Bentley News

It's fast, it's flash, and it's finally here.  Bentley have unveiled their new GT coupe at the Paris Motor Show. The W12 engine produces more power (575 PS / 567 bhp / 423 kW) and torque (700 Nm / 516 lb ft) as well as sharper acceleration times throughout the range. There's also increased storage space, an additional 46 mm of legroom for back-seat passengers and a state-of-the-art 30 GB infotainment system supported by touchscreen technology.Deliveries to customers will start in the first quarter of 2011.

The V8 will have 40 per cent lower CO2 emissions than the 384g/km of the W12, but both engines will be capable of running on 85 per cent ethanol.  Bentley has committed to having E85 compatibility in all its cars by 2012 with the first being the Supersports launched here last December. While performance details are not yet available for the V8, the 12-cylinder, twin-turbocharged powertrain will have 12kW more power with 423kW and 700Nm of torque. It will be mated to a new Quickshift transmission which enables double downshifts. Bentley claims this combination of engine and transmission drops the 0-100km/h time from 4.6 to 4.4 seconds.  Australia's Bentley spokesman, Ian Churchill, says they will be taking orders for the new four-seater coupe later this year with a local launch in the second quarter of next year. "The W12 engine is available at launch with the V8 derivative to be communicated late 2011," he says.  "Both will ultimately be available to the Australian market. "The key point to note with these two engine configurations is our overall commitment to producing engaging vehicles for the market while still making clear our intention to embrace a combination of flex-fuel and engine improvements to reduce Bentley's environment impact."Pricing will be announced soon, he says. "In terms of sales we expect strong interest from owners of the current Continental coupe, of which we have sold 23,000 since launch in 2003," Churchill says.  "The blend of supercar performance with everyday practicality has meant the new GT is attracting many new clients to the Bentley stable." The car will also feature "super formed" aluminium front wings and boot lid that allow for a more sculpted body.  Super forming heats the aluminium panels to nearly 500 degrees Celsius before shaping them by air pressure. By using a single sheet of aluminium, no seams or welding are required. The process was first used on the Mulsanne and it allows a weight reduction in the coupe of 65kg.  The exterior now features jewelled headlamps with LED daytime-running lights, a more upright matrix radiator grille and new double horseshoe rear profile first shown on the flagship Bentley Mulsanne. Inside is a new sweeping dashboard and instrument panel finished in premium, soft-touch leather hides, cobra-design seats, more rear cabin space and a new touchscreen, 30GB infotainment system with satellite navigation.

The special 'Arabia' models from Bentley show how well the luxury badge has done in the Middle East while other brands were suffering sales drops.  The oil-rich market has doubled its slice of Bentley purchases in the last five years and now buys 10 per cent of the marque's global sales, despite the recent global financial crisis.In recognition of that the VW-owned British breed has been busy at its Crewe headquarters, designing and developing two unique Continental models with a range of features specific to the Middle East market.Imaginatively named the Continental Flying Spur Arabia and the Continental Flying Spur Speed Arabia, the high-performance luxury four-door saloon - which starts at just under $400,000 if you bought one here - has additional features to create what the company says is "the ultimate in distinguished, elegant driving developed for the Arabic  market.''Both cars are further distinguished by some subtle exterior and interior Arabia motifs. These include an exterior front fender badge, tread plate and ashtray lid badge all bearing the Arabia signature.In any other part of the world - and many other brands - it might well be called a "bling'' edition, but Bentley isn't treading on the toes of "Pimp My Ride.''  The already-ample features list has been bolstered with ventilated "fluted'' seats that now cool as well as heat - the latter not really a must-have for the Middle East - as well as the option of active cruise control, a rear-view camera, iPod connectivity for the rear DVD system, phone handsets front and rear and carbon ceramic brakes (which need the Speed's 20in wheels, optional on the Flying Spur, for space).Even the fuel cap has been blinged up in bright chrome with the famous B badge.  Bentley's Middle East and Asia regional director Geoff Dowding says the new models for Arabic customers is recognition of their growing importance to the marque."Bentley has a long and proud tradition of being able to design, engineer and personalise our cars to the individual styling and driving tastes of our customers and these special-edition Bentleys showcase these skills for the Middle East Market,'' he says.The Arabia editions don't get any extra urge, but the standard six-litre twin-turbo W12 has an elegant sufficiency of propulsion for the 2440kg machine, thanks to 412kW and 650Nm being delivered to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic.That's enough for the Flying Spur Arabia to reach a top speed of 312 km/h and a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 5.2 seconds.  The Speed Arabia has 449kW and 750Nm at its driver's disposal, dropping the 0-100 km/h sprint to 4.8 seconds and upping the top speed of 322km/h.

