The new Bentley Continental GTC

2012 Bentley Continental GTC

• Bold, contemporary, sculpted design employing advanced production technology.


• Sensuous, luxurious, hand-crafted cabin with class-leading infotainment.


• Coupe-like refinement with unrivalled comfort and practicality.


• More powerful 6.0-litre W12 engine with FlexFuel capability, delivering exhilarating performance.


• Uprated chassis for a more dynamic and engaging open-top driving experience.

CREWE, England : August 24, 2011 - The second generation of Bentley’s iconic Continental GTC convertible will debut at next month’s International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt.

Taking cues from its GT coupe sibling launched last year, the new Continental GTC builds on the highly successful foundation of the previous cabriolet, which premiered in 2006. Bentley’s design and engineering teams have improved virtually every aspect of the iconic convertible with an uncompromising focus on quality.

While the first Continental GTC was elegant and understated, the sharper radii and assertive stance of the new model delivers a more contemporary and muscular presence. Advanced manufacturing techniques produce aluminium front wings without the need for seams or welds creating the look and feel of a coach-built car. Twenty-inch wheels are now standard with three styles of 21-inch wheel, a first for GTC, available as an option, reinforcing the distinctive, sporting stance of the new Bentley.

The four-seater luxury convertible features a new, even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. There are 17 standard soft-touch leather hide colours with six colour split combinations, complemented by a range of seven veneers, all produced by Bentley’s talented craftsmen and women.

The GTC’s renowned coupe-like refinement is also enhanced. The tailored, multi-layered fabric hood is complemented by acoustic glass and under-body panels, for optimum noise isolation.

Superb everyday practicality for a luxury convertible was a hallmark of the original GTC and much valued by its customers. The cabin of the new GTC is now even more practical, with additional rear legroom, new storage solutions and innovative features such as touch-screen infotainment, automatic seat-belt presenters and a Bentley-designed Neck Warmer for comfortable roof-down motoring whatever the temperature.

A wider track, front and rear, sharper steering and retuned suspension provides a more exhilarating and class-leading drive. Bentley’s advanced all-wheel drive system features a new 40:60 rear torque bias (compared with 50:50 of the original GTC) minimising understeer during hard cornering and allowing the spirited driver to manage the car’s line and balance via precise throttle control.

This compelling dynamic package is combined with a more powerful 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine as well as a new QuickShift transmission enabling faster gear changes than ever before. Power output is raised from 560PS to 575PS (567bhp/423kW) and the famed Bentley ‘wave of torque’ has been increased by a further 50Nm to 700Nm (516lb ft).

“The GTC has always been the most emotional model in the Continental range and a showcase for Bentley design. With its tailored soft top, the GTC is a pure British convertible true to those classic Bentleys of the past. However, the technology, performance and overall design excellence invested in this model means that we are now writing a new chapter for the Bentley convertible driver.” - Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive, Bentley Motors.

The Bentley Continental GTC is now available to order and first customer deliveries will begin in late 2011.

Pricing Information

POUNDS STERLING	£149,350
US DOLLAR	$212,800 MSRP
EURO	€170,060
RENMINBI	RMB 3,838,000
YEN	¥26,400,000

• Pounds Sterling inclusive of 20% VAT.


• Euro price does not include individual market taxation rates.


• US Dollar pricing is exclusive of individual state taxes.

THE NEW CONTINENTAL GTC – AT A GLANCE
Sculpted exterior design

• Advanced production techniques such as aluminium Super Forming (front wings) allow for a more sculpted body and sharp ‘power lines.’


• Unique jewelled headlamps with LED daytime-running lights.


• More upright matrix radiator grille and new ‘double horseshoe’ rear profile first shown on the flagship Bentley Mulsanne.

Luxurious, practical, hand-crafted cabin with class-leading infotainment

• New interior with a bold, sweeping dashboard and instrument panel finished in premium soft-touch leather.


