Thursday, August 20, 2009

Bentley Mulsanne big boy car

This is the big boy Bentley to replace the flagship Arnage sedan and put its dukes up against the likes of BMW's Rolls-Royce Phantom and the Mercedes-Benz Maybach.

To a point, the Mulsanne is a celebration of past glories. The brand says inspiration is from company founder WO Bentley's stunning 1930 Bentley 8-litre model; the unusual twin headlight design, with the smaller secondary lamp outboard of the main, is an example of this.

The nameplate also goes back to those days - Mulsanne is the main straight and a corner of the Le Mans circuit that has played host to six Bentley wins in the decade before World War II. This bit of the circuit is also known as Ligne Droite des Hunaudieres ..... which is altogether too much to make into a boot badge, obviously.

Anyway, don't go thinking this project is sepia-toned. No, this model is British fresh-sheet engineering at its bally best.

It was conceived, styled and engineered at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England, with sign-off from Bentley's owners somewhere in ...ahem ... Germany. This being a VW brand. Wonder how they translate 'spiffing?'

Anyway, the car is completely top-hole, with no chance of you spotting any Beetle bits. There's an all-new and unique platform and nothing on the car's exterior is shared with any other Bentley apart from the door mirror, which comes from a concept.


A slightly different story with the mechanicals. Under the bonnet is a heavily updated version of the Arnage's L-series 6.75-litre V8, which can trace its origins back to the firm's first V8 from 1959. Bentley's engineers have made many changes to the engine to make it suitable for the car and to pass modern emissions legislation. Some are suggesting new fuel-saving technology could include cylinder deactivation.

The engine also has improved torque delivery, with much more available lower down the rev range. Bentley isn't yet revealing how much torque or power this engine has. That information is being saved for the next unveiling, at the upcoming Frankfurt motor show.

When can you buy one? It will be built in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility and goes on sale in mid-2010. Each will take 400 hours to build. Price hasn't been set, but it's unlikely the production versions will match the No.1 Pebble Beach chassis which fetched $900,000 at auction this week. Some people, they'll simply pay anything to be first .....

Bentley says: "The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley's iconic 'Winged B' emblem underlines the company's racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit...Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner."

Pebble Beach is usually for rare and exotic old cars, but Bentley had one of those in California as well, an orginal 8-litre first shown at the 1930 London motor show. It was only the second example to be built and became WO Bentley's company car for two years. In all, 100 of the 160kmh-plus 8-litres were built between 1930 and 1931.

Also shown off at the beach party was the Devon GTX, a $900,000 luxury bearing more than a passing resemblance to the now defunct Dodge Viper (and for good reason) and a new convertible version of the outrageous Spyker C8 Aileron.

The GTX is an interesting story. It was close to being badged a Viper when Devon lodged a bid to buy the name from General Motors. But instead it's had to settle for borrowing a number of classic American supercar design cues.

The stretched bonnet, sloping snout and muscular rear haunches give it a familiar stance, but the on-paper figures suggest it should go like nothing else. Under the steel structure and carbon-fibre body sits an 8.4-litre V10 sending no less than 484kW to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox.

Devon plans to build a total of 36 cars a year guaranteeing its exclusivity.

As for the super Spyker? Power comes from Audi's 4.2-litre V8 and it hits 100kmh in 4.5 seconds with a top speed of almost 300kmh. The suspension comes from Lotus and is fully independent and nearly all-aluminum.

The tiny Dutch automaker has not disclosed price.

Bentley rolls out new Mulsanne

xxbentley-mulsanneb1.jpg

Bentley unveiled its new Mulsanne at the Pebble Beach Concours in California, an exclusive event at which multi-millionaires turn up with their priceless toys to spend a weekend trying to out-polish each other and generally showing off.

The Mulsanne is Bentley's flagship model (the name was used on the 80s turbo models before falling out of use for a few years) and will be formally launched at the Frankfurt motor show next month before going on sale next year.

