1975 Bentley Corniche Reviews

The company that produces the bi-turbo 12-cylinder engine which guzzles 25 litres of fuel every 100km, is moving into ethanol power.Bentley will debut its first biofuel vehicle, presumably named Victoria, at the Geneva motor show in March.A brief internet video sneak preview of the vehicle shows a coupe shape, so it is likely to be based on the Continental GT, and a 12-cylinder engine, possibly boosted.The tacho is shown with a 6500rpm limit, ruling out a biodiesel engine.Since ethanol is not as economical as petrol, Bentley's reputation for high fuel consumption will remain and the car's green credentials will rely on reputable ethanol fuel sources.The company claims its "extreme Bentley" will have supercar performance and be its fastest, most powerful production car yet.Bentley Motors Limited regional manager Ed Striebig said it represented the company's first stage in its commitment to an environmental strategy announced at last year's Geneva show."It will have a flexfuel drivetrain with the ability to run on anything from 100 per cent petrol to 100 per cent ethanol with no interruption of performance," he said."We're excited and confident that this is the correct strategy to follow."Obviously there are divergent strategies out there, but we made the announcement last year that in 2012 we would have a complete fleet of flexfuel-compliant vehicles and this is the first step."What sets it aside from the others (environmental cars) is it is the fastest we have built."It is something we're quite proud of." 

Icy winds and snow are blowing across Motown, dumping on the auto capital of the world at a time when American politicians are applying relentless pressure for a major shift in the way that General M

The Queen has asked that her two gas-guzzling V8 Bentley State Limousines be converted to run on biofuel.The Bentleys are based on the Arnage, but were custom-built in-house by the company's Mulliner coachbuilding division.The limos are currently powered by the company's perennial 373kW/1000Nm 6.7-litre eight-cylinder.In the Arnage this engine delivers a combined fuel economy figure of 19.5l/100km, but this car is almost 1.5 tonnes lighter than the royal cars.Bentley says the royal family are big supporters of Crewe's initiative to switch to bio-fuels.It is fully supportive of the move, which means changing over the V8 engines in the cars for a modest fee.The Queen's decision follows the lead of the Prince of Wales, who runs his Aston Martin sportscar on old wine while he has converted his Range Rover, Jaguar and Audi to run on discarded cooking oil.Each of the Queen's bullet-proof cars is believed to have cost about $14 million each.One was presented as a gift to her during her Golden Jubilee in 2002.The second was commissioned by the Crown as a back-up car.The four-tonne armoured cars are fully maintained by Bentley.They will not only repel fire from a Kalashnikov AK-47 assault rifle, but protect the occupants from high-powered hand grenades detonated above the roof even if two go off simultaneously underneath the cars.Like all carmakers, the ultra-luxury VW-owned Bentley brand is aiming to reduce emissions and improve economy of its cars.It has announced that from 2012 it will have flex-fuel engines available across its range.The company is aiming for a 15 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions by then on all its eight and 12 cylinder engines.It will also introduce a new powertrain from 2012 that will deliver a 40 per cent fuel economy improvement, while maintaining current levels of performance.The new engine is tipped to be a hybrid.When Bentley launched its three-stage environmental strategy early last year, its chief executive, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, said bio-fuels were part of the company's ``corporate social responsibility''.

A huge power increase in Bentley's latest Flying Spur saloon has brought an unprecedented new sound to the car.But that's exactly what Bentley wanted and not what you might expect. Not outside the car, anyway.Intead, Bentley and its audio partner, Naim, have concentrated on the cabin.It's not the first time a major carmaker has gone to a top-end sound company for assistance, but the Flying Spur is the first time Naim has come out of the lounge room and into a car.In making the transition, Naim brings in a 1100W war chest of sound that is driven by a series of eight high-end amplifiers with 15 channels and fired through 15 speakers.The two companies claim it is the world's most powerful production-car audio system.Naim has modified the interior of the Bentley Continental and Arnage range for the finest sound quality, clarity and precise reproduction.Everything is custom-made for the Bentley model specified, including making a system as perfect in delivering sound quality in the Continental GTC convertible with the roof up as it is with the roof down.It is enough to may make audiophiles go ga-ga, but it comes at a cost. The system in the Continental Flying Spur adds 15kg to the car and, as an option on the car when it arrives in Australia later this year, will cost up to about $15,000.Naim systems for the home cost anywhere between $6000 and $250,000, though Naim's project manager Trevor Wilson says the sky's the limit.“We are fanatical and obsessive about sound quality and attention to detail,” Wilson says.Details of the system include heavy brass holders for the circuit boards, which are mounted on springs to isolate vibration and a storage box made of heavy-gauge extruded aluminium. The tweeters have silk cores — not paper — and the sub-woofers operate in the boot to maximise sound depth.Naim still makes domestic audio equipment and operates its own record label.Its products are available from eight Australian dealers. 