• Choice of 17 hide colours, six colour split combinations and seven veneers.


• Distinctive ‘cobra style’ seats for added comfort and enhanced rear cabin space.


• A new touchscreen, 30GB infotainment system introduces advanced satellite navigation with dynamic route guidance, seven-digit postcode entry and Google Map compatibility (market specific).


• Audio systems feature the latest wide-frequency Balance Mode Radiator speakers as standard.


• Revolutionary Dirac Dimensions™ DSP for exceptional sound reproduction (Naim for Bentley premium audio).

More powerful 6-litre W12 engine with FlexFuel capability

• 6-litre W12 engine twin-turbocharged engine produces 575PS
  
  (567bhp/423kW) and 700Nm (516lb ft) of torque.


• FlexFuel capability – runs on E85 biofuel, petrol or any combination of the two.


• 0 – 60mph 4.5 secs (0-100 km/h 4.8 secs).


• 0 – 100mph 10.9 secs (0 – 160km/h 10.9 secs).


• Top speed 195 mph (314 km/h).

Dynamic Bentley driving experience

• ZF 6HP28 transmission with ‘Quickshift’ system that cuts shift times by up to 50% and enables double downshifts.


• New 40:60 rear-biased torque split for the all-wheel drive system reduces understeer when powering out of bends and provides for better modulation of line and attitude by ‘throttle steering.’


• Increased front and rear track improves grip and stability.


• Advanced ESC system fully exploits the potential of the more powerful W12 engine and improved chassis.


• 20” ‘Five Spoke’ alloy wheels with optional 21” wheels in ‘Five Spoke Two-Piece’, ‘Seven Spoke Elegant’ and ‘Ten Spoke Propeller’ designs.

Images : 2012 Bentley Continental GTC

 
 
  
   


 

 

[Source : BENTLEY]

Bentley to build 4x4 SUV in 2014

2014 Bentley SUV - Rendered

Bentley is preparing to build a 4x4 SUV, the new CEO Wolfgang Durheimer confirmed tonight. Speaking at a select dinner in Crewe, the Bentley boss said the luxury car maker would build a crossover SUV as a priority.


But in a revealing address, Durheimer also spelled out plans for diesel Bentleys, hybrid Bentleys and a return to the race track for Britain's famous luxury car marque.

Bentley SUV: project BY736

CAR understands the Bentley 4x4 already has a codename: BY736. It will be related to the modular architecture of the next-generation Audi Q7/VW Touareg/Porsche Cayenne - a lightweight matrix, which is designed to trim 200-400kg from the bulk of today's SUV.

Durheimer confirmed that future Bentleys would feature both diesel and hybrid technologies. We'd say the new Bentley 4x4 would be as good a place as any to start the new powertrain innovation.

Durheimer on Bentley's SUV

'I am a believer of SUVs in different markets,' said Durheimer, who was previously Porsche's R&D director who worked on the launch of the Cayenne. 'If Bentley were able to sell an SUV with the same level of craftsmanship as a Continental or Mulsanne, we could have an interesting success on our hands.

'I believe our version of the Cayenne could become our biggest selling vehicle... With an SUV, Porsche doubled in size.'

Durheimer is still working on the business case, but go-ahead is likely from Wolfsburg in 2011. He said from conception to launch would take around three years.

Although he refused to rule out a precise sales target with a big-selling SUV added to the range, he admitted the Volkswagen group wanted to push Bentley sales beyond its existing, pre-recession record of 10,000 a year. He even claimed that 30,000 Bentleys a year wouldn't devalue the brand.

What will the Bentley 4x4 look like?

Thanks to the aluminium spaceframe construction, Bentley's SUV can look quite different to its mainland European brethren. A five-door shooting brake is how insiders describe the 4x4 - a luxurious yet sporty four- or five-seater which features all available mod cons from air suspension to a complete set of driver assistance systems.

