2010 Bentley Continental Supersports First Drive

If you keep the throttle mashed, you can hit 140+ on Monticello Motor Club's long straight. Massive carbon-ceramic front rotors bleed off speed, and you'll flick the downshift paddle numerous times in preparation for the (relatively) low-speed first corner. Aluminum suspension components and sticky Pirelli's bite hard, and once past the apex, you'll press the twin-turbocharged, 12-cylinder engine's 590 pound-feet of torque back into the New York track's surface.

Lapping Monticello in a 24 Hours of Le Mans-winning prototype? No. It's a leather-lined, roadgoing Bentley. One that weighs 5000 pounds, at that. Welcome to the latest, hottest, best-performing model in the Continental lineup, called Supersports.
"We had one group of engineers working on getting more power out of our 6.0-liter W-12 engine," says Brian Gush, Bentley's director of Powertrain and Chassis Engineering. "Another was addressing vehicle weight reduction. A third was working on the ZF transmission, in search of quicker shifts. We decided to meld these efforts together, add a body/chassis improvement program, and make the ultimate Continental GT."

If there's one thing the Continental suffers from, it's weight. There's just too much of it, and too much of it on the front end; all of the engine sits forward of the front axle line. So out came the scales. Semi-racing style, non-power-adjustable Sparco seats account for the first 100 pounds out of the middle. As the Supersports was conceived to compete with cars like the Ferrari 599 Fiorano and the Aston Martin DBS, the rear seats hit the dumpster entirely. This, and extensive use of carbon-fiber trim, saved another 57 pounds in the cabin.

Switching from iron to the aforementioned carbon-ceramic front brake rotors saved another 44 pounds. This move gets bonus points, as the weight lost here is unsprung and also reciprocating mass, so this seemingly small benefit is vast. Lighter binders allow suspension components that could be designed 20 pounds lighter. The Supersports' new 20-inch wheels weigh 5.5 pounds a corner less than those on other Continentals. All the abs crunches led to over 240 pounds less girth.

Bentley Destroyed in Cash for Clunkers Program

A 1997 Bentley Continental R — a car that when new sold for $250,000 — was destroyed in the Cash for Clunkers program, according to data gathered by the federal government and discovered by the Detroit Free Press. Keep in mind that the Bentley’s owner only got a $4,500 credit at best.

This trade-in, obviously, makes absolutely no sense. According to the program’s rules, the vehicle had to be drivable, which means the Bentley was probably worth a lot more than $4,500. As Howard Krimko, a former chairman of a luxury car club, told the blog Wheels, “The seats for the car would be worth more than that.”

What’s even more mystifying is that dealers had the option of buying the car outright. Why wouldn’t they just take the car? The report listed no details on the condition of the car or where it was turned in, so curious parties will be maddened until someone steps forward and identifies the party responsible. Could this trade-in be illegitimate or even made up?

A few other vehicles of note that owners scrapped through the program include a 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante (that sold for $135,000 when new) and a 1987 Buick GNX (one of 547 ever built).

Bentley Azure Review

This is not the sort of car that anybody is going to need to buy. Like a luxury yacht, it will be bought by the super-rich as an indulgent plaything - indeed Bentley reckons that Azure customers will already own at least five other cars. And for this rarefied group of customers, the Azure's massive pricetag won't matter.

Nor, probably, the fact that it is clearly inferior in most ways to its own sister, the Continental-based GT-C. The Azure's styling is clearly similar to that of the Arnage saloon, sharing its sister's slightly convoluted front end and massive proportions. To get a real impression of the car's massive 5.4 metre length you need to view it from the rear three quarters and over the huge bootlid.

Yet despite being enormous on the outside it's less than spacious within. Front seat occupants enjoy a reasonable amount of space, but rear legroom feels very limited considering the vast external dimensions. The cabin is finished to a very high standard with what feels like acres of wood trim and a couple of milking sheds-worth of leather.

Performance comes from an effortlessly understressed 6.75 litre V8 engine, which pits its prodigious output against the Azure's vast bulk to produce impressive acceleration - although the power-to-weight ratio is barely that of a modern hot hatch. Steering is far less vague than that of previous Bentley coupes and handling is responsive enough, but the very old-fashioned automatic gearbox only has four ratios.

And as for running costs? Well, if you need to ask, then you undoubtedly won't be able to afford them.

