Bentley Eight Reviews

Is it the Bentley Flying Spur Speed's performance one should be most impressed by — or should that honour go to the stereo.Tough question.Here we have a $400,000 luxury tank with the soul of a sports car. The 6-litre 12-cylinder powerplant's 449kW and 750Nm across a delightfully wide delivery band from 1750-5750rpm will launch its 2.5-tonnes in a Porsche-like 4.8 seconds.That's impressive.It also handles direction changes with the poise of a ballet dancer and has the balance of a high-wire artist. Very impressive indeed.It would seem only fitting, then, that such a car should have a sound system capable of inspiring its own degree of awe. It does.The system from iconic — if little known outside the audiophile world — British company Naim is optional at $15,000. A mere snip in a $400,000 car.The tech stats are impressive, if a little pointless unless you live and breathe audio equipment — and in that case you probably know it all anyway — but suffice to say the 1100 Watt amplifier is the most powerful available in any production car.What does that mean to anyone sitting in the cabin? It means it is a really good idea not to wind the volume to the max. It absolutely could be harmful to your health.The 15-speakers hidden tastefully around the cabin — Naim's research and development boffins spent 18 months adapting their high-end sound systems to Bentley's rather plush interiors — will deliver bone-shaking doof-doof if that is what you really want or the most exquisite concert hall sound imaginable.It may be possible, if you listen carefully, that you hear the second violinist snap a horse-hair on his bow. It's that good.Step outside the car, close the doors and such is the quality of the Flying Spur Speed and its five-layer sound-insulating glass that — at best — you will hear a muted hint of what is happening inside. And therein probably lies the answer to the original question.Each of the component parts of the Bentley are of themselves impressive. Overall, they are more so.However, there is a new element to Bentley as a company.Historically there has been the distinct impression that you either loved the cars as they were or you went somewhere else. The marque was exclusive enough that if you weren't happy then that was your problem.In a changing world that is no longer the case. Owners are to be listened to and their concerns acted on ... and that is the genesis of the 2009 Flying Spur Speed."There was some early criticism of the similarities between the first Continental Flying Spur and the Speed," Australia and New Zealand Bentley boss Ed Strieberg said last year when introducing the 2009 model."Some people saw it as two trim levels of essentially the same car."The answer was to allow the Speed its own character, highlighting, rather than hiding, its sporting elitism.The changes to the 2009 model are not huge, rather a soft makeover highlighted by a larger and more upright grille, that five-ply sound-deadening glass, some extra choices in paint and trim, and electric adjustment for the rear seats.Inside there are the same acres of quality leather, sheets of hand-worked fine-wood trims and the most beautifully knurled metal knobs and gearstick.Understated but undeniably plush, even if some of the dash instrumentation and lesser switches hint at the marque's VW owners. The Bentley cabin remains a place of peace and grace.Dynamically the Flying Spur is something of a magic act. There is no getting away from the fact this is a big car. At nearly 5.3m it dwarfs most family transport, yet from behind the wheel it disguises its bulk almost magically.The steering is light and with enough `sneeze factor’ not to be nervous despite the sheer mass of the car. For all that refinement it is sharp and gives an unexpected level of feedback from the massive 275/35 tyres.Getting the car going is the thumping W12 engine, sourced from VW head office, but tuned and refined to suit the Speed's newly-freed sporty character. Yet, if it is an achievement to have the Flying Spur get up and go as it does then stopping it is an even greater one.The brakes are simply stunning. The 405mm (front) and 335mm rear discs pull the Bentley down from serious speeds in exceptional fashion. For a mere $30,440 you can add a larger set of carbon-ceramic plates — but that would be showy overkill.And that, most definitely, is not a Bentley trait.

As a builder of limousines for the British royal family, Hollywood stars and European aristocrats, the UK-based company always manages to get plenty of publicity. For Melbourne, it has chosen two Continental GTCs — a Glacier White and Monaco Yellow Continental — as the halo cars. They will be joined by the Bentley Flying Spur Speed and Continental GT Speed coupe, both potent additions to the Continental range. Inspired by the grace and power of Bentley’s bloodline, the Continental GT Speed delivers enormous power and tauter handling. Enhanced dynamics build on a heritage of high performance dating to 1919. The GT Speed’s 6.0-litre W12 engine develops an enormous 449kW/750Nm, propelling the car to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds. It is the most powerful production Bentley ever built and the first to top 322km/h.   The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show...  

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.