Everything you’ve ever wanted to know (well, close anyway) about the massive and impressive Bentley Brooklands can be found in our Ask It video above. Come back tomorrow when we open up another member of the WINDING ROAD press fleet to your probing minds.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
After floundering for a time with noble attempts that didn’t quite cut it, Zagato presents the Bentley GTZ, and nails the whole concept. We spend a day learning the art.
It’s Friday afternoon which means that it’s time for everyone’s new favorite department at WINDING ROAD News, Ask It.
Up today is a really special and ridiculously expensive subject, the 2009 Bentley Brooklands. At roughly $367,000 and shinier than the Hope Diamond, the Brooklands certainly doesn’t lack for features to inquire about; just don’t ask us to wind it out on the local dirt track, we like our jobs too much.
What does your heart desire to know about Bentley’s massive coupe? Submit your questions, in comments.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
To its eternal credit, Bentley has managed to keep its Volkswagen masters at bay for some time, taking advantage of the company’s economies of scale when practical but never losing sight of its own rich heritage. In this era of spirit-killing takeovers, that’s no small accomplishment.
This Zagato Bentley Continental GTZ seems to prove the point that Continentals are for riff-raff. This sort of modification certainly puts the price well into the Brooklands range, but the footballer crowd will likely eat up the rather unique looks of this modified Bentley Continental GT Speed. Exterior changes aren’t offensive or flashy, but they certainly appeal to those with just a little more new money than the typical Continental buyer.
Love it or hate it, we’re just glad to see the coachbuilders are alive and well. Without these interesting one-of-one creations, the Geneva show would be rather boring. Let us know if you like the smooth shape of this GTZ or if you’d rather have the regular Continental GT Speed in the comments section after you’ve had a chance to explore our collection of live images.
At the Geneva Motor Show today, Bentley CEO Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgan voiced Bentley’s Commitment to the environment and fuel-economy.
He said in a speech to reporters, “We believe that there are two major issues facing the automotive industry in the 21st century: the security of fuel supply, and climate change. Our strategy seeks to address these two related issues simultaneously, and is based on long-term solutions.”
He said that while Bentley’s cars only contribute a small portion of the CO2 emissions in the world, the company is dedicated to doing its part to reduce its impact. “We are convinced we have an obligation to act, and will be taking significant steps to reduce our fleet’s impact on the environment,” he said.
A few months back, Italian coachbuilder Zagato announced it was working on a project with Bentley. Yet, no details ever surfaced, until now.
The Zagato-designed Bentley will be based off the Continental GT Speed – to be called the Bentley Zagato GTZ. We don’t have the details of what Zagato may have done under the hood, but the front fascia has a new design – maybe a Veyron-inspired grille.
We’ll let you in on all the details next week at the Geneva Motor Show.
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Bentley has paired up with Naim Audio to bring the world’s most powerful in-car production stereo system. Proof that even Britain is not exempt from the far reach of young Hollywood (Californication?).
The Naim for Bentley system features an 1100-watt amplifier with, depending on the model, up to 15 speakers. Bentley is also the first car manufacturer to use the “next-gen” Digital Signal Processor (DSP) in its audio system. For the best audio experience, Naim analyzed every Bentley model – all of which have a unique speaker drive unit.
Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman and Chief Executive, Bentley Motors, said, “Our customers expect the ultimate in every experience when they commission a Bentley. The ‘Naim for Bentley’ sound system delivers the world’s ultimate in-car audio experience – allowing for ‘as-live’ audio entertainment that is as pure as the Bentley driving experience itself.”
(More details in the press release after the jump)
You don’t really need a Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG, or a Bentley Continental GT, just as you don’t need a Savile Row blazer, a Picasso painting, or membership at Augusta National.
But any or all of these could make your life more satisfying, and that, as opposed to impressive acceleration figures or high-end skid pad numbers, is what the Mercedes, the Bentley, and a few other cars of this genre are about.
The 2008 North American International Auto Show is full of new cars, some of which can only be afforded by people with extra large wallets. Automakers like Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Ferrari ensure that their top-dollar automobiles are displayed under only the best of lighting and in the plushest surroundings. In many cases, special permission has to be granted in order for journalists to get up close and personal with these top-shelf vehicles.
Click the images below to open a high-resolution gallery of the premium automobiles that were on display at this year’s Detroit show.
The Bentley Continental GT Speed coupe is a magnificent automobile. It is noticeably faster than its sibling, the Continental GT that was introduced in 2002. But sheer speed is only part of the Speed model’s undeniable appeal. Torque makes the world go round, and torque is what makes you grin like a fool as you press this newest Bentley’s pedal to the floor and the trees start to blur. You cannot really drive a 200-plus-mile-per-hour GT car as fast as it will go anywhere in the United States, but you can sample that torque almost any time you want to, and it delivers a jet-like acceleration curve unlike any production car you ever drove.
News from the mad engineer-filled hallways of Bentley confirms that the company has built a prototype Arnage with a little something extra under the hood.
The powerplant in question is all-conquering quad-turbo W-16 that powers corporate cousin Bugatti’s Veyron supercar. (Click through the jump to find out what’s behind the monster prototype.)
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