Bentley News

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.        

Common to all 1990cc engine inclines at 30 degrees.Cast iron block and Alloy head.89mm x 80mm bore and strokeSingle Overhead Cam - SOHCSpecifications by Models 2002 70kW @ 5500 rpm, 116 ft lb @ 3500 rpmsingle Solex 40 carburettor.171 kmp top speed0-100 kph in 11 secs2002 Ti twin Solex 40 carburettors.115 mph top speed2002 Tii 88kW @ 5800 rpm, 131 ft lb @ 4500 rpmKugelfischer Fuel Injection.184 kph top speed0-100 kph in 9.3 secs2002 Turbo 119kWKKK Turbocharger209 mph top speed0-100 kph in 7 secsThe 2002 Turbo was unveiled at the 1973 Frankfurt auto show. Only 1672 cars were built and all were left hand drive.Body Styles 2 Door HardtopTouring - 2 door wagon/hatchback - 1971 to 1975Baur Cabriolet - removable centre roof panel and fold down canvas rear section.Convertible - full folding canvas hardtop - introduced in 1971Distinguishing Features by Year1968-1968 plain trim, spartan interiorchrome bumpersround taillightssilver/black combination metal grille.two-piston front callipers and smaller rear drums approx first 200 cars.The rear axle uses the long-necked differential with sliding type universal jointsone barrel Solex carb.1969-1970 4-piston front callipers.A new style (short neck) rear axle was incorporated with regular style CV joints.interior trim mildly upgraded.1971The instruments and dash upgraded1972Tiinew cylinder head - E12 head, with a different combustion chamber shapebigger valves - 46mmKugelfischer mechanical fuel injectionhigher compression (9.0:1 vs. 8.5:1)larger intake valves (46 vs.44mm),TurboKKK Turbochargerlarger brakes,stronger suspension components including strengthened control arms, spindles and hubs.1/2 inch wider wheels (5X13 vs 4 1/2X13).1973Slight changes in interior switch placement/trim.1974Taillights changed to rectangular shapefront grill becomes black plasticinterior is upgraded with new style upholsteryUpdated dash/instrument cluster with fake wood grain surround.1975 - early 1976New seat designnew cylinder head (the E21 2.0), to be used on the '77-'79 320i,OptionsAutomatic transmissions where available on carburetted versions between 19'69 and 1975.Air-conditioningSun-roof.

The BMW 2002 is the most important model in BMW's history. It established BMW as a builder of quality performance sports sedans, brought global success and cracked the lucrative US market. The 2002 was the precursor to the 3 Series which built on the 2002's success and became the class leader for more than three decades. The 2002 was designed in Italy by Giovanni Michelotti and based on the "New Series" 1500 and 1600 sedans with a 5cm shortening in wheelbase. Introduced in January 1968 and sold through to 1975 the 20 in the name refers to the 2.0 litre capacity while the 02 represents the two doors. The model owes its existence to Max Hoffman, the US BMW importer of the period who requested BMW place the 2.0 litre engine in the 1600-2 body. The 1600 cc engine could not pass the US smog emission requirements. The 2002 model received four badges through its life: * 2002 - a single carburettor engine * 2002 Ti - twin carburettor engine * 2002 Tii - fuel injected engine * 2002 Turbo - Limited production Turbocharged engine Four different body styles were sold through the production run; * The standard two door hardtop (the only body style available for the turbo version) * The Baur cabriolet - a removable metal centre roof section with a folding soft rear behind a reinforced t-roof. * The Touring - a cross between a 2-door wagon and hatchback. * The very rare full-convertible soft-top. All retained the same basic engine, a 1990 cc cast iron block, aluminium head unit set at a 30 degree incline. The main change through the life of the power train, besides the fuel and induction delivery systems were two changes to the head design. All leading motoring magazines of the period were universal in their praise for the 2002. The virtues of its performance and quality were expounded with the only regular criticism being around the austere looks of the cars styling and interior. Some also noted the limited rear leg room. The 2002 had a very strong racing career that continues now in historic race series. In 1969 Dieter Quester won the European Touring Car Championship in the 2.0 litre class and was runner up overall to the Porsche 911. He also managed to win four rounds of the championship outright. BMW has recently revisited the concept of the 2002 with the introduction of the 1-series, the spiritual re-interpretation of the ground breaking original. The 1-series has re-set the package after the bloating of the 3 series that saw engine capacity and cylinder numbers double in the top of the line performance versions .

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. 

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