These are the fantasies of vehicle designers that we usually only get to see at international motor shows. Now Detroit's finest motoring graphic artists are sending their finest works of motoring art around the world in a travelling exhibition that will hit Brisbane from this month. Called Industrial Desire, the exhibition will feature models, drawings and film footage, Detroit's gothic beauty and iconic futuristic cars. With less than a few thousand car designers globally, it counts as one of the world's most competitive and secretive careers. Show curator Leon Fitzpatrick, an Australian-born industrial designer who studied in Detroit, has picked the exhibition pieces from Detroit's College for Creative Studies, an international centre of excellence in transportation design. "What we need out there are cars that ignite a sense of wonder, rather than the rolling appliances they have become," he says. "These models show there's no reason why cars can't be exciting, aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful all at the same time." The show, which runs from June 10 to August 28 at Artisan Gallery in Fortitude Valley, features 10 quarter-scale models of fantastic concept vehicles including futuristic SUVs, muscle cars and cutting edge ecofriendly city cars. They are supported by original sketches and renderings, multimedia video, sketches, rendering and digital 3-D modelling. "With the automotive industry on the verge of a massive shift it is timely to look at the creativity and optimism of the next generation of car designers," Fitzpatrick says. "Industrial Desire is a powerful, informative and inspirational experience for people of all ages, merging craft and design in a new and innovative way." Another Australian link in the exhibition is Imre Molnar, Dean at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, who trained at the National Art School of Sydney in Australia and worked with the Australian Design Council. He has been a featured lecturer on strategic design management for businesses around the globe, including Nokia, NCR, Volkswagen, BMW, the Ford Motor Company and JETRO (Japanese External Trade Organisation), and at government symposia.

A petrol-electric luxury limousine is already in the works as Bentley looks for efficiency and green power over coming years. But that's not the end of things for the upmarket British. “Our customers are clearly also concerned about energy use,” says Bentley's CEO, Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen. “But longer term we need to look at exactly what type of hybrid technology would be suitable for Bentley cars.” Paefgen says the size and weight of Bentley cars means factoring-in expensive and heavy hybrid technology needed to be assessed properly. “There would have to be significant gains in lowering fuel economy and emissions too,” he says. Bentley, which is part of the Volkswagen Group, has ready access to hybrid powertrains as the parent company proved with its Touareg SUV hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show. Paefgen says newer technologies are definitely part of Bentley’s future, but the current priority is fuel economy and C02 reductions on its existing engines and the introduction of petrol/ethanol flex-fuel engines on cars like the new 6.8-litre V8 Mulsanne. To help lower fuel consumption, the eight-speed automatic Mulsanne has cylinder deactivation and camshaft phasing, technologies which helps reduce C02 emissions by 15 per cent. From June all Bentleys will be available with flex-fuel engines, and a model with a diesel engine is also lurking. But the diesel drive is not as straightforward as it could be, because of resistance from Bentley's biggest and most cashed-up group of customers. “We have a diesel ready to go. But there is a clear statement from our American friends that they are not ready for a diesel," Paefgen says. “As America represents 40 per cent of our sales we cannot risk introducing an engine that is not accepted by our biggest market.” However, Paefgen says Audi and Volkswagen’s diesel push into North America could help the Bentley cause. “Mercedes, Audi and BMW will also lead the way and I’m confident that we will see a diesel Bentley in four or five years," he says. While engines are an important focus for Bentley, the company's sales and marketing chief, Stuart McCullough, says rebuilding the business after the economic rollercoaster of the last 18 months is the biggest focus. Still, unlike Rolls-Royce - which has launched the smaller Ghost below its flagship Phantom - Bentley has no plans to go smaller, McCullough says. “We don’t have customers demanding a smaller vehicle. But we are thinking about future products.” Globally, Bentley sold just 4600 cars last year, down from its 2007 high of 10,014. “It’s been two ends of the extreme. We’ll certainly sell more than 4600 cars this year but it’s difficult to see when we’ll see the days of five-digit sales. “Will we return to the hubris of 2006-2007? I don’t think we will see the like of that type of market for a very long time. Having said, a lot of things are changing in the world. China is growing fundamentally as a market and that’s changing the scale of the global market.”