A greener ethanol engine is one way Bentley plans to protect its place at the top of global motoring.The luxury British brand will slash exhaust emissions and boost fuel economy under sweeping plans under development by Bentley in partnership with Volkswagen.It plans to suck the engineering expertise of its German parent company and then adapt VW technology to its own range.The plan is firm, but Bentley head of engineering Paul Jones is not big on detail.Speaking at the launch of its 2009 Continental Flying Spur models in Boston, Jones hints that Bentley will take a series of stabs into the heart of its range's high fuel consumption.He indicates the first move will be biofuel-compatible engines in an effort to get the brand's CO2 emission levels down towards the proposed European Union's 120g/km target.So engines with Saab-style E85 compatibility will become available within two years for the US and Europe. There is nothing firm for Australia as the rollout of E85 fuel is still in its infancy.Jones says Bentley will not be party to sourcing ethanol from human feedstock.“We will not become involved in using food crops to power our cars. The E85 fuel will have to come from other sources such as wood pulp and the woody stalks of crops,” he says.The first Bentley to get E85 compatibility will be the Arnage V8. This 50-year-old engine is expected to remain behind a Bentley badge for at least four years . . . perhaps longer if it can meet future emission regulations, says Jones.But it is expected to be replaced with a new powerplant by 2012 which he hints “will have a 40 per cent reduction in CO2”, and therefore, a 40 per cent decrease in fuel consumption.“But it will have no change in performance. We won't do business if we have to reduce performance. Our customers have very stringent demands,” he says.Jones will not indicate what powerplant will make these reductions, though his hints arrive around the same time the Volkswagen Group — including VW's major shareholder Porsche — has outlined a new push into hybrids.Bentley has suggested it will make its cars lighter to help the fuel economy which, in the 2.5-tonne Flying Spur saloon, averages about 17 litres/100km.A fuel-efficient Volkswagen DSG semi-automated transmission is possible, but Jones says the W12 engine's high torque will be too high.Other than the hybrid route, Bentley also has access to the Volkswagen turbodiesel engine range including a bi-turbo V12 and V10 it has developed for its Q7 four-wheel drive and R8 supercar. 

