Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Bentley Brooklands

As the youngest of three brothers, I'm used to hand-me-downs. Hand-me down toys, hand-me-down clothes, and yes, even hand-me-down cars. Perhaps this explains when a vehicle arrives in the Autoblog Garage with over 8,000 journalist-driven miles on its odometer (as most do), I don't mind. Though the scars of past judgments are often plain to see, we're happy enough to be reviewing these vehicles at all.

Last Wednesday I stepped off a plane at Newark Liberty International Airport and into a 2009 Bentley Brooklands. My mission was to drive it some 550 miles to Cleveland, OH where it would be picked up and driven back to Bentley's North American headquarters in Auburn Hills, MI. When I got in, the odometer read 285 miles... total. I realized then that this was no hand-me-down review vehicle. Having been parked in Bentley's display at the 2008 New York Auto Show for the past three weeks, this Brooklands was taking its maiden voyage on U.S. soil with me at the helm.


Photos Copyright ©2008 John Neff / Weblogs, Inc.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving, your conundrum has arrived: cars and wine have met in support of the disadvantaged children of south Florida. Every year for the past eight, the auction at the Naples Winter Wine Festival has drawn the most discerning connoisseurs in the Sunshine State to bid on rare bottles of epic vintage to raise funds for the Naples Children and Education Foundation. Our sister-site Luxist reports that the auction raised $14 million this year.

In addition to the potable lots, every year the auction also features some of the most luxurious automobiles in which the benefactors could haul their cases of vino home. At last year's auction, the first Rolls-Royce Phantom DropHead Coupe raised $2 million, a Bentley Continental GTC sold for $1.3 million, $790k was raised through a raffle for a special Maserati Quattroporte, and $260k bought a Lexus LS 600h L. This year the auction featured two luxury coupes: a Bentley Brooklands and a Maserati GranTurismo. Surprisingly, neither of the two luxury coupes was painted wine red or burgundy, but that didn't stop them from selling for big bucks. The Bentley is the first of the new Brooklands to reach the US market, and sold to Monte and Usha Ahuja for $450,000 – more than a hundred grand over list price. The specially-prepared Maserati GranTurismo, meanwhile, went for more than three times its MSRP for a bid of $350,000.

[Sources: Bentley and Maserati]

click above image to view 23 high-res images of the new Bentley Brooklands coupe

Bentley describes its new Brooklands coupe that's being unveiled right now in Geneva as a "grand touring coupe with classic British proportions." Yes, it certainly has classic British proportions if by that Bentley means it's as big as Britain itself. The new 2+2 coupe by the boys and girls from Crewe is named after the famed Brooklands banked race track in Surrey, England where Bentley made a name for itself in motorsports during the 1920s.

The Brookland's got a classic Bentley face, a modern profile (check out the fender vents!) with B-pillarless side glass and massive 20-inch wheels that shine with a mirror finish. The interior features typical Bentley craftsmanship, which means by-hand construction of the leather-lined surfaces and symmetrical wood trim. The rear passengers benefit from limo-like legroom and power adjustable cushions, as well. A prodigious amount of power is provided by Bentley's all-aluminum 6.75L turbocharged V8 with revised cams and a lower inertia turbo that helps push power to an even 500bhp and around 775 ft-lbs. of earth-wrinkling torque. Needless to say, 60 mph will come and go faster than your fat wallet. Only 505 Brooklands will be made by Bentley, making it one exclusive land yacht for the ridiculously wealthy. Deliveries are scheduled to start in the first half of 2008 for the sheiks, musicians and tech company moguls who will no doubt plunk down a deposit.

We've got plenty more shots of the Bentley Brooklands in our high-resolution gallery. We'll bring you live shots and the official press release as soon as we get our grubby hands on them.

[Source: Bentley]