Sean Stewart Wrecks $200,000 Bentley

The bad news: Rod Stewart's son Sean just wrecked a Bentley Continental GTC worth about $200,000.

The good news: It was a rental.



We're told Sean wrecked the Bentley on Sunset Blvd., near Boa Steakhouse. It happened at around 3 PM PT. He was renting the expensive ride from Beverly Hills Rent-A-Car for $2,500 a day.

The rental place tells us they don't sell coverage on high end vehicles ... so it looks like Sean may be in the hole anyway.

UPDATE: A rep for Sean tells us he was a passenger in the car and a female was driving at the time. We're told she lost control and hit the curb.

More 2011 Bentley Mulsanne Details Revealed

Bentley on Tuesday filled in some of the blanks on its 2011 Mulsanne flagship at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show. But up in the air are such critical details as final U.S. pricing and fuel-economy numbers.

The Mulsanne made a showy debut last month at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. As promised, Bentley in Frankfurt released a raft of technical specifications on the car. The V8 engine, an update of the existing motor that includes cylinder deactivation, displaces 6.75 liters and is mated to an eight-speed transmission. The engine churns out 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque.
When Inside Line on Tuesday asked Bentley's U.S. spokesman David Reuter for official fuel-economy numbers, he replied in an e-mailed message: "We'll release specific numbers a bit closer to launch. We expect real-world fuel economy improvements to be significant."
Bentley says a new Drive Dynamics Control system offers three standard modes: Bentley, Sport and Comfort. A fourth mode, Custom, allows the driver to select personalized settings via the multimedia system to "tune" the Mulsanne to a "preferred driving style."
As expected, virtually all of the specifications on the Mulsanne are supersized. The car comes equipped with 20 audio speakers, it takes 15 hours to hand-stitch the steering wheel, and optional wheels are 21 inches across. Buyers can select from 114 exterior paint choices, including duo-tone combinations. A personalized keyless entry system can even preprogram the blinds for the side and rear windows.

The automaker noted in a statement that it takes more than 170 hours to put the interior together. "Following detailed customer feedback, a traditional tanning process has been reinstated to match the rich, worn leather smell that is so evocative of vintage Bentleys," it
Reuter said the Mulsanne will cost "more than an Arnage, which runs from $224,000 (regular model) to $264,000 (long-wheelbase model)."
The Mulsanne goes on sale in the U.S. in summer 2010.

Bentley's muscle-bound Mulsanne

Something about the Mulsanne gives me the distinct impression that Bentley is trying to build a better Rolls-Royce.

The 2011 Bentley Mulsanne was officially announced at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, but the luxury automaker was keeping quiet with the details regarding its newest land-yacht's power train and tech. However, with the 2009 Frankfurt auto show, the veil has been pulled back and we're finally able to share the goods.

Let's just get this out of the way: 752 pound-feet of torque--that's how much twist is generated by the Mulsanne's 6.75-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine. There's also 505-horsepower being generated, but we can't get past that number: 752.

The engine isn't the only generator of huge numbers. Try "2,200-watt Naim for Bentley premium audio system with eight DSP modes and 20 speakers" on for size. Feeding that audiophile quality audio system is a 40GB hard-drive-based audio system that features navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, and multimedia connectivity options.

Bentley's PR guys and gals probably won't admit it, but much of the Mulsanne's tech appears to be repackaged Audi technology, which makes sense as both automakers are mostly owned by the Volkswagen Group. For example, the infotainment system appears to be a reskinning of Audi's MMI system and features a leather-lined MP3-player drawer in the center of the dash that houses what appears to be Audi's Music Interface. A Drive Select system with four vehicle dynamic modes (including a user customizable mode) is remarkably similar to the system that we're starting to see on, you guessed it, Audis. This technology sharing is fine by us; after all, the Rolls-Royce Phantom shares more than a little tech with its distant BMW relatives.

Bentley to Officially Debut Mulsanne Flagship

Technically speaking, Bentley already unveiled its Arnage successor at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but the regal British automaker was tight-lipped about any specifics.

Details of the new Mulsanne will be unveiled tomorrow (September 15th) at the Frankfurt Auto Show, where we expect to learn about the impressive fuel-economy improvements Bentley has made with this new model. About all we do know is that the Mulsanne, much like the Arnage, is powered by a 6.75-liter V8. The engine has been reworked almost entirely, however, and we expect this model to be able to run on ethanol as well as gasoline. And of course, the engine’s power output will increase as well.