We don't have many details yet, but it's safe to assume it will be fast, thirsty and damn expensive.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Bentley Continental Flying Spur

The all-wheel-drive 2008 Bentley Continental Flying Spur continues with few changes as the British manufacturer's "entry-level" sedan. It shares its basic design with the company's Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible, all built on a platform introduced for 2004. The Flying Spur comes with a turbocharged 552-hp 6.0-liter 12-cylinder engine, 6-speed automatic transmission with steering-column-mounted shift paddles, and all-wheel drive. Also included is an air suspension with driver adjustable ride height and damper settings. Available safety features include ABS, an antiskid system, front side airbags, rear side airbags, and curtain side airbags. Bi-xenon headlights are standard, as are a navigation system, wireless cell-phone link, heated front seats with memory, driver-seat lumbar message, heated rear seat, and four-zone climate controls. Optional are heated steering wheel, front passenger lumbar massage, power opening and closing trunklid, and satellite radio. Also available is the Mulliner Driving Specification package that includes 20-inch wheels, additional Chrome interior trim, and quilted leather seating.
Front Angle View
Front Low View
Rear 3/4 View
Trunk Open



Mystery Buyer Snags 2011 Bentley Mulsanne "Chassis Number One" for $550,000

California — Bentley and auction house Gooding & Company are carefully guarding the identity of the mystery buyer who purchased "Chassis Number One" of the Bentley Mulsanne for $550,000 here on Sunday.

"As of right now, I have no information on the buyer of the Mulsanne," said Gooding & Company spokesperson Kathryn Hellwig in response to an e-mailed query by Inside Line. "This is typically something we don't release."

The Mulsanne was one of 129 lots auctioned by Gooding & Company during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, where the Bentley made its official debut. Curiously, the Mulsanne did not make the auction house's top-10 list of sales results during the weekend. For example, a classic 1962 Ferrari 250GT SWB California Spider fetched $5,115,000, while a 1933 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 drophead coupe brought in $4,180,000.

Still, the Mulsanne auction is generating lots of interest, thanks to a dramatic YouTube video of the event. At one point, the auctioneer intones to one unseen bidder: "Is it not beautiful, sir? Is it not worth another bid?" Bentley later pointed out to Inside Line that the car used during the auction was the first prototype, so it is not the actual specification that the unknown buyer purchased.

Bentley spokesman David Reuter told Inside Line on Tuesday that "I'm not certain who the final purchaser was."

Source

Bentley debuts all-new Mulsanne on the Concours stage

Bentley-Mulsanne-front-500

In an unusual move at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance this afternoon, Bentley Motors unveiled its Mulsanne, the nameplate’s all-new flagship grand tourer.

Unusual for a few reasons; one being the economy, but we posit that Bentley thinks a top-of-the-range, hand-built, English-made and, may we say, quite beautiful, super sedan will sell like Pimm’s Cups at the Claridge’s Bar on a balmy August evening.

It’s also unusual for a new car to be shown on the main stage, which is usually reserved for the Concours D’Elegance winner. But with a car this gorgeous, we’re not complaining.

The new Mulsanne was inspired by its precursor, company founder W.O. Bentley’s stunning 1930 Bentley 8-litre model. An elegant and massive Bentley if there ever was one, the 8-liter was the sedan for the Masters of the Universe of the Depression era and we can see those who still have their druthers driving the new Mulsanne down Wilshire Boulevard.

Bentley-Mulsanne-500

The Mulsanne is all-new from the ground up and was conceived, styled and engineered at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England. Bentley says, “The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit…Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner.”

Bentley's new ultra luxury Mulsanne sells for 500k at Gooding and Company Auction

Picture 4

There's a new top uber luxury saloon on the horizon and it is the Bentley Mulsanne. This new Bentley was revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance.

Where does the name come from? The name Mulsanne comes from the company's founder W.O. Bentley's crowning achievement in the 1930's : the 8 liter.

