Section: Bentley
Written By: Phil Floraday
February 5th, 2008 12:00 PM
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You don’t really need a Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, or a Bentley Continental GT, just as you don’t need a Savile Row blazer, a Picasso painting, or membership at Augusta National.
But any or all of these could make your life more satisfying, and that, as opposed to impressive acceleration figures or high-end skid pad numbers, is what the Mercedes, the Bentley, and a few other cars of this genre are about.
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Written By: Steven J. Ewing
January 16th, 2008 9:50 AM
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The 2008 North American International Auto Show is full of new cars, some of which can only be afforded by people with extra large wallets. Automakers like Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Ferrari ensure that their top-dollar automobiles are displayed under only the best of lighting and in the plushest surroundings. In many cases, special permission has to be granted in order for journalists to get up close and personal with these top-shelf vehicles.
Click the images below to open a high-resolution gallery of the premium automobiles that were on display at this year’s Detroit show.
Written By: Phil Floraday
November 27th, 2007 9:00 AM
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The Bentley Continental GT Speed coupe is a magnificent automobile. It is noticeably faster than its sibling, the Continental GT that was introduced in 2002. But sheer speed is only part of the Speed model’s undeniable appeal. Torque makes the world go round, and torque is what makes you grin like a fool as you press this newest Bentley’s pedal to the floor and the trees start to blur. You cannot really drive a 200-plus-mile-per-hour GT car as fast as it will go anywhere in the United States, but you can sample that torque almost any time you want to, and it delivers a jet-like acceleration curve unlike any production car you ever drove.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
October 17th, 2007 4:30 PM
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News from the mad engineer-filled hallways of Bentley confirms that the company has built a prototype Arnage with a little something extra under the hood.
The powerplant in question is all-conquering quad-turbo W-16 that powers corporate cousin Bugatti’s Veyron supercar.
(Click through the jump to find out what’s behind the monster prototype.)
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Written By: Phil Floraday
October 8th, 2007 9:04 AM
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Bentley will relocate its North American corporate headquarters from Auburn Hills, Mi to Boston by next summer. The announcement wasn’t unexpected since the rest of the Volkswagen of America group is moving to Virginia.
There aren’t many details at this time, but Bentley thinks the move will allow the brand to “stake out its future in a concerted and defined manner.”
Written By: Seyth Miersma
September 4th, 2007 9:35 AM
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Rarely really one to put the good of the group (*ahem*… awkward pause) over the good of herself, Yoko Ono will give up her Bentley when you pry it from her cold, dead hands.
Despite the recent celebrity trend toward eco-minded auto ownership and conspicuous Prius consumption, Ono will apparently never use an environmentally friendly car because the ones that she has ridden in haven’t been as comfortable. She goes on to ask: “Can someone make hybrid cars as comfortable as a Bentley, please?”
It seems reasonable that someone of Ono’s sizable build and height might have trouble folding herself into a teeny-tiny Prius, but Yoko does have some options. Though perhaps not quite as plush as the aforementioned Bentley, Ono might think of sampling the greener options presented by, say, Lexus.
We’ll suggest a little light reading for Ono’s edification (below). Failing that, she could just go on being misunderstood by a bewildered public.
+ Contact Music:ONO BLASTS ECO FRIENDLY CARS (via Autoblog Green)
+ WINDING ROAD: 2008 Lexus 600hL Road Test
Written By: Seyth Miersma
August 29th, 2007 2:30 PM
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It seems that the good people at Bentley Motors are taking the old adage about the merits of multiple heads quite literally.
Saying that the position of North American CEO (occupied until last January by Andrew Stuart) is no longer necessary because of restructuring, Bentley has named two men to lead the company going forward.
Christophe Georges (pictured right) has been named chief operating officer and will work from parent company Volkswagen’s current North American HQ in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Georges has spent nearly the last decade with Bentley, working with the luxury automaker throughout Europe. Current worldwide operations director, and now vice president, Geoff Dowding (pictured left), will coordinate operations with his new partner from the other side of the pond in Bentley’s United Kingdom based world headquarters.
The automaker must be confident in its two-headed approach, as neither of its new chiefs have worked in North America to date.
+ Automotive News: Bentley names 2 to run North American unit (subscription may be required)
Written By: Chris Paukert
August 1st, 2007 11:34 AM
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Bentley has just released specifications and images on its new Continental GT Speed model, a 600 brake-horsepower performance variant of its voluptuous luxury coupe.
As the most powerful production Bentley ever (and the first Flying B to top 200 miles-per-hour), the GT Speed develops 15 percent more torque and 9 percent more power than garden-variety Continental GTs.
Bentley hasn’t simply let its engineers loose in the engine bay, however… it has upgraded the Speed’s suspension to deliver a more sporting, “hard-edged” drive. Rolling on 20-inch wheels clad in bespoke Pirelli P-Zero tires that are wider (9.5-inches) than the standard coupe, the Speed will also be available with carbon ceramic brakes as a cost option. Beyond the uprated footwear, suspension changes (including uprated dampers, lowered ride height, and thicker anti-roll bars), retuned steering, and a new “Dynamic” ESP mode means that the GT Speed promises to be better suited enthusiastic driving than ever before.
