Bentley Eight Reviews

The car will feature among millions of dollars worth of vehicles at the Adelaide Motor Show from April 5-9.Maker Nick Tomkinson first began designing the Batmobile-style sportscar in his backyard shed in 2001. He now has one of the cars in the US and has completed a second Redback, which is touring the show circuit.The car will be a feature at this weekend's Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Melbourne, where the car was made.It will give Mr Tomkinson the rare chance to test drive his Chevrolet V8-powered, carbon fibre creation - capable of going from 0 to 100km/h in a little over three seconds.Mr Tomkinson said yesterday he built the $250,000 car because he wanted to own a supercar but couldn't afford one."I wasn't out there to please people. I just wanted a car that I liked the look of and the project just grew," he said.The Redback Spyder is now attracting "big interest" from segments of the automotive industry and Mr Tomkinson is hopeful he can soon have the car road registered in Australia.He also hopes to soon put the vehicle into level production.American talkshow host Jay Leno, a self-confessed car nut, has seen pictures of the Redback and has reportedly enquired about buying one.Other Adelaide Motor Show, highlights include Holden's FJ-inspired show car, Efijy, and sportscars from Ferrari and Lamborghini, as well as a touch of aristocratic elegance from Bentley and Jaguar. All Australian makers also will have their latest vehicles on show.CARSguide is once again the official partner of this year's show, at the Royal Adelaide Showground, Wayville, and The Advertiser and Sunday Mail will support the event by giving away a trip for two to one of the world's biggest motoring events - the Paris Motor Show in September.The promotion starts on the show's opening day next Wednesday and finishes the following Sunday. An entry form will be in in The Advertiser each day.To be eligible readers must purchase a copy of The Advertiser , find the code word and log onto CARSguide.com.au/trip-to-paris and enter their details.

Motor show committee chairman Chris Beecham said attendance was more than 117,000 over the 10 days of the show, compared with last year's record 128,000.He attributed the smaller figure to the one-off move from February to March, CityTrain and the Broncos versus Cowboys clash on Sunday."We'll be happy to go back to February next year," he said. The Brisbane show swapped dates with the Melbourne Motor Show so it could avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games."Overall, the quality of the stands was good and there were a lot of sales made," Beecham said.Audi Centre dealer principal Greg Willims said they sold a lot of luxury vehicles including a $748,000 Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster, a Maserati GranSport costing $264,000 and two Bentley Continental Flying Spurs worth $390,000 each.He said they also had orders for two Bentley Azure convertibles worth $650,000 each and 32 Audi Q7 sports utility vehicles.A custom chopper built during the duration of the show was passed in at auction for $75,000 on Saturday night as it was below reserve.The Croc Chopper, built by King Pin Choppers of Geebung, is now for sale by private tender with profits going to the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation.Leukemia patient Harley Jack Davidson Jones, 7, of the Gold Coast, gave the project his seal of approval when he was a guest of the show last week.With a name like that, he could hardly be expected to disapprove, although he seemed more interested in the Wiggles car on a nearby stand.Harley did, however, appreciate the crushing action of the croc's jaws at the front of the bike.A Royal Children's Hospital Foundation spokeswoman said the money raised from the auction would be used to help find a cure for people like Harley.Kin Pin Choppers boss Phil Harwood said he was disappointed the bike was not sold, but the way now was open for its true value to be realised.Prospective buyers should contact motor show organiser Michelle Ramsey, on 3237 8760.More than $105,000 was raised for the Road Safety Fund of Queensland in the annual Personalised Plates Queensland Collector Plate Auction at the show with the top price of $15,000 bid for Q162.Successful bidder Peter Campbell of the Gold Coast said he already had Q308 and wanted to acquire more of the historic Q plates, the first series issued in Queensland early last century.Another collector bought the new football-themed, seven-character plates BRONCOS ($14,000) and COWBOYS ($13,000).Next year's motor show will be from February 2-11.Exhibitor stand results: motorcycles and scooters, Morgan & Wacker Harley-Davidson; motor vehicle stand under 500sq m, Saab; stand over 500sq m and John Cant Award, Hyundai; allied industry display, Personalised Plates Queensland; and aftermarket stand, Northfield Car Sound.