The second is the four double-door garages.  Then he opens the doors to reveal cars stacked on top of each other on hoists. Jags, Mercs, a Porsche, Bentley and even a VW Karmann Cabriolet, plus five 1980s-'90s BMW motorcycles.Bitneris is a serious motoring nut.  But he almost wasn't, thanks to bad experiences with his first car, a "1950s-something" Standard 8.  "What a piece of crap that was. Even the floor fell out," he laughs."I was studying engineering _ it's tough being poor _ and I bought it in total ignorance because the guy that sold it to me left the country and it was still under finance.  They repossessed it and I went through a lot of heartache.  Then I bought a 1947 Fiat. What a piece of crap that was, too."Then came his motoring epiphany.  "The highlight of my life was working for the Ford Motor Company back in the late '60s, early '70s when they were developing the GTHO," he says."My job as a young engineer was to build the plant expansion to make the new models. I built all the assembly lines.  A GTHO cost about $4800 at the time and now they're fetching more than 100 times that. I should have stolen a couple of them.  I used to get to drive them on the weekends after working 80-100 hour weeks. They were great days for motoring."His career took him overseas for the next 30-odd years, living in 21 countries and learning to speak six languages.  Bitneris says his first "collector" car was a 1960 Jaguar XK 150 he bought in 1976 in Canada.  "It didn't cost a lot of money. It was the first one I could afford to buy," he says.He won't talk about how much he paid for any of his cars _ he has mostly forgotten _ and he won't talk about what they are worth now.  "People squander their money. I squander it on cars," he says. "I'd like to think that they could be my superannuation."  Bitneris has owned several different marques, all European."After the Jaguar it's a bit of a liar's contest," he says.  "I've bought a lot of cars I don't have anymore such as Series I and II Rolls-Royce Shadows."  He currently owns a 1961 Bentley Continental Park Ward Cabriolet which is number 68 of only 125 handbuilt at Crewe. It features a 6.25-litre V8 with about 150kW of power and four-calliper brake pistons."I paid a lot of money for that but it's worth a lot of money now," he says.  He also has two Mercedes-Benz 220S models.  One is a 1958 220S Cabriolet like the one Princess Grace died in. He bought it from a "crook" in Western Australia. The other is a 1959 Coupe he bought off a restorer who now wants it back.But Bitneris won't sell it to him. Instead he has flown to Russia to negotiate selling the two Mercs and Bentley to a collector.  He also owns a 1971 Jaguar E-Type Roadster which is one of the first with a V12 engine.  "I love Jags. They were the ants pants in my day. You could pick up women with them," he says.He also tends to favour cabriolets because "that's where the money is".  Sitting on top of one of the Mercs is a 1965 Porsche 356 SC, one of only 12 brought into Australia.  "I bought it from a guy whose wife ran off with the boss and he didn't want her to have it so he sold it to me cheap," he says."It was in totally original condition with a spare engine.  "The gods favoured me that day."  He boasts it has such a good drag co-efficient you can slip it into neutral at 160km/h and it will coast for more than 1.5km before stopping.There is also a 1979 VW Karmann Cabriolet in his garage that he admits is "a piece of crap, but mechanically perfect".  He's thinking of putting a Subaru engine in it.Bitneris is also planning to convert a four-door 1959 Jaguar Mk IX to two doors and right-hand drive with a bonnet that hinges forward like on the E-Type.  "My next project will be a Series 1 E-Type; I'll pull out the engine, gearbox and brakes and strip it down to about 900kg and put in a four-litre modern Jag engine," he says."At 900kg it's lighter than my Porsche 356.  I'll use it as a run-around."  He even has plans to start building replica Porsche RS 61 Spyders using the original drawings.  "It's a tiny car with only has a 1.6-litre engine, but boy is it quick," he says.Bitneris used to drive all of his cars, but now claims he can't afford to register them.  "I mainly drive the E-Type which has been converted to fuel injection using a Skyline GT-R system and injectors," he says.  "The car was quick as it was, but it's quicker now with about 50 per cent extra power."They are all my favourites."  Bitneris says that even as a dedicated revhead, he still has concern for the environment.  "I've got a couple of stills and I'm going to make my own ethanol so I can drive all of these around without having to worry about the cost to the environment or the cost of fuel."