Beyond the obvious telltales of lowered ride height and different wheels, carspotters will note that the Speed GT features a dark-tinted front grille and larger exhaust outlets.
With a 0-60mph time of just 4.3 seconds and a top whack of 202 mph, we’d say that Bentley should have no trouble continuing to sell all of the Continental GT variants it can build.
Look for a review of the Speed GT shortly by our own David E. Davis, Jr., in a forthcoming issue of WINDING ROAD Magazine.
(Click on the thumbnails below to launch a high-resolution gallery, or through to the jump for Bentley’s official press release)
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Written By: Chris Paukert
July 11th, 2007 11:01 AM
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London police are on the lookout for a group of high-style criminals who recently robbed a high-end jeweler in a chauffered Bentley Flying Spur.
In Thomas Crown style, two well-dressed men were dropped off in front of Graff jewelers, whereupon they flashed some handguns and made off with £10 million in jewelry (around $20m USD).
Authorities are refusing to comment as to whether the Spur driver was actually involved in the robbery, or if the car was rented or stolen.
If you want to know more about this high-end getaway car, we’ve got a full road test of Bentley’s Mulliner-spec Flying Spur in the September issue of WINDING ROAD, so be sure to download our next issue.
+ Guardian Unlimited: Smart deception: £10m London jewel thieves arrived in Bentley
+ Not yet a reader of WINDING ROAD Magazine? click here for your free three-year subscription!
Written By: Chris Paukert
May 14th, 2007 8:26 AM
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Presently, sixteen vintage Bentleys are taking part in the Bentley Calista Rally. The nearly 2500 mile long rally across Europe was open by invitation only to members of the Benjafield’s Racing Club (founded by Le Mans 24 Hours winner and original Bentley Boy, Dudley Benjafield).
The rally, which started in London on May 5th ends in Turkey on the 17th, and has been timed to commemorate the opening of Istanbul’s new Bentley showroom. From there, the cars will head to the brand new Calista Luxury Resort in Belek. The formal opening of the five-star resort will be on may 19th, allowing the drivers an exclusive sneak-peek.
The cars (which are each valued in the millions) consist of seven Bentley Speed Sixes and Seven Bentley 4.5-liter’s, which have been imported from around the world along with their drivers to participate in this historic rally.
(Full press release after the jump)
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Written By: Chris Paukert
March 16th, 2007 11:47 AM
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Continuing our (unintended) theme this week of high-end cars with headlamp-transplants is this car, the Gaines Wood Phantom.
As the story goes, British Rolls-Royce/Bentley specialists P&A Wood were commissioned by a customer to rework a new Phantom’s front end to incorporate more traditional styling. Paul and Andrew Wood founded their company in 1967, and have since grown to become the UK’s acknowledged resource on all things Rolls-Royce and Bentley. In fact, not only are they an authorized Roller dealer, they’re the UK’s only authorized repair agent.
We wanted to know more about this unique coachbuilt Phantom, and Paul Wood (who is in charge of both coachwork and sales) took a few minutes out of his day to answer some of our questions about the car.
WR: Was this redesign specially commissioned, or was it just an idea that the craftsmen at P&A Wood came up with? If privately held, can you disclose who owns this vehicle?
PW: The design was specifically commissioned by a very good customer of ours. It is our own design, and something we have often considered.
WR: What all was involved in the conversion process? - How long did it take, what sort of parts needed to be crafted, and where are the lighting units from?
PW: The alterations were to the front wing to take twin headlamps, headlamp washer system, flasher lamp to resemble previous Rolls-Royce snowpack grills, new full length front bumper incorporating number plate recess and improved lower spoiler. The work took approximately 4 months to complete but this entailed making several ‘mock-up’ versions before the final design was decided. It was very much a joint effort with our customer. The headlamps and mounting brackets are from the Bentley Continental R.
(Click through to the jump for the answer to this, and many other questions, along with a brace of additional photos)
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Written By: Reilly
March 11th, 2007 8:12 AM
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SPIEGEL Online (Germany) reports that Bugatti’s CEO Thomas Bscher (pronounced “Bay-share”) resigned this week. Bscher and new VW Group CEO Martin Winterkorn disagreed over the direction of the brand’s product portfolio; Bscher wanted to expand the lineup beyond the ultra-fast Veyron, but that’s not in the cards for the short term.
Perhaps this is another touchpoint in the de-Pischetsriedering of the company. Former VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder promoted Bscher heavily, eventually handing him the Bugatti brand to run in 2003. Bscher was known as not only a crafty manager but a certified hot shoe: he finished fifth at Le Mans in 1999 driving the BMW V12 LM.
Now it will be Franz-Josef Paefgen’s role to run both Bentley and Bugatti. It’s unclear whether this is VW’s preferred strategy for the long term or if Paefgen will be the temporary shepherd until a new Bugatti boss can be found (resumes@bugatti.com, for you thrill seekers).
+ SPIEGEL ONLINE: Bugatti boss throws job (via Autoblog and German Car Scene)
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