At $1.3 million the V12 Pagani Zonda roadster, pictured, one of the most expensive cars to be revealed in Queensland, will roar to life among close to 20 environmentally friendly diesel and hybrid (petrol/electric) examples.Queensland's annual motoring extravaganza has drawn a record number of cars making their Australian or Queensland debuts which reflects the buoyant state of the local new car market.More than 216,000 (22 per cent of the national market) new vehicles were purchased in Queensland last year, with the Sunshine State leading the way in growth.What has also helped build the imposing list of Motor Show exhibits is the scheduling of the show a month later than normal because it swapped dates with Melbourne which avoided clashing with the Commonwealth Games."Visitors this year will see more than 50 cars that either are just released or still to be released, while there are quite a few more they may never see on the roads, such as the Holden Efijy concept or ultra-rare exotics like the Pagani Zonda," Chris Beecham, chairman of the motor show organising committee said."By putting on their best displays the companies are acknowledging the growing influence of Queensland car buyers."From the industry's viewpoint, the show provides a strong kick-start to the sales year."Also competing for exotic bragging rights will be Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti and F430, the $650,000 Bentley Azure convertible, Maserati GranSport Spyder, the Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster and Murcielago, Jaguar XK convertible and Australia's 300km/h Redback Spyder which is featured on the cover of the motor show program in The Courier-Mail today.The Porsche range returns after several years which features the all-new Cayman S coupe which sits between the Boxster and the 911.The traditional display of motorcycles will have a spectacular star, with predictions the "Croc Chopper", being custom-built on a special show stand, could fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned on the final night for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation charity.Fuel-efficient, environment-friendly cars will appear in record numbers.Lexus debuts Australia's first luxury sedan with petrol-electric hybrid power, the 450H, and Honda with an all-new Civic hybrid.The latest examples of clean, powerful and economical turbocharged diesel engines will be displayed by traditionally sporty brands BMW, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.Citroen, Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Holden will show "oil-burners".An added attraction will be the staging of the official V8 Supercars championship launch featuring all cars, drivers and transporters at South Bank from 10am-2pm on Saturday.Both Little Stanley St and Glenelg St, just outside the motor show, will be closed for the free event.While the V8 launch only runs on one day the motor show continues until Saturday week.

The company first hinted of a new Azure when it unveiled the Arnage Drophead Coupe at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year.It stimulated such interest that Bentley decided to resurrect the Azure name.Like its predecessor, which was in production from 1995 to 2002, the new Azure becomes the flagship of the Bentley model range.The four-seater is powered by a 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 336kW of power and 875Nm of torque, mated to a four-speed automatic.It will accelerate to 100km/h in 5.9 seconds and has a maximum speed of 270km/h.The cabin and rear section of the car are newly designed, with a bespoke interior to the buyer's tastes, including a choice of wood trim and 21 leather upholstery colours.The three-layer fabric folding roof has a heated rear glass screen and is operated hydraulically at the touch of a switch, closing or opening in less than 30 seconds.The roof fits under the tonneau panel which also incorporates pop-up, roll-over protection bolsters.The Azure features lightweight carbon-fibre under-floor cross-braces to bolster body stiffness and sits on 12-spoke 19-inch alloy wheels with fat 255mm 45 Pirelli P-Zero rubber.The huge — 5.4m — car has a 3116mm wheelbase and 1610mm track.Bentley spokesman James Barclay said the Azure would arrive in Australia at the beginning of 2007."In terms of volume it is too early to predict but will obviously be very exclusive," he said."Around 1300 of the previous model Azures were sold between 1995 and 2002 worldwide."An interesting fact that puts that number into perspective is that it takes approximately 680 man-hours to build the new Azure."

