment."
The Brooklands has been a help for Bentley in this regard, he said, and the company is hoping for the same from the 2009 Azure T, a higher-performance version of the company's classic four-place convertible. Bentley decided to unveil the Azure T in L.A., said McCullough, as California typically accounts for about 10 percent of worldwide Azure sales.
As we reported in an earlier news story, the 2009 Bentley Azure T should be suitably frightening to drive, despite the fact that it's still a big, heavy, old-money convertible at heart. Twin turbos help its 6.75-liter V8 deliver 500 hp at 4,200 rpm and 738 lb-ft of torque at 3,200 rpm. A 5.2-second 0-to-60-mph estimate might sound tame, but hitting the 179-mph top speed in this yacht would undoubtedly be memorable.
The Azure T's cross-drilled brake rotors are appropriately enormous (16.5 inches across up front, 14 in back). Its 20-inch two-piece wheels are wrapped in 255/40ZR20 Pirelli PZeros -- a little on the skinny side for such a powerful car, but big, sloppy burnouts are what you want in an Azure T, not outright grip.
So, we're in the midst of the worst financial mess since the great depression, and Bentley and Bugatti are thinking of pairing up, and taking on Rolls-Royce? Are they nuts? Or are they and their customers just sooooo wealthy that they're immune to everything that's going on around them? So what if they or their customers drop a few million on the stock exchange? That must be chump change to these guys.
There's an interesting comment over in AutoObserver today, regarding the just-introduced at Paris Honda Insight concept:
Fuel economy? Somewhere close to the Civic hybrid,...
Okay, if that's the case, then what's the point? Shouldn't this car get better--if not significantly better--gas mileage than the Civic hybrid? Is this just going to be a styling statement much like the original '60s-era Karmann Ghia VW, a "designer hybrid," so to speak? Is this Insight merely something in which owners can drive around whispering to the neighbors that, hey, I'm green?
Sort of reminds me of a while back when Bentleys and Roll-Royces were identical, save for the grille. It was often said that Bentley owners were a bit more restrained, and that they, unlike RR owners, didn't want to announce their wealth so much.
The last of the Rolls-Royce-based Bentleys, the Arnage, is riding off into the sunset. As such, Bentley is producing a special "Final Series" of cars, a limited run of 150 vehicles, to mark this event.
Bentley Chairman and Chief Executive, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, explains: "For 10 years, Arnage has enjoyed extraordinary success at the pinnacle of the luxury saloon market. The Final Series is a celebration of the Arnage era as Bentley prepares for the next generation of its flagship model."Full story here.Here's Inside Line's take: So Long: Bentley Arnage Final Series
2009 CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR AND CONTINENTAL FLYING SPUR SPEED TO MAKE DEBUTS AT BRITISH INTERNATIONAL MOTOR SHOWThe 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur and Continental Flying Spur Speed will make their official international motor show debuts at ExCel (London) later this month."We are delighted that the next chapter of the Flying Spur success story will begin in our home market and at the British International Motor Show, notably as our British customers have played a key part in making this Bentley the most sought-after 12-cylinder luxury saloon in the world," comments Stuart McCullough, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing.With its combination of exhilarating performance, luxury, craftsmanship and four-door practicality the 12-cylinder Continental Flying Spur has been at the forefront of Bentley's revitalisation since its launch in 2005 and the range is now refined and expanded with two highly distinctive models.The instantly recognisable style of the Flying Spur undergoes a subtle evolution with changes to the front and rear design. The new, more upright grille and bolder lower air intake accentuate the distinctive Bentley profile, while a new rear bumper delivers a sleeker and more aggressive appearance.The 552bhp Continental Flying Spur offers enhanced levels of comfort and choice. A comprehensive range of noise-absorbent measures including acoustic glazing ensure that cabin refinement, already a hallmark of the Continental Flying Spur, is best in class.Bentley's famous commitment to the highest quality of craftsmanship and customer personalisation is highlighted with an enhanced choice of beautifully crafted marquetry and chrome inlays. In addition, seat piping, a traditional Bentley feature, has also been introduced with two new hide colours.Joining the Continental Flying Spur in London is the 600bhp Flying Spur Speed which unleashes the potent performance and intense levels of driver engagement of its highly acclaimed stablemate, the Continental GT Speed.Inspired by Bentley's legendary 'Speed' models that first appeared in 1923, the Flying Spur Speed offers a range of headline performance figures including a 0-60mph sprint time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 200mph.The Flying Spur Speed is distinguished by unique design cues which underline its performance credentials, including dark-tinted radiator and air intake grilles, wider rifled exhaust tail pipes and unique 20-inch multi-spoke alloys.Both Continental Flying Spur models can now be specified with Bentley Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). The ACC uses a long-range radar sensor, mounted in the lower front grille, to monitor the road ahead for other vehicles. When a slower moving vehicle is detected, the system automatically adjusts braking and acceleration to maintain a 'time gap', as selected by the driver.The 'time gap' also controls the vehicle dynamic response. The larger the time gap the more relaxed the acceleration and braking, allowing the driver to tune the ACC system to suit their preferred driving style or to the prevailing traffic conditions.More info can be found here.