The iconic British brand’s new flagship arrives late next year with more than 100 exterior colour options, 24 recommended two-tone combinations and a host of exterior chrome trims. Bentley product manager Hans Holzgartner said that inside there was even more choice with 24 leather trim colours, five coloured leather pipings, nine wood veneers, even 23 seat belt colours plus a range of optional extras such as cross or contrast stitching and extra Bentley ‘wing’ badges.  “Someone actually did the calculations and came up with a figure of more than a trillion combinations,” he said. However, there is only one engine and one transmission.  The Mulsanne, named after a 1980s model and the notorious high-speed straight at Le Mans, will be powered by a lightweight aluminium 6.75-litre V8 with multi-displacement so it can cruise on just four cylinders.  “Why a V8, we have been asked,” Holzgartner says.  “We didn’t need the car to be any faster but we did want it to be more fun to drive and accelerate harder so we went for more torque for more strength at slow speed.’’ He says the engine is the ‘strongest production V8’ on the market with 1020Nm of torque from just 1600rpm.  The V8 is married to an eight-speed auto/manual transmission that can short shift and skip gears changing up or down to achieve a smooth drive, performance and efficiency.  Bentley claims the engine and transmission combine to reduce CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by more than 15 per cent. Asia Pacific marketing manager James Barclay said the Mulsanne would arrive in Australia in the last quarter of next year and cost ‘more than the current top of the fleet’ which means more than the $744,132 Bentley Azure two-door convertible.  The new Mulsanne is 150mm longer than the Arnage with all of that extra length in the wheelbase to provide more interior space. Despite the 23kg lighter engine, 10kg lighter gearbox and use of aluminium in all panels except the steel roof and polymer boot, Holzgartner says the vehicle would weigh much the same as the Arnage because of the extra interior features.  “Even the carpet is thicker to provide a feeling of quality,” he says. Bentley Mulsanne Price: about $750,000On sale: late 2010Engine: twin-turbocharged, 6750cc, alloy V8 with variable displacementPower: 377kWTorque: 1020NmTransmission: ZF 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive DIMENSIONS (mm): 5562 (l), 1926 (w), 1526 (h), 3266 (wheelbase) Rivals: Rolls-Royce Phantom 6.8L ($107,500)BMW 760Li 6.0L ($386,000)Mercedes-Benz 6.3L 63 AMG ($371,400) and 6.0L 65 AMG ($477,400).

His shed and under his house are packed with various vintage cars, mainly Rolls-Royces, in various forms of restoration.  The retired architect, now 77, says he doesn't restore them to concourse standard.  "I just want them to be able to run on the road," he says.Gargett started his love of old vehicles when he was a student at the Queensland University in 1954 and bought a 1926 Austin 7 utility for 35.  "It was a lot of fun but very primitive. But at least I learnt a lot about mechanics with that one," he says.But he claims his first "real vintage car" was a 1928 French Amilcar sports car he bought for 15 after uni when he joined the Vintage Car Club of Queensland (VCCQ)."I brought it home on a trailer and in bits in a box, but we got that going for some years," he says.His next purchase in 1961 was a 1925 20 horsepower (15kW) Rolls-Royce costing 220.  "It is fully registered and its six-cylinder engine is still running smoothly," he says.  "I don't drive it as often as I used to."His love of Rolls-Royces continued in 1963 with a 1920 Silver Ghost for 700.  "I had it out for our daughter's wedding and after the wedding I went to change the oil and a 1/4-inch bolt came out with the oil so I haven't been game to use it."I've stripped down the motor and am ready to put it back in now."  He then departed from Rollers but not too far with a 1924 Bentley Speed three-litre he bought for 500."The bloke apologised and said it wasn't worth it but he needed the money."  The Bentley remains a challenge to drive having the accelerator in the middle, another throttle on the steering wheel, gear lever on the right of the seat and the handbrake on the outside of the vehicle.  "It takes a bit of getting used to," he saysGargett claims his interest in British luxury saloons came from his father who "always admired them".  "It's not what they do, but the way that they do it," he says.  "I haven't had them valued because I'm on a pension."Anyway, people would need to spend some money to get them all back into good condition."  He also owns a 1972 Rolls-Royce Corniche with a 189hp (140kW) 6.75-litre V8 engine which would cost "well into the five figures just to do the motor up to running condition".He bought it in 1982 for $50,000 and used it every day until he put it off the road with engine failure.  The car also sports Queensland's first concessional registration number plate, "Qld Vintage 001".In the late 1960s the VCCQ authorised Gargett to discuss the possibility of concessional registration for cars built before 1930 with the government.  "In those days if the cars were not fully registered we had to arrange for a temporary permit for the weekend including insurance and we were supposed to return the permit on the Monday," he says. "A waste of time and money but nothing we could do would convince Main Roads to change their attitude. I think the permit cost us 10 shillings.  I received an introduction to a person from the Treasury and was telling him of our concern. He was surprised as he could see that the system was costing them far more than the fee they were charging."Talks with more government officials resulted in the establishment of concessional registration based on membership of a relevant club, use for club events, maintenance including testing within a reasonable distance from where the car was garaged and approved charity events.Today there are more than 15,000 vehicles in Queensland on concessional registration.  "I think the fact that one of my cars is registered as VIN 001 (now VN 0001) supports my summary of the position," he says.

