There weren’t many glaring issues with the previous-generation Bentley Continental GT. It catapulted the brand back to prominence with car buffs and celebrities. For 2012, the coupe gets a full redesign, though it might not look much different at first glance. Senior Editor Joe Wiesenfelder takes a look at the new GT and explains why the changes are so significant.
For the 2012 model year, the Bentley Continental GT undergoes a slight restyle that ultimately makes a world of difference, according to Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. The subtle changes make for a more boldly styled Bentley with better fuel economy and more power, too.
Bentley Motors is recalling 596 2007-2009 Arnage, Azure and Brookland models over potential safety concerns involving the brand’s signature “B” hood ornament, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The hood ornament retracts when the vehicle is turned off and also in the case of an accident. The mechanism that retracts the ornament can become corroded over time, which can cause it not to retract when the vehicle is involved in a crash.
If the ornament does not retract, it could increase the risk of injury to pedestrians if the accident involves them. Bentley dealers will replace the retractable “B” mechanism free of charge. The recall begins Sept. 27. For more information, owners can call Bentley at 617-488-8500 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hot line at 888-327-4236.
This trade-in, obviously, makes absolutely no sense. According to the program’s rules, the vehicle had to be drivable, which means the Bentley was probably worth a lot more than $4,500. As Howard Krimko, a former chairman of a luxury car club, told the blog Wheels, “The seats for the car would be worth more than that.”
What’s even more mystifying is that dealers had the option of buying the car outright. Why wouldn’t they just take the car? The report listed no details on the condition of the car or where it was turned in, so curious parties will be maddened until someone steps forward and identifies the party responsible. Could this trade-in be illegitimate or even made up?
A few other vehicles of note that owners scrapped through the program include a 1997 Aston Martin DB7 Volante (that sold for $135,000 when new) and a 1987 Buick GNX (one of 547 ever built).
Exotic Clunkers Also Got the Crunch Under Program (Detroit Free Press)
The same 2010 Bentley Mulsanne that made its world debut at California’s Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in August has begun a tour of major U.S. markets to stir up interest among Bentley loyalists. One such market is our hometown of Chicago, where we got our first in-person look (and photos, below) at the new "grand Bentley" flagship sedan (or saloon, if you must), which takes the place of the Arnage (1998-2009). This tan model and a blue one shown at this month's Frankfurt Motor Show are two of 20 prototypes around the world. The Mulsanne, which is pronounced mull-sahn, begins production next spring and will hit the U.S. in summer.
Normally, Cars.com only reviews vehicles that fall into the general category of “Your average Cars.com employee could afford it.” Or at least somewhere close to that range. Somehow, though, reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder finagled his way into a $270,000 2010 Bentley Continental GTC – and, coincidentally, the price tag reminds him strongly of his childhood. Is Wiesenfelder secretly a Rockefeller? Find out by reading his full review of the GTC.
Bentley unveiled a new vehicle today, the Continental Supersports, that is the automaker’s first step toward developing an entire trim range of biofuel vehicles.
The Supersports is essentially a Continental GT, but with one important addition; it’s E85 capable. This is a big deal for Bentley, which is trying to burnish its environmental image; its models are some of the worst gas-guzzlers on the market.
The Supersports packs an ethanol-capable twin-turbocharged W-12 that produces 621 hp, making the coupe the fastest, most powerful Bentley ever.
That powertrain pushes 4,939 pounds of car from 0-60 mph in just 3.7 seconds. When it’s time to stop, Bentley says the standard ceramic brakes are the largest, most powerful ones ever fitted to a production vehicle.
If you’re going to produce an absurdly expensive luxury racer that can claim the mantle of “fastest and most powerful” in your history, why not make it run on biofuel?
This is Bentley’s somewhat suspect reasoning behind its yet-to-be-named racer. As Jalopnik.com points out, this means the car will have to top the Continental GT Speed in acceleration (0-60 mph in less than 4.3 seconds), top speed (202 mph), horsepower (600 ponies) and torque (553 pounds-feet).
And it will run on a yet-to-be-named biofuel. Likely this will be some kind of ethanol, but we’ll know for sure when the car debuts at the 2009 Geneva auto show.
Here’s our question, though: Does a car that can go more than 200 mph really need a green halo hanging over it? Do the obscenely rich buy extravagant and unnecessary cars because they’re powered by switchgrass instead of gasoline? Even if you’re Matt Damon and enamored by an ultra-luxury green vehicle, why would you forgo a plug-in hybrid or electric car in favor of one that runs on a fuel you’ll have to spend extra time hunting down?
Bentley, please explain.
Fastest Bentley Ever Will Run on Biofuel (Jalopnik.com)
We have to really thank Joe Wiesenfelder for his latest video. He walks us through why it’s not such a bad thing there isn’t an extra $200,000-plus burning a hole through your Gap khakis. Think of it as car-guy therapy. Now if we could just find a way to charge for car-guy therapy, we could probably afford to buy that Bentley.
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