You could easily ignore the latest update to Bentley's slick four-door saloon as just a mid-life update. Behind the Flying Spur's polishing exercise, however, is a deeper and more pressing issue.While Bentley's affluent clients can weather the financial effects of rising fuel price rises and increasingly strict emissions legislation, the company may have difficulty with the third; the economic slowdown of major world markets.To ensure it remains both buoyant and stablein this restless ocean, the very English (though German-owned) marque is targeting new markets such as Russia, China and Korea.And there are also new rivals on the horizon.Bentley's project and engineering boss for the Continental range, Paul Jones, says competition, specifically from the upcoming Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and the as-yet unnamed mid-size Rolls-Royce, will entice customers. Hence the new Continental Flying Spur mid-life model.“We have now broadened the car's appeal with two models, the 560 and the Speed, so customers can choose one for luxury and comfort or one with extra performance,” Jones says.Like its two-door sister, the Continental GT, the made-over Flying Spur gets a high performance option that stretches the six-litre 12-cylinder power to 449kW (600hp as measured elsewhere) from the 560's 412kW.Torque is more impressive, up to 750Nm at 1750-5750rpm from 650Nm, and is the reason this Speed model can move its fat 2475kg body to 100km/h from rest in a smart 4.8 seconds.The Flying Spur four-door saloon starts its global sales roll-out this month and arrives in Australia in November, priced from about $370,500 including the 33 per cent luxury car tax. The Speed is likely to cost $400,200.Outwardly the saloon is much like the previous model that went on sale in 2005.There are changes such as a bigger and more upright grille, wider choices in paint and upholstery, expanded features including individual electric adjustment for the rear seats and improvements to noise dampening, including innovative five-ply window glass.The suspension has been retuned, wheels are standard 19-inch with 20-inch optional on the 560 and standard on the Speed, and the Speed gets significant engine mods for greater durability.Bentley isn't expecting the new Flying Spur to increase the carmaker's sales.It predicts 2008 will see a similar number, about 10,000 units, of Bentleys as in 2007 which reflects the damage of the silent financial downturn in world economic markets.It expects to sell about 3500 Flying Spur saloons globally in a 12-month period.For Australia, Bentley regional manager Ed Striebig is expecting about 130 Bentley sales in 2008, of which about 45 will be Flying Spurs.On the road it is obvious this is a big car. Pictures are deceptive, showing something akin to a Commodore, because stylists have used delicate curves and tapers to mask its near-5.3m length. You become aware that it can dwarf other traffic (even on the US highways where this test took place) but the more miles spent behind the wheel, the less daunting the task.Though the traffic can be suffocating, the cabin is so well insulated, the windows appear as television screens.Bentley made a big noise about reducing all the noise of the outside world, saying its five-layer acoustic glass cuts external sound by 60per cent in traffic and 40 per cent at high speed. That's in comparison to the current Flying Spur.That augurs well for the occupants but the driver can feel quite alienated from the real world of motoring.Thankfully there's a W12 engine, two banksof Volkswagen's narrow-block V6s set in tandem, and a rapid-shift Tiptronic six-speeder to liven things up.The saloon is bulky being 2750kg dry plus two occupants and a full 90-litre belly of premium to make 3.1 tonnes. It still, however, blasts off from the traffic lights with consummate ease.The 560 is a quick machine and so you'd expect a whole lot more from the Speed. But it was difficult to pick the performance difference, such is the ability of the Flying Spur to separate the cabin from the outside. But there's no doubt the Speed is a more aggressive ride, showing its presence at only one manoeuvre; back off the accelerator after a fang and the exhaust rumbles.Granted, this deep bass growl is cleverly muted. But it's there and Bentley lets you hear it.While the acceleration is commendable, even better is its mid-range, where overtaking is startlingly brisk. The brakes are simply stunning. Bentley claim these 405mm discs as the biggest on a production car and on the Speed, they're even bigger at 420mm at the front for the optional carbon discs.The ride comfort is as expected and the controls are simple to operate and pretty to behold. The organ-stop ventilation controls are stunning in their efficiency and ease of use. 