...and buyers are already scrambling to get their orders in for what will be one of the automotive world's most super-exclusive, super-expensive status symbols. The Mulsanne, Bentley's peak luxury sedan, was unveiled this week at the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance and it is unlikely there will be much change out of three-quarters of a million dollars when it officially goes on sale in Australia next year. "I couldn't possibly comment on price at this stage but there has been huge interest in this car ever since it became known that the Arnage would be replaced," Bentley Motors' regional manager Ed Stiebig says. "The Mulsanne is a very distinctive, very bold design harking back to the history of Bentley yet on a completely modern platform and packed with the latest in technology." The flagship grand tourer is inspired by what many consider to be the crowning achievement of company founder W.O. Bentley, the 8-litre built in 1930. To emphasis that point the Mulsanne was unveiled on the Pebble Beach centre stage next to W.O.'s own carefully preserved 8-litre. Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley's headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne, with its completely new and unique platform, goes into production next year in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory. However, precious few details of the new car were revealed along with its styling. "There will be a lot more technical details revealed when the Mulsanne goes on show at Frankfurt (Motor Show in September)," Striebig says. "As only the fifth all-new Bentley to be engineered in the company's 90 year history it is an ideal opportunity to engineer in all the latest technology that may have previously been unavailable." Dr Franz-Josef Paefgen, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, says the challenge set for engineers on the new car was to create a car to stand at the pinnacle of British luxury motoring. "They have responded to this challenge with real passion and the result is a luxury grand tourer that sets new standards in terms of comfort, effortless performance and hand-crafted refinement the very qualities for which Bentley is renowned," Dr Paefgen says. Lead designer for the Mulsanne project, Dirk van Braeckel, says the styling was inspired by the tradition of grand touring Bentleys. "From the very first hand sketches in the styling studio ... we have sought to evolve this story for a new generation of Bentley enthusiasts," van Braeckel says. The Bentley Mulsanne will begin product early next year with the first Australian cars expected to be delivered in around 12 months. "Given the global scramble for limited supply I think it would be fair to say that whatever numbers we can secure for Australia will be less than demand," Striebig says.

The first part of the show is the release of a shadowy shot of the new super-limo's grille and front end. The new car — tagged the Grand Bentley for the pre-launch campaign — is only the fifth all-new four-door limousine in the company's 90-year history and will sit at the very top of the iconic luxury marque's range aimed directly at traditional rival Rolls-Royce. "This is the all-new Grand Bentley ... this will be our pinnacle product," says Ed Striebig, regional manager for Bentley in Australia and New Zealand. "I think you have to be realistic about your volume expectations at that upper echelon of the market, but we are very confident that it will receive a good reception." The Grand Bentley is the model Bentley has been in desperate need of for several years as the ageing Arnage range struggled to hold its own against newer, more technologically advanced products such as the Phantom from Rolls-Royce. "I think it should certainly appeal to existing Arnage owners and to those people that perhaps more recently have looked to Rolls-Royce for a pinnacle limousine product," Striebig says. "But we also hope it will attract people who perhaps hadn't considered a car from Bentley in that segment of the market for some time by virtue of it being all new and state-of-the-art technology." Striebig would not comment on suggestions the first concept model of the new car will be displayed at one of the world's peak gatherings for well-heeled car owners, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance on August 16 where Bentley are this year a featured marque. "We are not ready to announce our plans for market entry yet but there will be more information coming out within a couple of weeks," was all Striebig would say. Arnage production officially ends in September which will clear space at the Crewe factory for the new car, although it is not expected to be available for at least another 12 months. The Arnage replacement — it may well retain the historic nameplate — is expected to be built off a heavily modified version of Audi's modular platform seen in everything from the new A4 to the next A8. The V8 engine will be a bespoke Bentley powerplant and drive is most likely to be through ZF's new eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine is certain to be an E85 capable flex-fuel unit in the same vein as the recently launched Continental Supersports. While not confirming the new powerplant, Striebig says: "By 2012 all of our products across the whole portfolio will have flex-fuel capability, in the same way the Super Sport has. "This is very exciting ... it is a very rare occurence. If you look back over the 90-year history of the Bentley marque there have only been five all-new four-door limousines. "I know that everybody back at the factory — and there have been some 600 people involved directly from a design and engineering and manufacturing engineering perspective — is immensely proud to be involved."