Bentley Continental 1962 News

Plans for a one-make series to rival or surpass the Ferrari 458 Challenge are well under way at Bentley's home in Crewe, the company's chief reveals to CarsGuide."For the future we are at present evaluating the potential of a luxury one-make cup, and this could take place on four continents, for about 25 entries," Wolfgang Durheimer, CEO of Bentley, says at the Goodwood Festival of Speed."We organise everything. We do everything. They have high-performance racing with high-performance cars."We want to be the number oneDurheimer says the Bentley racers would be positioned midway between the company's road-going Continental and the GT3 racing version of the same car, which challenged for victory in this year's Bathurst 12-Hour race and is returning to Mount Panorama in 2016.He says air-conditioning will be essential in the cars, since he expects the series will attract well-funded 'gentleman' drivers without the skill or fitness of full-time professionals.But he is keen on the championship and what it can bring to Bentley buyers who want more than just a road car."Once you are signed in you have luxury track time in a high-performance car. I hope that we come to a good conclusion."Durheimer also confirms for the first time that the Continental GT3 program will continue beyond the original three-year commitment, which has now seen 19 cars built for racing."Don't assume we stop next year. Racing is part of our DNA. We are already evaluating the potential of the next car," he says."Emotionally, it can drive our company to new horizons. Internally, it helps us to work in a very discipled way and to be competitive and win."We want to be the number one and we intend to be the winner in the luxury performance game. We like to do the extraordinary things, not what everybody does."

This new 2013 Continental GT Speed Convertible is one of the last models in Bentley’s Continental range to receive its mid-cycle update, with new versions of the Supersports and Flying Spur now the only models still under wraps. Though just a mid-cycle update, the changes that have been incorporated for Bentley’s latest Continental range are significant. They include slightly sharper styling, a revised interior, and a host of other upgrades under its skin. The GT Speed Convertible, like its hardtop cousin, gets a twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre W-12 engine rated at 460 kW and 800 Nm of torque. The mighty powerplant is matched to the latest ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and drives all four wheels via a Torsen center differential. Despite the slight bump in power and torque, Bentley claims a 15 percent improvement in driving range, fuel economy and emissions. Fuel economy is expected to be around 15.7L/ 100km for the combined cycle. The GT Speed hardtop gets simlar figures except it's a bit thirstier in city driving. The 0-100 km/h sprint takes around 4.1 seconds, just 0.1 of a second off the pace of the hardtop, while the top speed is 325 km/h, making this the fastest four-seat convertible in the world. Not bad considering the vehicle has a curb weight of 2495 kilograms and can comfortable seat four in ultimate luxury. Boot space is a reasonable 260 litres. For the chassis, Bentley engineers have increased the width of the track, sharpened up the steering and lowered the suspension by 10 millimeters compared to the outgoing model. The suspension consists of double wishbones up front and a multi-link setup in the rear, all with self-leveling air suspension and anti-roll bars. The all-wheel-drive settings have also been made rear-biased. The wheels are a unique set of 21-inch alloys and come shod with Pirelli P Zero ultra high-performance tires. The brake discs are steel, though Bentley offers a carbon silicon carbide set as an option. Inside, the Continental GT Speed Convertible gets the Mulliner Driving Specification (first shown on the Mulsanne in Geneva this year) as standard equipment, along with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. One special touch for the Continental GT Speed models is Bentley’s dark tint aluminum ‘engine spin’ finish, inspired by the dashboards of the automaker’s Le Mans winners of the 1920s. The infotainment system features Bentley’s latest software upgrades, which vary from region to region but include refinements such as point of interest mapping, optional satellite landscape imagery, live traffic data and, where the infrastructure supports it, digital radio. The system features 15 GB of available music space, as well as the facility to play music via an iPod, MP3 player, the car’s own six-disc CD changer or SD card. Stay tuned for the car’s debut in Detroit on January 15. www.motorauthority.com  

The British-based, German-owned, manufacturer now guarantees that 85 per cent of all materials used in its Continental models are recyclable which also makes it more attractive for the company to offer environmental recovery at the end of the car's life. Official recognition of Bentley's efforts came in the form of a certificate from the German Motor Transport Authority (KBA). In a ceremony in Berlin, KBA's President Ekhard Zinke presented the official European-wide certificates to Dr. Arno Homburg, head of Whole Vehicle Development at Bentley Motors. "Our environment policy is based on sustainable principles and we take a holistic view of the whole process," Dr Homburg says. ""At the design stage we consider the environmental impact of all components over the entire life of the car. This is despite the fact that over 70% of all Bentleys ever produced are still in existence - our cars tend to end up as collectors' items rather than scrap." The recycling certificate is part of a comprehensive environmental strategy Bentley is applying, including offering bio-fuel capable models pioneered with the Continental Supersports which can be powered by either gasoline or ethanol. Bentley announced at the Geneva motor show earlier this year that by 2012, all Bentley models will be available with flex fuel technology.        

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...  

Speed is good for Bentley. It was very good in the 1920s, when a Speed badge signalled everything special about the British brand's sportiest models.