Bentley has added a more powerful Speed model to its Continental Flying Spur range and beefed up the power of its audio system. The 12-cylinder Speed is the British company's most powerful four-door model yet. With 447kW of power, it has the same potent performance as its stablemate, the Continental GT Speed, hurtling from standstill to 100km/h in 4.7 seconds and hitting a top speed of 322km/h. It also features a lowered ride height, uprated and redesigned suspension, retuned steering and comes with bespoke Pirelli P-Zero UHP performance tyres. Outside, the Speed is differentiated by a dark-tinted radiator and air intake grilles and wider rifled exhaust tail pipes and 20inch multi-spoke alloy wheels. The new Bentley Continental Flying Spur also puts more power into its sound system with an optional 1100-watt Naim amplifier, the most powerful in a production car. British hi-fi firm Naim has designed a sound system with 15 custom-built speakers, dual sub-woofers and a next-generation Digital Signal Processor. So occupants can enjoy the music, rather than listen to road, wind and tyre noise, a range of noise-absorbent materials has been added. They include acoustic glazing, tri-laminate body undertrays and wheelarch liners. Subtle exterior styling changes for the Flying Spur include a more upright grille and bolder lower air and a more aggressive rear bumper, with three new exterior colours and four duo-tone paint combinations. Inside, there is a greater choice of crafted wood marquetry and chrome inlays, seat piping and two new hide colours. The new Flying Spur may now be optioned up with a follow-to-stop, radar-based Adaptive Cruise Control which monitors traffic ahead and manages the throttle and brakes to maintain a pre-set time gap, up to a driver-selected set speed. The aluminium-intensive suspension of the Flying Spur features revised spring and dampers and bespoke 19-inch Pirelli UHP tyres. All Flying Spur models come with the largest brakes of any production passenger car on sale today, with 405mm x 36mm ventilated front discs and 335mm x 22mm rears. Under normal driving conditions the brake discs will last the lifetime of the car.   Bentley Continental Flying Spur ENGINE: aluminium alloy, twin-turbocharged, 5998cc, DOHC, 4-valve, 12-cylinder POWER: 412kW @ 6100rpm; 449kW @ 6000rpm (Speed) TORQUE: 650Nm @1600rpm; 750Nm @ 1750rpm (Speed) TRANSMISSION: ZF 6-speed automatic, continuous all-wheel drive SUSPENSION: multi-link, computer-controlled self-levelling air suspension, anti-roll bars BRAKES: Front - 405mm ventilated discs (optional 420mm carbon/silicon carbide, cross-drilled discs); Rear - 335mm ventilated discs (optional 356mm carbon/silicon carbide, cross-drilled discs), ABS, electronic stability DIMENSIONS (mm): 5290 (l), 2118 (w), 3065 (wheelbase) WEIGHT: 2475kg WHEELS/TYRES: Flying Spur: 9J 19-inch Alloy (optional 9J 20-inch alloy) 275/40x19 bespoke Pirelli P Zero (optional 275/35x20); Speed: 9.5J X 20 Alloy, 275/35 x 20 Pirelli P-Zero FUEL: PULP, 90 litre tank ECONOMY: 16.6litres/100km (combined) CO2 EMISSIONS: 396g/km  

Imported cars are hardest hit by the new LCT threshold but some of our homegrown brands also suffer.

The British manufacturer has won a special Spirit of Greenpower award for its environmental performance in the recent Greenpower Corporate Challenge at Goodwood race circuit.A Bentley Motors' apprentice team designed, engineered and built the electric-powered car, which they entered in the Greenpower Challenge and F24+ racing season.The Bentley Greenpower car is the Continental DC (Direct Current) and runs off a 24-volt motor supplied by two 12-volt batteries.Designed for lightness and maximum power efficiency, the one-seater Continental DC has a carbon fibre chassis and low-resistance tyres.However, it wouldn't be a Bentley without a touch of luxury. Therefore, the interior is trimmed with alcantara and a touch-screen driver information panel is in development.Greenpower is a series of events that aim to promote greater interest in young people to follow careers in the fields of engineering and technology.The 2008 Greenpower corporate challenge was the first race of the season.Twenty-five teams entered, comprising 15 school entries and 10 company teams.The Bentley team achieved their goal of completing the four-hour race, despite some technical difficulties in the first section.The award was given in recognition of their excellent team spirit that they showed in overcoming these initial technical challenges.The F24+ season consists of eight 90-minute endurance race events that will culminate in a grand final at Goodwood in October.Race tracks on the F24+ schedule include Dunsfold, Rockingham, Croft and Aintree.The Bentley Motors team is composed of nine of the company's apprentices who are all following a three or four-year apprenticeship scheme at the factory in Crewe.Having taken the initiative themselves to compete in the Greenpower challenge the apprentices have devoted weekends and evenings for the past 10 months taking full responsibility for all aspects of the car's development.Three team members acted as drivers on race day, the rest of the team provided essential back-up support in the pits. Bentley Greenpower carMotor: 24v electric wheelchair motorPower: 240 wattTorque: 7NmTop speed: 64km/hCO2 emissions: 0g/kmSuspension: fixed carbonfibre wishbonesWheels: 1x16 carbonfibre with bespoke Michelin low-resistance tyresBatteries: 2 x 12v lead acidTransmission: continuous, one-wheel driveSteering: rack and pinionTurning: 19.2mBrakes: 160mm ventilated disc on rear wheel)Weight: 120kg 