From Bentley:

Introducing the Bentley Mulsanne at Pebble Beach, where Bentley was the featured marque, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said:

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world's most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement - the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring, offering the world's most exclusive driving experience. They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement - the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned."

About the video:

The very first Bentley Mulsanne was sold at the Gooding and Company auction at Pebble Beach for $500,000.


[Video Source:Youtube]

Monday, August 17, 2009

Bentley debuts all-new Mulsanne on the Concours stage

Bentley-Mulsanne-front-500

In an unusual move at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance this afternoon, Bentley Motors unveiled its Mulsanne, the nameplate’s all-new flagship grand tourer.

Unusual for a few reasons; one being the economy, but we posit that Bentley thinks a top-of-the-range, hand-built, English-made and, may we say, quite beautiful, super sedan will sell like Pimm’s Cups at the Claridge’s Bar on a balmy August evening.

It’s also unusual for a new car to be shown on the main stage, which is usually reserved for the Concours D’Elegance winner. But with a car this gorgeous, we’re not complaining.

The new Mulsanne was inspired by its precursor, company founder W.O. Bentley’s stunning 1930 Bentley 8-litre model. An elegant and massive Bentley if there ever was one, the 8-liter was the sedan for the Masters of the Universe of the Depression era and we can see those who still have their druthers driving the new Mulsanne down Wilshire Boulevard.

Bentley-Mulsanne-500

The Mulsanne is all-new from the ground up and was conceived, styled and engineered at Bentley’s headquarters in Crewe, England. Bentley says, “The return of the Mulsanne name to a car carrying Bentley’s iconic ‘Winged B’ emblem underlines the company’s racing pedigree and nowhere reflects that heritage better than the famed Le Mans circuit…Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner.”

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale in mid-2010. It will also be displayed at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

2010 Bentley Continental Supersports

$267,000 - that’s how much you’ll have to cash out to own the fastest, most powerful Bentley ever produced - otherwise known as the Bentley Continental Supersports. You can place your order starting October 2009.


Power comes from a 6.0L W12 twin-turbocharged engine making 621-hp and a maximum torque of 590 lb-ft. The engine is capable of running on gasoline and E85 biofuel or any combination of the two. Keep in mind that the first couple hundred units headed to the U.S. will be gas only.

2010 Bentley Continental GT

2010 Bentley Continental GT

An employee from Bentley gave Dutch reporters from AutoTelegraaf a few clues of key updates for Bentley’s top selling Continental GT at the recent Geneva Motor Show. The facelifted model is due to be released by the end of the year, ahead of the launch of an all-new model in early 2010.

The major change will be an upgrade to the 6.0L W12 engine that’s expected to churn out 560hp, up from the current car’s 554hp output. The new version is also expected to receive several minor cosmetic changes including new bumpers and wheel designs.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Spy Photos: Upcoming Grand Bentley Caught Testing

gbentley-f34-950.jpg

Now that more than a few people care about Bentley, mostly due to the phenomenal success of the Continental GT, the company has been hard at work on a new flagship sedan to replace the ancient Arnage.

Known only as the "Grand Bentley" up until this point, the new four-door will attempt to pull back some market share from the over-the-top Rolls-Royce Phantom. To assure plenty of attention, Bentley has gone with a pair of monster, gatling-gun type headlights that give it a very distinctive look up front.

Early spy photos posted by CAR magazine appeared to show a prototype in a Bentley plant and these latest shots confirm its identity. With its official world debut only weeks away, it won't be long until we get to see the final product.

2010 Bentley Continental Supersports First Drive

http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/media/roadtests/firstdrive/2010/bentley.continental.supersports/2010-continentalsupersports-bentley-fd-340.jpg

10.bentley.supersports.prf.blog.jpg

Supersports Biofuel Bentley

Getting to know the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports is like discovering your rather crusty family lawyer spends his spare time slugging it out as a bare-knuckle boxer.