Bentley Motors designs limited collector’s edition of the new Bond book, Devil May Care From the press release:
In a unique collaboration between three of Britain’s iconic brands – James Bond, Bentley Motors and Penguin Books - a special, limited edition of the new Bond book Devil May Care will be published on 28th May. Written by Sebastian Faulks at the invitation of Ian Fleming Publications to celebrate the Ian Fleming centenary, Devil May Care is one of the most eagerly anticipated publications of 2008.
Cars and James Bond have always had a strong association and, contrary to popular belief, Bond’s preference has historically been firmly with Bentley Motors. He owned three Bentleys in the course of the fourteen original novels written by Ian Fleming. It is fitting therefore that in Devil May Care - published to coincide with the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth - Bond is found once again in the driving seat of his favourite car.
To mark the reunion, Penguin approached Bentley to produce a luxury, limited edition of Devil May Care. The result is a beautiful and striking edition which takes its inspiration from hard-covers of the original 1950s and 1960s Bond books combined with the stylish Bentley owner’s manuals and handbooks of the era. Inside the book is a specially designed model pewter Bentley, described in detail by Fleming in Thunderball.
Bentley Chief Designer Dirk van Braeckel says, “Transferring our design knowledge from the car world to a book was a new challenge for us, but working closely with Penguin, we think we have come up with a unique product which is complementary to the history of Bentley and Bond that can be appreciated by all.”
Only 300 copies of the Special Series edition will be produced, costing £750 each, available exclusively from the Penguin James Bond books website (here).
Forget that this design concept is sacrilegious. Forget that this design study may offend or challenge every design sensibility that you may possess. Forget that W.O. Bentley has just turned over in his grave...
Bentley Motors has launched a job recruiting web site (here) in hopes of attracting more global job candidates.
The site launched on January 2 and includes listings in engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing, quality, logistics, finance and information systems areas. As of Tuesday, there were more than 40 job openings posted on the site. In addition to full-time positions, the site includes listings for Bentley's graduate, undergraduate and apprenticeship programs...
As of January 1, 2008 VW is changing their name here to "Volkswagen Group of America." The reason for the name change is to give more attention to the Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini nameplates, which are under VW’s brand umbrella, as well as Volkswagen and Audi. Full story here.
Hot on the heels of the news of a possible Bugatti Veyron-powered Arnage, now there's news that Bentley may offer an Arnage hybrid by 2010.
This will be an all-new car using an aluminum spaceframe chassis made by Audi, with aluminum body panels. Bentley's Franz-Josef Paefgen stated that the all-new Arnage to be the biggest challenge for Bentley since the 1930s. “This will be a totally independent car...
The 500 horsepower Bentley Arnage, already a leading candidate for the wretched excess four-wheeler award, is planning to stuff the 987 horsepower W16 powerplant from the Bugatti Veyron into this oh-so-ancient, yet oh-so-capable Arnage chassis.
Well, at least a prototype has been confirmed; no word yet as to whether there will be a production version, but I wouldn't count it out.
Even more Bentley. If the 552-hp, 198-mph Continental GT didn't quite cut it for you, try the 602-hp, 202-mph GT Speed.
At $206,285 and a 0-60 time of 4.3 seconds. That's only $47,973.25 per second or $342.66 per horse. You probably can't buy a real horse for that little.
Bentley has just upped the anti in the world of GT exotics by introducing the 600 hp, 202 mph, Continental GT Speed. The exterior gets some subtle tweaks along with 20-inch wheels. Other pertinent numbers are: 0-60 in 4.3 seconds, 0-100 in 10.3 seconds, and 50-70 mph in 2.3 seconds.
Inspiration for the GT Speed came from the legendary ‘Speed’ models that first appeared in 1923...