At midday on Tuesday 7 February it will lead the $6 million Motor Show Cavalcade down Swanston Street to Federation Square. After taking part in the 10-car display until 2.00 pm, it will be taken to the Motor Show in time for the public opening at 5.00 pm on Thursday 9 February. The luxurious four-seater Azure, which goes on sale later this year, is the production version of the Arnage Drophead Coupe show car which was first unveiled at the Los Angeles Motorshow in January 2005. In true Bentley fashion, it blends the most traditional of craftsmanship with the most modern of engineering to deliver a car which is much more than it seems. The Azure shares its face and driveline with the Arnage, and seats four adults in an opulent cabin beneath a fabric folding roof that can be lowered in 30 seconds. Its double-wishbone suspension and general body structure are adopted from the Arnage, along with its twin-turbocharged V8 engine which develops 336 kW of power and a massive 875 Nm of torque. Where the Azure differs from the show car is in having lightweight carbon fibre, under-floor cross braces for exceptional body stiffness that enhances refinement, ride and handling. In addition, the chrome trimmed bumpers and sills of the show car are now painted in body colour with a delicate chrome trim that runs the length of the car, enhancing the flowing lines of the Azure body.

"We have been assured that the cars for the Australian market will continue to be built at headquarters in Crewe," Bentley spokesman Julian Jenkins says. "Demand has certainly been increasing past the capacity of Crewe and the opportunity to assemble cars in Dresden makes perfect sense, however, those cars will meet demand for markets other than Australia and South-East Asia."Jenkins was in Australia this week for the launch of the latest in Bentley's growing stable, the Continental Flying Spur.The Flying Spur is the four-door sedan version of the Continental GT, the car which has forced Bentley to find extra capacity.Last year in Australia more than 100 buyers drove away in their Continental GTs and Jenkins is quietly confident that at least as many again will put down their $375,000 for the Flying Spur."There is a five-month wait on delivery and we already have more than that in firm orders," Jenkins, Bentley's regional director for South-East Asia and Australasia.A short drive around Sydney this week underscored both the Flying Spur's similarities to its coupe sibling and its vast differences. While the Flying Spur is based on the same chassis and drive train as the GT there is little to link them to the casual observer.The Flying Spur is a grand tourer of the old school. It has presence above its rather small – by Bentley standards – 5.3m length and eye-catching style. There is the same 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 powerplant with 411kW and huge lumps of torque almost from idle. The Flying Spur is no slouch, sprinting to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds on its way to a claimed top speed of 312km/h.However, where the GT delivers its character with enthusiasm the Flying Spur is more about refinement. The exhaust burble is quieter, the interior a little more understated and hugely more spacious – something the 11 cows that donated their hides to this leather cocoon would be pleased to know – and athleticism is at the driver's discretion.The Flying Spur can certainly hold its own when spirited progression is required with selectable suspension settings from plush to hang-on tight. It is impossible to deny the physics of the Spur's 2475kg mass shifting through the direction changes but once confidence is gained that the mechanical grip of the chassis and the huge 19-inch rims with 275/40R19 rubber are up to the job the car shrinks around you.Owners can choose to have the interior configured as a four-seater or as a five-seater with precious few decisions to make other than colour combinations.Standard equipment levels are as you would expect for a car of this category and the craftsmanship of the interior fitment befits a Bentley.