You may know that the basis of this desirable and ostensibly English grand tourer is that of Volkswagen's Phaeton, that the engine is a development of that found in an Audi A8.You know that if you could raise the readies to get into a Bentley Continental Flying Spur, you wouldn't care the price of a cuppa Earl Grey and a crumpet about that other stuff.Before the acquisition of Jaguar by the Indian company Tata, any self-respecting English marque had to be owned by the Germans. That held true from the humblest Mini (essentially a front-wheel-drive BMW) to the grandest Roll-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe (the key working bits are Deutsch-sourced).If die-hards have a problem with that (“Crumbs, Algy, the bally Boche have taken Bentley!”) the VW group's ownership of the feted British marque was not only about the sole guarantee of its continued viability.Embracing the European Union is one thing, retaining your essence and identity is another. While Rolls succeeds beautifully in that respect, Bentley is clearly a child of its adoptive parents.The car with the English moniker is 1000 times more desirable. No one bought the Phaeton while the Audi, for all its undoubted technical excellence, is afflicted by anonymity.Breezing into the boardroom to announce the Bentley purchase is going to go over a good deal bigger than “Check out my A8,” which sounds like a battery and looks like a big electric shaver.Compared with the Continental coupe, the Flying Spur is discreet. An extra 50cm allows for two more doors, B-pillars and a real boot; it provides luxury accommodation for four adults.For 100kg more, the Spur saves $25K while maintaining parity in performance and efficiency.You couldn't want for a more welcome departure from the austere executive car class. The walnut accents, silver knobs and smoky leather are truly a mark of this marque.The way the 6.0-litre twin turbo W12 transforms the Bentley from a genteel grand tourer to a sort of volcanic eruption with all-wheel-drive has to be felt to be appreciated. Nudging the accelerator in traffic feels like taunting an active volcano to have a go.While the Spur's ability to fly is wasted in Australia, on back roads its potency is hinted at where you least expect such a heavy car to shine.The twin turbo version of the enormously potent W12 makes for one of the world's fastest sedans. Driven through excellent three mode ZF six-speed automatic transmission the Spur's reservoir of torque is there for the tapping.Using the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifter is all but redundant — though flipping the left one into too low a gear is worth it simply for the ferocious roar it prompts. While the use of weight-saving aluminium keeps the A8 to a trim two tonnes, even the Flying Spur's 2475kg don't inhibit the almost startlingly sharp manner in which it sweeps through testy bends.The Bentley's road manners are sometimes not so sweetly reminiscent of the cousin Audi — the ride can be terse at times and even torque- sensing all-wheel-drive won't entirely counter the predictable nose heavy understeer when pushing into the tightest bends.On the whole, it excels itself even in these unlikely surrounds, its reserves of grip and poise seemingly endless. If its speed through the corners wouldn't trouble a 5 Series, the Spur has no right to get through them so smartly.Steering is up to the task; light, communicative and evenly weighted although prone to abruptly registering surface irregularities.Set to sport the adaptive air suspension comes into its own through here, lowering the Spur's stance and containing body roll.In it's purpose-designed grand touring deployment, the Bentley simply eats the kilometres, washing them down with a thirst for premium unleaded that's so prodigious you'll be glad of the 80 litre tank. Progress feels almost effortless and quicker than it really is.In terms of road and wind noise it's louder than it ought to be. Add some rattling and humming over coarser stuff and you'll realise the Spur does not offer the last word in refinement.But the statement it does make is enough to drown out dissenting voices.Tally ho! The bottom lineMaybe in the next life. SnapshotBentley ContinentalPrice: $353,000 (Flying Spur)Engine: 6L/W12 twin turbo; 411kW/650NmEconomy: 17.7L/100kmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 5.2 secs (claimed) RivalsBMW 760LiPrice: $346,000Engine: 6L/V12; 327kW/600NmEconomy: 13.6L/100kmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 5.6 secs (claimed) Mercedes-Benz S600LPrice: $367,000Engine: 5.5L/V12 twin turbo; 380kW/830NmEconomy: 14.3/100kmPerformance: 0-100km/h: 4.6 secs (claimed)