Bentley Continental Supersports

After all, this is Bentley, a brand that conjures up images of wood and leather, recollections of traditional craftsmen wearing white coats with pencils in the top pocket.

Instead the Bentley Continental Supersports will scare you witless.

From the Bentley Skunkworks
If you mash the aluminum throttle pedal of the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports to the floor, what happens next is unlike any other car, let alone any other Bentley. It's not just the searing thrust coming from the 621-horsepower, twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine, for there are other ultrahigh-performance cars that will also cannon you to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. What makes the Continental Supersports unique is the incongruity of sitting within 2.5 tons of leather-lined British steel and then being fired at the horizon like an artillery shell.

The Supersports started life as one of those deliciously mad, out-of-hours, unofficial projects by a few obsessive Bentley engineers for whom there is no such concept as too fast or too powerful. And because Bentley has a small but noisy constituency of customers who feel the same way, it wasn't long before the undercover operation became part of the product plan.

It's appropriate that this new variation of the Continental GT has been dubbed "Supersports." It's meant to recall a two-passenger Bentley introduced in 1925, a lightweight, two-passenger derivative of the classic 3.0-liter Speed that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1924. The Supersports incorporated some racing hardware and became the first production Bentley capable of reaching 100 mph.

The Continental Supersports is supposed to be just like this. Only it goes 204 mph. It's the Extreme Bentley.


Sunday, August 9, 2009

The Bentley Brooklands

Bentley Brooklands

The Bentley Brooklands is a stunning new model that marks the company's return to the luxury coupé market and reaffirms its reputation as creator of the world's most exclusive coupés. It is the ultimate Bentley: a stylish, four-seat, grand touring coupe with classic British proportions and muscular performance.

Bentley's chairman Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen describes the motivation behind the new coupé: "Bentley's proud sporting pedigree, forged by the exploits of the immortal 'Bentley Boys' on the famous Brooklands racetrack in the 1920s, was the inspiration for our new coupé, capturing all the style, power and splendour of that era."

Sporting design cues are matched by the phenomenal performance engineering of Bentley's legendary Crewe-built V8 engine. The new Bentley Brooklands possesses the most powerful V8 the company has ever produced - a 530bhp, twin-turbocharged 6.75-litre unit that also produces a prodigious 1050Nm of torque.

Each Bentley Brooklands coupé will be hand-assembled, employing traditional coach-building techniques and the craftsmanship skills in wood veneer and leather hide for which Bentley is renowned. To ensure exclusivity, lifetime production will be strictly limited to just 550 cars, with deliveries expected to start in the first half of 2008.

Bentley Brooklands Pictures

2008 Bentley Brooklands Pictures
2008 Bentley Brooklands Pictures
2008 Bentley Brooklands car wallpaper
2008 Bentley Brooklands car wallpaper
2008 Bentley Brooklands interior
2008 Bentley Brooklands interior

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition

MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition


The improvement kit of the mtm Bentley Continental GT calls itself Birkin Edition. Two turboloaders find their way into the vehicle in place of a compressor but also in actual circumstance the technical changes attack where the series leaves room for upgrades.

MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition
MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition
MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition
MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition
MTM Bentley Continental GT Birkin Edition

2009 Bentley Continental GT Pop Art

2009 Bentley Continental GT Pop Art

For his exhibition "Come to my World" in Berlin, the famous artist Romero Britto chose a Bentley Continental GT as a canvas for his cheerful and vivid signature motifs.

This is probably one of the most unusual Bentleys ever seen: a large, happy flower, little stars, squiggles and signs dance on the elegant hood and colourful, comic-like figures adorn the doors. The Continental GT - a static prototype built in 2003 - has become a truly unique work of art created by the world-renowned Brazilian artist Romero Britto. Bentley Motors donated the Coupe on the occasion of Britto´s Berlin exhibition "Come to my World" in the Automobil Forum Unter den Linden.

