Autoblog

Click above for more pics of the Bentley laptop

As a devout lover of both technology and expensive cars, there are few things more exciting to me than an exotic vehicle or new gadget. It's cool when new technologies are integrated into cars, too. Unfortunately, the car/technology marriage doesn't work so well when the paradigm is shifted in the other direction. Ferrari and Lamborghini have tried to push exotic-branded tech with limited success, and now the latest offering from Bentley and Ego Lifestyle takes a bolder step towards brand-whoring.

The new Bentley laptop attempts to class up the notebook computer business with rich leather and hand-sewn cross stitching that comes directly from the storied brand's seats. Further connection between notebook and luxury vehicle comes from the use of a Bentley door handle that has been converted for computer carrying duty, and the laptop is supposedly "hand-built" just like the cars. Besides looking like a cross between a Coach hand bag and a George Foreman Grille, it also has sub-standard hardware specs as well. Oh, and it'll cost you a cool £10,000 to live the life of a poseur, too. What a deal. All is not lost, however, as the rest of the luxury automobile universe can look to this monstrosity as a reminder to never again build a branded laptop. Somehow we doubt they'll heed the warning.


[Source: T3 via Engadget]

The next Bentley Arnage is due in 2010, and thank heavens it won't be a biggie-sized clone of the Continental Flying Spur. That means we don't expect it to look so much like the rendering above, which is 75-percent Flying Spur with a GT tail. A bit long-in-the-tooth by modern replacement standards, the Arnage still sells about 600 - 800 units per year, which is not far behind the much newer Rolls-Royce Phantom.

The next Arnage will take advantage of Audi's spaceframe technology, which will ultimately be utilized by every car in the range. With a 150-kg-plus drop in the car's weight, your gas mileage should improve to a number you still won't care about if you can afford a Bentley.

Engine choices will remain in the all-gasoline family. Bentley says that there simply isn't demand for a diesel in one of its cars, and it's not going to put one out there to try and stimulate it. It might -- and we stress, might -- however, be looking for something to do with the quad-turbo W16 from the Veyron, and that could make for a very interesting Bentley indeed.

[Source: Autocar]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed

Bentley has chosen to update its Continental Flying Spur super sedan for 2009 with the same model upgrades given to the Continental GT coupe last year, which means the sedan receives a more upright grille, larger lower air intakes, a new rear bumper, more sound deadening material, a new Naim for Bentley premium audio system, Adaptive Cruise Control, and a host of new hides and color choices for the interior. But wait, there's more. So much more. While power for the standard Flying Spur stays put at 552bhp and 479 pound-feet of torque, a new model will kick things up a notch to 600bhp and 553 pound-feet. That's right, just as the powerful and extremely fast Continental GT Speed coupe was born last year, so follows in its wide tire tracks the 2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Speed, which will officially hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds (that's probably conservative) and crest 200 mph. The Flying Spur Speed also gets a 10mm chopped off its ride height, new 20-inch multispoke wheels with available carbon ceramic disc brakes, and returned steering and suspension systems. It's outwardly different thanks to dark-tinted chrome matrix grilles, wider exhaust pipes, sill plates emblazoned with the word "Speed" on all four doors, a three-spoke steering wheel and unique interior trim. With this new Speed model, the Bentley Continental Flying Spur should have no trouble holding onto its title of World's Best-Selling 12-Cylinder Sedan. Follow the jump for the official word from Crewe.



[Source: Bentley]

Click above for high-res gallery of the ASI Tetsu GTR

Most Bentley Continental GTs leaving the Crewe factory in England are bound for lives of leisure in the climate-controlled garages of the fiscally fortunate. Sure, a few end up in music videos or the movies, but we're certain none ever expect to be bastardized the way this one was. Created by Japanese tuner ASI, the Tetsu GTR takes one Bentley Continental GT and adds a new front and rear apron; exposed carbon fiber hood, trunk and spoiler; a set of oversized wheels and a custom paint job that plasters said carbon fiber hood with... flowers. The flower bed on the hood was reportedly painted by Japanese artist Nakamura Tetsui, but that doesn't make it any more palatable. There seems to be some method to the Tetsu GTR's madness, as the front turn signals appear inspired by the Porsche 911 and the rear has an unmistakable Audi R8 flavor. The car has been upgraded with unspecified mechanical components that boost the twin-turbo W12 up to 800 horsepower, which just makes driving away from all those confused stares in public a faster affair. We hope you join us in pouring a 40 out on the sidewalk for this particular Bentley Continental GT, because it's so hard to say goodbye.


[Source: Carscoop]

Click above for gallery of the Bentley Continental DC

We can't imagine being an apprentice at Bentley leaves you a lot of spare time, what with your full class load on how to stitch the perfect steering wheel, match wood grains and build twin-turbo V8s with your bare hands. A team of nine apprentices comprising the Bentley Greenpower Team, however, have found the time over the past ten months to build an exceptional little electrical vehicle for the Greenpower Corporate Challenge that kicked off at the Goodwood race circuit yesterday.