The design is certainly impressive with a massive front grille with huge circle headlights and lots of chrome.

As for the car’s name, it comes from the same place as the Arnage - France’s famous 24 Hours of Le Mans, Circuit de la Sarthe race track. On that track the Mulsanne straight is actually two straights, which have been divided up with a chicane so as to limit the overall speed that race cars can achieve. Modern racers have to slow from over 200 mph to 65 mph to run the chicane, before taking to the second-half of the straight.

Bentley sees signs of revival in luxury car class

Bentley, owned by Volkswagen (VOWG.DE), is seeing some signs of
revival in the super luxury vehicle segment and expects sales
of premium cars to improve next year, one of its top executives
said on Friday.

"We can see some movement. There is some activity going
on," said Christophe Georges, chief operating officer of the
Americas division. "We expect the last part of this year to be
a little better."

He added, "2010 should be the start of a new business
cycle."

Georges, who spoke on the sidelines of a media event, was
in San Francisco to unveil the iconic British manufacturer's
new flagship model Mulsanne. The new sedan will replace the
Arnage, which starts at about $225,000.

The Mulsanne, aimed at the super-wealthy, will go on sale
in Europe next summer and will make its debut in the U.S.
market in third quarter of 2010. It will also be displayed at
the Frankfurt Motor Show next week.

Georges declined to reveal the price of the Mulsanne. The
least expensive Bentley, the Continental Flying Spur model,
starts at $191,500.

Based in Crewe, England, Bentley is also getting ready to
launch a sports car. The Continental Supersports can run on
ethanol and accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds.

Super-luxury carmakers, typically immune to the
boom-and-bust cycles that affect their mass-market
counterparts, were hurt in the past year by the fallout from
the credit crisis and the economic slowdown.

The wealthy shunned luxury cars during the recession as
they saw their net worth decline following the collapse in
financial markets and real-estate values.

Bentley's U.S. sales are down 57 percent to 863 units
through August this year.

"Luxury has a reputation for being immune to recessions,"
Georges said. "The (current) crisis has severely affected the
overall luxury market."

Bentley has seen customers put off purchases for hand-made
vehicles that take an average of nine weeks to build.

"Customers are there but they have postponed their
purchases because of lack of confidence", Georges said.

2010 Bentley Mulsanne

2010 Bentley Mulsanne at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel

Bentley invited a few of us auto journo types down to the decadently posh Beverly Wilshire Hotel to meet its COO Christophe Georges and admire the company's new super land yacht, the 2010 Bentley Mulsanne. Not only that, but they spilled the beans on all the juicy technical details that makes the Mulsanne, well, special. And please trust us, the Mulsanne is special.

One small catch, however. All them juicy details are embargoed until next week during the Frankfurt Motor Show. So even though we know the exact, staggering amount of power the Mulsanne will be sending to its rear wheels – and trust us again, it is staggering – we can't tell you. Yet. Infuriating, no? But, we did learn a couple of juicy details that we can share with you in this here teaser post. Better than nothing, right?

New Series 51 Bentley Continental Range

Series 51 Bentley Continental

Bentley Motors will preview an exciting new design direction for the company’s Continental GT and GTC models at the 2009 Frankfurt Show. The Series 51 Continental models represent Bentley exterior and interior styling at its most vibrant and will enable customers to order ‘off the peg’ from an exclusive range created by Dirk van Braeckel’s renowned team of Crewe-based designers.


Series 51 is named after the year that the first official styling department was established in Crewe by the gifted John Blatchley, who shaped the original and iconic 1950s Bentley Continentals. Every Series 51 car will feature a highly-distinctive interior colour palette and unique exterior design cues.

Bentley’s Colour and Trim team, managed by Melinda - June Jenkins, have designed some bespoke three-tone interiors which demonstrate the full potential of leather hide colours and showcase the creative application of contrast stitching and piping. The first example of their work will be the Continental GTC displayed at Frankfurt which features Imperial Blue as a main and secondary hide, Linen seat and door inserts and Newmarket Tan as the accent colour.

Series 51 cars will also feature several unique interior details including the use of non-indented hide for diamond quilting, contrast piping for the seats and doors as well as bespoke Series 51 treadplates.