The Bentley crossover will be priced higher than the Cayenne or Range Rover. Project BY736 will be a coupe-like soft-roader will be much better at scoring street cred points than at making room for a third row of seats. Imagine our artist's impression with a dash more sporting style, and you're not far off.

The engineering story

Engineers at the VW group confirm the proposed Bentley 4x4 would be based around the MLB Evo matrix. The latest group architecture is so efficient, it would share around 60-75% of its parts with partner off-roaders by VW, Porsche and Audi.

Fixed points include the wheel diameter, the suspension geometry complete with steering assembly and brake system, the crash performance (front/rear/side) complete with airbags and seatbelts, the electronic platform and the drivetrains. Variables within a given bracket are wheelbase, height, length, width, track, overhangs and the exterior/interior design.

What will power Bentley's SUV crossover?

CAR understands a plug-in hybrid assembly will be available, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 borrowed from the 2012 Conti GT looks like the logical base unit for BY736.

Diesel is a dead cert. Durheimer admitted the biofuel experiment by Bentley had been a mistake, although an interesting detour. No further E85 development will take place, the company instead investing in the group's diesel and hybrid tech.

Although a more highly tuned 375bhp edition of the 4.2-litre V8 TDI should offer plenty of go and grunt, an EU6-rated V12 TDI would be a more natural fit for Bentley, which is becoming the VW group's centre of excellence for 12-cylinder engines, Durheimer revealed. The uprated direct-injection twin-turbo W12 is also there for the taking, although it would have little appeal in Europe.

[Source : CAR]

A Bentley Extravaganza

Bentley Drivers Club (BDC)

CREWE : June 21, 2011 - Bentley Motors today rolled out the red carpet to welcome over a hundred members of the Bentley Drivers Club (BDC) – and their fifty Bentleys - to its headquarters in Crewe.

The visit is part of the “Britain by Bentley” tour which celebrates the club’s 75th anniversary by emulating the tradition of the grand tour and traversing some 3,000 miles of UK roads in a range of models that span 80 years of Bentley’s history.

Drivers have travelled from around the world to take part in the event: Syd and Nikki Reinhardt have travelled from Australia with their 1927 6 ½ litre Mulsanne whilst others like Jenny Ford and her Blower Bentley are already based in the UK.

The drivers arrived at Crewe Hall on Monday evening for a gala dinner with executive members from Bentley Motors. They then travelled to Bentley’s Pyms Lane site under an honorary police escort this morning for a tour of the factory where new models such as the Mulsanne and new Continental GT are now in full production.

Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who hosted the visit said:

“No grand tour of Britain by Bentley would be complete without a visit to our headquarters here in Crewe”.

“We are delighted to welcome so many members of the Bentley Drivers Club and their vehicles today. It is a unique and very special occasion to have so many rare and historic Bentleys gathered here in Crewe.”

“Bentley and its drivers have always enjoyed a unique friendship which very few other motoring marques have been able to emulate. We hope that our visitors will also enjoy the factory tour and the opportunity to see the next generation of our cars which will create a new and exciting chapter for Bentley.

Jenny Ford, Chair of the Bentley Drivers Club said:

“The Bentley Drivers Club was set up 75 years ago by Bentley owners who revelled in driving their cars. We are proud to maintain that tradition today and have greatly enjoyed the warm welcome extended to us and the opportunity to see the Bentley factory flourishing.