Britto, one of the most admired and popular artists currently working within Pop Art, creates pieces specifically to put a smile on people´s faces. Having grown up in poverty in Recife, Brazil, his work belies his background by creating a fantasy world inhabited by child-like creatures and optimistic, strong colours. "Since everything in life moves toward an end", says Romero Britto, "we should fill our life with colour and hope." His paintings, graphics and sculptures can be admired in many of the world's leading art galleries including the Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim in New York. He counts the Kennedys, Rothchilds, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steffi Graf and Elton John among his friends and collectors.

Romero was delighted to be given the chance to turn a Bentley into a Pop Art sculpture: "It is the most beautiful and elegant car in the world. The lines of the new design are perfect to paint as a clean canvas. What a way to start a fascinating and colourful journey."

Raul Pires, Head of Exterior Design at Bentley Motors and like Romero Britto, a Brazilian was central to the creation of the Continental GT. He thoroughly agrees with his countryman: "A Bentley holds the unique combination of exhilaration and relaxation in one package. An automotive sculpture with elegant powerful surfaces. The ultimate in craftsmanship."

The Romero Britto exhibition, hosted by the Automobil Forum Unter den Linden in cooperation with the Mensing Gallery, will take place from 10 July until 6 September 2009. In keeping with Britto's wider ideals, at the conclusion of the show, the "Britto-Bentley" will be put up for auction in aid of the Nathalie Todenhöfer Foundation for multiple sclerosis as well as Best Buddies, an organization dedicated to improving the integration of the mentally disabled within society.

2009 Bentley Continental GT Pop Art
2009 Bentley Continental GT Pop Art

Sunday, August 2, 2009

2010 Grand Bentley Prototype Spied During Testing

bentley_grandbentley_spypic_01_s

BENTLEY’S UPCOMING replacement for the Arnage has been spotted undergoing testing, giving us our first proper look at the proportions of the stately all-new sedan.

But with every panel bar the roof covered by a thick layer of plastic cladding, the sheetmetal of the new “Grand Bentley” is almost entirely obscured.

What we can discern however, is that this is a noticeably larger car than the Arnage. The photographer responsible for these images claiming it’s roughly 30cm longer than the Arnage.

bentley_grandbentley_spypic_03_s

We’re also afforded a peek at the new Bentley’s somewhat controversial headlamps, which are comprised of two circular lenses either side of the marque’s trademark mesh grille in an unusual - but certainly distinctive - layout.

Specific details about the car’s powertrain have yet to surface. It has been confirmed however that the venerable 6.75 litre V8 of the current Arnage will be put into retirement and an entirely new powerplant will find its way under the bonnet.

bentley_grandbentley_spypic_04_s

The British car maker says that the new engine will be flex-fuel capable and much more efficient than the old 6.75 litre. Current speculation says a cylinder de-activation system will also be employed.

Outputs in excess of 410kW and 1000Nm are also rumoured. It might be stately, but it won’t be a slouch.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Spy Shots: 2010 Bentley Arnage

When it comes to luxury cars, the first thing that pops up in your mind is Rolls-Royce. But then there are other brands such as Bugatti and Bentley also. Now British motoring website Auto Express is reporting that the car, which is going to replace the Bentley Arnage, has been spotted recently.

Bentley Arnage

Various online publications have posted images of the car. It seems that the Bentley Arnage replacement, or the new Grand Bentley as it is being referred to, will be 30 centimeters longer than the current version. Also, it will feature a modified variant of the 6.75-litre V8 engine, which is found in the Arnage, and will offer 550hp and a top speed of 200mph.

The new Grand Bentley apparently will cost more than GBP 200,000 (approx. Rs. 1.59 crores). It will be unveiled at the Pebble Beach concours d’elegancee later this month and sales in UK will commence in 2009 itself. Also, the car will only be offered in one wheelbase.