2010 Touring Superleggera Bentley Continental Flying Star

Bentley Continental Flying Star

Bentley Continental Flying Star

Bentley Continental Flying Star

Bentley Continental Flying Star

Bentley Continental Flying Star

2010 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible

Finally a new automatically opening and closing closing Powerboot is now standard on the new Continental Flying Spur and GTC models (not on Supersports versions).

2010 ONYX Bentley Continental Platinium GTO picture

Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2010 road test

Until recently the Bentley Continental GTC Speed was the most powerful convertible Bentley had ever produced and only lost the tag when the range-topping “Supersports” Continental was let off the leash in mid-2010. Building on the success of the Continental GT the “Speed” features the famous W12 6.0-litre Bentley engine but the engineers have managed to increase power from 552bhp to 600bhp, does the Speed live up to its name?

There aren’t many car manufacturers that would collectively sit down and look at an existing model which has a top speed of 195mph, 552 bhp under the bonnet, a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds and think it wasn’t swift enough but these discussions look to have taken place at the Crewe-based prestige car maker. The result of these talks is the Continental GT Speed – available in coupe or convertible form, which features an up-rated engine under that beautiful bonnet. The engine offers 15% more torque and 9% more power than the standard Continental GT, while engine efficiency is optimised by the use of lower friction, lighter-weight components and a new engine management system. Thanks to this power and torque increase, and a 55kg reduction in weight, the GTC Speed is capable of hitting 200mph and 0-62mph time shaves 0.3 seconds off the standard Continental GT at 4.8 seconds. Coupled to the engine is a flawless six-speed automatic transmission. The result is a stunning experience, with almost bottomless well-like reserves of power to be had. Put the pedal to the foot and instantly feel and hear the engine roar, in lesser hands all that power could have been a problem, but the engineers at Bentley are well versed in ensuring all the grunt finds its way to the tarmac, and those majestic 20-inch alloy wheels. The latest versions of the W12 6.0-litre engine have the capability to run on petrol, E85 bioethanol or any mix of the two, all from the single tank. Running the car on E85 can have a significant positive impact on “well-to-wheel” emissions, however at 396g/km, CO2 emissions are among the highest of any production car on UK roads. Fuel consumption isn’t the car’s strong point either, the engine’s thirsty and the car weights near two and a half tonnes, so a combined mpg figure of 17 isn’t going to win the car any economy awards. Frankly though, the Bentley Continental GTC Speed isn’t about frugality, it’s about performance, style and luxury. And on those three criteria the car scores a perfect 5.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed China

British manufacturer Bentley brought the newest edition of the Continental Flying Spur Speed China to the 2010 Auto China Motor Show.

The new edition developed especially for the Chinese market features a bespoke comfort suspension setting, which helps the car to deliver a superior ride quality for both the driver and passenger. The Continental Flying Spur Speed is known as the world's fastest luxury four-door saloon. It appears that this latest edition will make no exception as it comes with the same W12 6-litre engine capable to push the car from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.5 seconds (0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds) with top speed reaching 200mph/322km/h. The latest edition has also a re-tuned exhaust in order to produce a quieter note. The Speed China is accompanied by a range of design features that accentuate the special edition status of the vehicle such as Speed China tread-plates and wing badges (with a matching badge visible on the centre console). Likewise, the famous Bentley 'B' emblem is affixed to both C pillars. Interior custom leather cushions for rear passengers are embroidered with Bentley wings as well. Each car will also be available with a special display case for the ignition key.

2011 Bentley Mulsanne Review

In the Bentley lineup, the Mulsanne slips into the top spot recently vacated by the Arnage sedan, that aged doyen of the luxury-car class. Well, perhaps not exactly the same spot. The Mulsanne is better than fifty grand more expensive, at $287,600 plus a still-to-be-determined gas-guzzler tax. It's also a tick less than seven inches longer while tipping the scales at the same Rubenesque 5700 pounds. The regal coachwork, much of it hand-finished, is draped over a six-inch-longer wheelbase. In price, size, and bearing, the Mulsanne moves closer to Rolls-Royce. Actually, by most measures, it nestles in between the Rolls Phantom and the new Rolls-Royce Ghost.

Bentley claims that the Mulsanne is the company's first from-scratch vehicle in eighty years (!), meaning that it's the first Bentley not adapted from another car. (The Continentals, for instance, are built off the platform of the Volkswagen Phaeton, and previous big Bentleys were adapted Rolls-Royce designs.) Even so, there are some items shared with the Audi A8, such as the Mulsanne's new eight-speed automatic transmission (by ZF) and the infotainment system, which is based on Audi's Multi Media Interface.

Although the Mulsanne is a new car, its mechanical layout is decidedly traditional, much more so than that of the Continental family. Whereas those cars all have a W-shaped twelve-cylinder engine driving all four wheels, the Mulsanne uses the massive V-8 and rear-wheel-drive configuration of its predecessor. The pushrod V-8 retains the previous bore and stroke dimensions, the "63/4 litre" designation, and two turbochargers. Brian Gush, head of powertrain and chassis, says that the previous engine "was a good starting point; then w