Images : A Bentley Extravaganza

[Source : BENTLEY]

2011 Bentley Continental GT Speed Road car reviews and wallpaper gallery

2011 Bentley Continental GT Speed Road car reviews and wallpaper gallery

2011 Bentley Continental Supersports cars features reviews

2011 Bentley Continental Supersports cars features reviews
audi cars wallpapers and reviews: http://www.upcomingcars.co.cc/2011/05/2011-audi-specifications-pictures.html

2008 Wald Bentley Continental Gt Black Bison cars specification and preview

2008 Wald Bentley Continental Gt Black Bison cars specification and preview
2012 volvo Cars wallpapers and preview: http://www.upcomingcars.co.cc/2011/04/2011-volvo-850r-wagon-wallpaper-with.html

Bentley Motors creates a luxury limited edition of The New James Bond Book, Carte Blanche

The New James Bond Book, Carte Blanche

CREWE, England : April 26, 2011 - To celebrate the release of Carte Blanche, the new James Bond book by Jeffery Deaver, on May 26 2011, publisher Hodder & Stoughton has partnered with Bentley Motors to create an exclusive Bentley special edition: the ultimate luxury edition of the highly anticipated new James Bond adventure. The 500 limited edition copies are available for pre-order from today, Tuesday 26 April 2011, exactly a month before publication date. Huge worldwide demand is anticipated for this new special edition after Bentley’s collaborative bespoke book for the previous Bond novel, Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks, sold out within days.

Ian Fleming always admired the stately beauty of the Bentley and, as a result, James Bond owned three Bentleys over the course of the 14 original Bond novels. In Carte Blanche, award-winning thriller writer Jeffery Deaver reunites Bond with this classic marque. In this contemporary adventure, the agent will be behind the wheel of the beautifully sculpted and sophisticated new Bentley Continental GT.

The design team at Bentley worked closely with Hodder & Stoughton to capture the spirit of Bond and Bentley. A team of seven designers submitted proposals for the edition and the final design came from Bentley Senior Designer Brett Boydell. He comments: “As a designer it doesn’t get much better than a brief of ‘Carte Blanche’! The design features radical concepts that we feel reflect the name of the book, the ideas inherent in the Bond legacy, and the design principles we are passionate about.”

This special edition links the legendary hero with the iconic automobile in the most spectacular way. Each copy of the special edition is custom-produced to Bentley’s exacting standards and arrives inside a stunning metal case. The result is a striking and unique collector’s item. The special edition is strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide at a price of £1,000 each. They will be available to pre-order worldwide through www.007carteblanchebentley.com. The editions will be delivered after publication date.

The Design:

The case of the Bentley special edition is inspired by the deserts of Dubai – one of the exotic locations Bond finds himself in within the new novel – and the new Bentley Continental GT, Bond’s car of choice in the book.

Like the exterior of the GT, the case is made from polished aluminium, giving it a seamless and aerodynamic shape. More sculpture than car, it evokes the GT’s signature outline, its metal skin making it look like the car has risen from the desert sand. To ensure the finished case meet Bentley’s renowned standards of quality, an automotive supplier was employed to create the case to automotive standards using a specially commissioned machine.

In deference to the title Carte Blanche, the book itself is bound in white Nappa leather, the same outstanding grade of leather used in a Bentley’s interior, mimicking the interior of the GT with its contrast of white leather trim and Pillar Box red edging. The title, author’s name and the familiar wings of the Bentley logo are carefully embossed into the front and foil-blocked onto the spine. The text is printed in two colours, black and red, on sumptuous ivory paper, with endpapers of a matching red leather. The pages are expertly cut and trimmed to reflect the handcrafted techniques of the Bentley construction process. As with the other details of the special edition, the colours are carefully selected from the Bentley range. The book sits on a base of black anodised aluminium, chosen not to mark the white leather.

In one last twist, playing on the idea of an agent being given Carte Blanche, is one of the most dramatic features of the design: a die-cut bullet hole that pierces pages of the book. Hidden within the pages is a single polished 9mm bullet, individually marked with a number distinct to each copy, making the edition truly unique.

Brett Boydell adds: “Bond destroys as well as he creates and saves. It was this element I needed to convey in my design. The reader has the excitement of finding the bullet housed in the centre of the pages with the text positioned so that the reading experience is undisturbed. I hope they find the book as exciting to hold and look at as the unfolding drama itself.”

[Source : BENTLEY]