Bentley’s designers have selected a range of premium-quality materials for the dashboard and centre console to complement the three-tone interiors. The Dark and Bright ‘Engine Spin’ aluminium options provide a striking contrast with darker and lighter hide colour choices and a special, limited-edition Amboyna veneer reserved for Series 51.

A belief that even the smallest detail presents an opportunity to delight and surprise customers has always be a key element of the Bentley design story. Series 51 follows this principle, where even the overmats and boot carpets are now colour matched and given contrast binding.

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.

2010 Bentley Mulsanne

Today, Bentley Motors unveiled the Mulsanne, the company's all-new flagship grand tourer, at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in Monterey, California.

The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley's crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-litre. And it was W.O.'s own sensitively conserved company car that shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers - until now.

Nearly 80 years later, while paying respect to this illustrious past, the new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern statement of luxury driving and grand touring. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.

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 Bentley design team, lead by Dirk van Braeckel, have created a flagship that offers the classic sporting, styling cues long-associated with Bentley - expressed in a thoroughly contemporary way.

"From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio, we were inspired by the traditions of the grand touring Bentleys and have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts."

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, the scene of no fewer than six Bentley triumphs. Few places offer a stronger or more emotive connection with the Bentley marque than the famed Mulsanne corner.

The Bentley 8-litre displayed alongside the Mulsanne in California was first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show. It was the second-built and was W.O. Bentley's company car for two years. Capable of reaching more than 100 mph, the 8-litre demonstrated W.O. Bentley's ambition and ability to build a grand luxury car capable of surpassing every other leading manufacturer of the day. A total of 100 cars were built in 1930 and 1931.

"The 8-litre's breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a ‘pure' grand Bentley. Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentley's unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise," commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering.

"The Mulsanne has been designed with exactly the same guiding principles, so it is entirely fitting that these Bentleys from different eras share the same stage."

The Bentley Mulsanne will go on sale from mid 2010. It will also be displayed at the forthcoming IAA Frankfurt Motor Show (15-27th September, 2009) where Bentley Motors will provide additional product information.

2011 Bentley Mulsanne

17 Aug 2009

Bentley Mulsanne makes massive debut

By Mashfique Hussain Chowdhury

"The challenge we set our engineers was to create a new grand Bentley that would stand as the pinnacle of British luxury motoring," said Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors. "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."Certainly, it also marks one of the biggest changes to a large Bentley in some time. Although the front fascia somewhat evokes the prior Arnage, it's markedly different, sporting a wide grille and large high-intensity discharge headlamps. Perhaps most dramatic are the Mulsanne's rear haunches, which flow beautifully into the rear bumper fascia.

"2011 Bentley Mulsanne unveiled

Bentley is refraining from discussing the Mulsanne's specifics until the 2009 Frankfurt motor show in September, but we'd expect quite a number of changes underneath the skin. Bentley has repeatedly said that no part of the Arnage carried into the new car, and that the venerable 6.75-liter V-8 is being shown the door.Although details are fleeting, that hasn't curtailed interest. The first Mulsanne was auctioned over the weekend for $500,000, with all proceeds going to the Pebble Beach Charity.

Bentley Mulsanne IAA Motorshow in Frankfurt

Early July we showed you some spyshots of the new big Bentley. They revealed a lot of the design. Today the new Bentley, called the Mulsanne, was shown to a select public on the Pebble Beach Concours, California. For now we only get pictures of the exterior because Bentley will keep performance figures and interior details for themselves until the world première at the IAA Motorshow in Frankfurt, next month.

Of course Bentley gave a tip of the veil by saying this is not a replacement for the Arnage but that they have created a complete new car by “redesigning the famous 6.75-liter V8 and replacing every significant part to improve acceleration, performance throughout the range and fuel efficiency and emissions.” We can expect that the Mulsanne will be in the dealers showroom’s by summer 2010.

Beside that we can tell you that the Mulsanne was created by the Belgian designer by Dirk Van Braeckel, who is head of the Bentley design team and won the 2008 European Automotive Design Award. Stay tuned for more news of the Mulsanne before and during the IAA motor show! Scroll down for the official press-release by Bentley.

2009 Bentley Continental GT

2009 Bentley Continental GT white color picture

2009 Bentley Continental GT black color picture

2009 Bentley Continental GT interior