The takeover by the people's car maker of such an icon of the aristocracy was simply too big a burden for some to bear. There were even letters to The Times expressing concern the nameplate was about to be bastardised.Yet fears for the marque have proved totally unfounded. VW plunged $1.25 billion to create a new car in the true tradition of the British grand tourer – instead of relying on its limousine line-up.A further major investment was made in the former Rolls-Royce/Bentley factory at Crewe in Cheshire and the services of many of its master-craftsman car builders were retained.The result is the fastest four-seat car in the world – a GT with majestic road presence which performs far and away beyond the perception of the raw performance figures. The numbers are impressive enough: 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 318km/h. But it is the manner in which the Continental GT goes through its act that leaves the strongest impression.The car is 4.8m long and weighs in at 2.4 tonnes. Yet it is as nimble as it is quick and gives little clue to its size even when hunted along tight, winding roads through the Adelaide Hills.VW wanted the new car to present a serious challenge to Porsche – in terms of brute power and response. The GT is 0.6 seconds slower than the Porsche 911 Turbo, which is almost one tonne lighter and enjoys a serious power-to-weight edge.Naturally, one has to be pressing hard to notice the difference. But the GT is an incredibly responsive machine for its size and mass, and anyone jumping ship from Porsche to Bentley will not find too great a culture shock.The engineering of Bentley's new car matches anything in the world – and even at $385,000 it is something of a gift compared with the $1 million-plus prices of many supercars.The meticulous fit and finish of the GT and emphasis on detail more than live up to the tradition of the great marque's past when joined at the hip with Rolls-Royce, now owned by BMW.The GT is powered by a twin-turbo, 48-valve six-litre W12 cylinder engine which produces an awesome 411kW at 6100rpm and 650Nm of torque produces at the ultra-low engine speed of 1600rpm.Power is transmitted to all four wheels via a six-speed ZF automatic, with steering wheel paddles offering the driver the choice between fully automatic operation or manually selected change points. Bentley claims it is the most advanced gearbox of its kind in the world, offering the ability to lock up its torque converter in all six gears plus offer the driver sequential operation.Out on test, the auto never showed signs of confusion as it switched gears during acceleration or deceleration, and any kickdown induced amazing acceleration. Its creator points to the fact that the auto has 30 per cent fewer parts than a conventional five-speed auto yet can handle the massive horsepower of the W12 smoothly, reliably and efficiently.In normal conditions, the all-wheel-drive system delivers a 50:50 torque split between the two axles, but this is continuously variable to cope with any loss of grip by any of the wheels.Bentley acknowledges its responsibility in putting a 300km/h-plus car on general sale.As well as all-wheel-drive hardware, the car comes with anti-lock brakes, electric brakeforce distribution, traction control and the latest electronic stability program.In addition, the brand has fitted an intermediate control system which intervenes before a potential loss of control is addressed by ESP or ABS.During deceleration, the so-called drag torque control reads engine braking to ensure deceleration is consistent, swift and helps remove the possibility of a wheel locking when the transmission changes down on a low-grip surface.Bentley produced some stunning sports cars before it went into liquidation in 1931 – eventually to be taken over by Rolls-Royce.And so the new GT had to be better than simply good to avoid widespread criticism.Power was one thing but ride and handling was another prime consideration.During the long development process, Bentley decreed that the car had to offer occupant comfort but offer pin-sharp handling. This has been achieved with self-levelling air suspension, continuously and infinitely variable. The driver can dial up a number of suspension settings from sport to high comfort – but even in the softest setting the large body remains nicely harnessed without any movement which could upset handling characteristics.Massive ventilated brake rotors – 405mm diameter and 36mm thick at the front and 335mm wide and 22mm thick at the rear – ensure the car has stopping power to match its awesome thrust.Finally, the body styling and fit and finish.The Bentleys of old tell their own story of a commitment to sports-car heritage.The GT is a muscular design which continues that tradition but with great style and elegance.Body lines are kept to a minimum but the overall effect is grandness and quality.Now for the all-important build quality. After all, we are reviewing one of the great marques and therefore one is entitled to look that much closer.In the true tradition of cars which have rolled out of Crewe, the GT is an engineering masterpiece – there can be no other conclusion.It is the attention to manufacturing perfection in those places where few people even bother to look which sets this car so far ahead.In sum, Bentley is a wondrous car which reflects the respect Volkswagen has afforded the badge and its tradition.Sales of the car around the world confirm upper-crust buyers just love what has been presented.