These are the latest shots of the refreshed 2009 Bentley Continental GT. Caught lapping the Nurburgring, this Bentley prototype shows off the same redesigned front fascia we saw months ago during cold weather testing. Other than a reshaped lower air dam, there isn’t much to see here. Same goes for the rear end as it shows almost no differences compared to the current model...
The new Bentley Brooklands made its official debut at last month's Geneva auto show, but that didn't stop the Bentley folks from throwing a party in its honor for the North American debut here at the 2007 New York Auto Show.
Bentley took over the Central Park Boathouse on Tuesday evening, shuttling guests into the closed park by Arnage from the corner of 75th Street and 5th Avenue.
Bentley board member in charge of sales and marketing, Stuart McCullough, took a break from hobnobbing with guests to toast the new Brooklands and its 530-hp V8. McCullough said that in the approximately four weeks since the Geneva show, nearly all of the 550 Brooklands scheduled for the first year of production have already been claimed...
After several years on the market, both the Bentley Continental GT and Bentley Continental Flying Spur are getting spruced up. Our latest spy photos don't reveal anything more than new front air dams on the two cars, but expect to see some interior upgrades to go along with the minor exterior facelift. We seem to remember some fairly primitive navigation systems in both cars, so hopefully those will be updated along the usual batch of new colors and trim.
Bentley, long a symbol of wretched excess, is considering offering a diesel and a hybrid. What's next? An electric-powered Rolls-Royce, or a solar-powered Maybach?
Rumor has it that Bentley is out to change their image of that as being one of the worst polluting cars on the planet...
According to Bentley chairman, Franz-Josef Paefgen, the new Bentley Brooklands coupe is a car for the "ultimate gentleman driver." In name and spirit it is designed to recall Bentley's heyday in the 1920s, when Britain still had an empire and the so-called Bentley Boys dominated the world of sports car racing.
Men such as Wolf Barnato, who doubled as the company chairman, enjoyed playboy lifestyles. They lived fast and did their best to die young. It's an evocative image but one that seems somewhat at odds with the likely demographic of a Brooklands customer...
After a day of blinking at oversized video displays, we were comforted by the low-techiness of the Rolls-Royce booth. We also liked the fact that Rolls felt no need to crash the 2008 Phantom Drophead Coupe through a wall. Instead, two attendants (female, of course) tenderly pulled back the sheets accompanied by a driving yet mournful techno beat.
Although positioned at the top of the lineup, the Drophead is meant to have a less formal attitude than the Phantom sedan, said Ian Robertson, Rolls-Royce chairman of the board and CEO, and "will more often than not be owner-driven.
"At the heart of it, you do have the aluminum space frame. In shortening the platform by around 9 inches, we actually produced an even more nimble vehicle. And more importantly, we've produced a vibration-free vehicle." Should make for an interesting comparison to the cheaper, VW-engineered Bentley Contintental GTC, which also weighs in the mid 5,000-lb range and has impressed us with its high level of rigidity.
The future vehicle news was sparse in this week's edition of Automotive News. The most notable piece of information came from an article discussing Bentley. Seems as though the British company is working up a coupe version of its top-of-the-line Arnage sedan and it could be called the Havana. CEO Andrew Stuart didn't directly confirm its existence, but he did note that Bentley currently has sedan, convertible and coupe versions of the Continental GT. Look for the new coupe to show up as a lightly disguised concept in Geneva next spring.
For those of you who haven't figured it out yet, Automotive News is the industry paper of record. If Bill Ford should come within 500 feet of Carlos Ghosn or Bob Lutz says anything at all, you can bet it will be in AN on Monday morning. Unfortunately, as many of you do know, most of AN's content requires a subscription -- and it's not cheap. Which is a shame since the Detroit paper's army of reporters is hard to beat when it comes to digging up information on future products. With that in mind, I've decided to do the reading for you each week. I'll comb AN's extra large pages in search of anything relevant to future product and give you the abbreviated version. Don't expect a bombshell every Monday, but rest assured that whenever AN reporters print new information it isn't some rumor they heard from their cousin's friend's sister who works at the plant. On to this week's report…
Bentley Motors is proud to announce the introduction of the Continental GTC. The new luxury 2+2 convertible completes the Bentley Continental model range following the introduction of the highly successful Continental GT in 2003 and four-door Continental Flying Spur earlier this year. The new Continental GTC goes on sale in late 2006.
With a top speed in excess of 190mph (304 km/h), a sophisticated all-wheel drive system, state-of-the-art 12-cylinder engine, advanced air suspension and ultra-stiff body structure, the Continental GTC displays all the poise, exhilarating performance and dynamic handling of the Continental GT...