Their car, dubbed the Continental DC, was developed using the same CAD software that Bentley uses for its own cars, and is powered by two 12-volt batteries and a 24-volt motor that's required by competition rules. The body is also based on Bentley's 2004 Goodwood soap box racer and is basically invisible to wind resistance. The use of carbon fiber to keep weight down is extensive, to say the least. The body, chassis, wheels and even a specially designed suspension with carbon fiber beams under tension are all made from the exotic weave. Despite being green as can be, the Continental DC still sports some flare from Crewe thanks to a single leather Bentley seat with a four-point harness, a custom Bentley-inspired steering wheel and Bentley "dashboard".


[Source: Bentley]

Click above to view the Bentley State Limousine in hi-res

After the previous owners at Vickers prepared the Arnage sedan just in time for Volkswagen to take ownership, it took Bentley another five years to come out with the Continental GT. But before the new generation of Bentley Continentals made their debuts, Crewe created a special vehicle called the Bentley State Limousine. But before you run out to your local Bentley dealership in pursuit of what no one else at the country club will have, consider that Bentley made only two examples, exclusively for HM Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002. Believe it or not, however, this was the first time in all its nearly ninety-year history as one of Britain's most prominent luxury automakers that Bentley was asked to make a limousine for the crown, as previous limos had been created by Daimler and Rolls-Royce. The distinction allowed Bentley to utilize the distinguished "By appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II" label with the Queen's coat of arms, which the company flashes proudly in Rolls-Royce's big chrome face.

The State Limousine took two years to develop and is based on the Arnage, but fitted with unique bodywork styled by Bentley and crafted in-house at its Mulliner coachbuilding division. The exterior is visually distinct and more old-fashion than the Arnage, and features an enlarged greenhouse, with opaque rear window panels that can be installed for privacy or stowed in the trunk for parade visibility. The State Limousine also features suicide rear doors and measures some three-feet longer, ten-inches taller and six-inches wider than the Arnage, and is equipped with armored bodywork and windows, plus a blast-proof floor and an airtight cabin. All that means an 8,818-pound curb weight, pulled around by the same 400hp 6.75-liter V8 as used in the long-wheelbase Arnage RL. Stylistically, the State Limousine looks something like a cross between the Hongqi HQE and a London taxi – you can decide for yourself in the gallery below, where you'll notice the vehicle's deceptive dimensions and the obviation of the license plate frame for the Queen's own motor-carriage. Somehow we don't think she'll be pulled over.

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

British racing green could take on a whole new meaning if Bentley is able to achieve its goal of reducing CO₂ emissions by two-thirds to just 120 grams per kilometer by 2012. Currently, all of its vehicles emit more than 400 g/km, no doubt including the 2009 Bentley Brooklands we drove last week, so the company from Crewe has a long way to go. While we'd expect to see some sort of diesel offering, Bentley remains mum on any real details regarding its future powerplants. We do know, however, that the British manufacturer of ridiculously luxurious transportation is holding out hope for biofuels, which post high well-to-wheel CO₂ measurements. When just the tailpipe emissions are taken into consideration, biofuels offer just a little benefit as compared to dino-juice, but when the entire carbon footprint of the fuel is considered, biofuels like ethanol and biodiesel can post significant CO₂ improvements.


[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req'd]

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.

Ok, think back to your 10th grade science class. Do you remember reading about a Dr. James Watson? You know, Watson and Crick? The guys who discovered the double helix shape of our DNA? Sigh. Never mind. Just know that Dr. Watson is rather well-known for his work in the stuff that makes you who you are (and, no, we're not talking about your irregular bathing habits).

Recently, a Swiss man paid $350,000 to have his DNA sequenced. The New York Times talked to him about why he would pay such a high price. "I'd rather spend my money on my genome than a Bentley or an airplane," the man said. Okay, but to us car guys, this is nonsensical. Our DNA doesn't have 550 horsepower, nor can it provide the instant gratification said ponies summon up when our brains send the appropriate signal to our right feet.

Now, back to our Dr. Watson. Last year, a company donated $1.5 million to pay for the sequencing of his DNA. The New York Times was again on the case and asked him about it. "I was in someone's Bentley once - nice car," Watson said. "Would I rather have my genome sequenced or have a Bentley? Uh, toss up."

That's what we're talking about! Drive the Bentley, doc! Get yourself a Continental GT, mount that Nobel on the radiator and just drive until you can't even remember what deoxyribose nucleic acid is. In the NYT article, Dr. Watson continues to say he hopes DNA sequencing will some day come down in price from Bentley to Chevy so that everyone can afford to know their genetic makeup. If that ever happens, we'll still say, "Take the Vette!"

[Source: The New York Times]

The big news from Bentley in Geneva wasn't really about today -- but stay tuned for 2012. Bentley plans to have its wheel-to-well measure of CO2 emissions down to less than 120g/km, from 400 g/km now. How? By lightening the cars, by engineering better transmissions, and through powerplants able to take advantage of 2nd generation biofuels, meaning cellulosic ethanol from straw and waste products. The best Bentley head Dr. Josef Paefgen would say for specifics was "everything is being considered." So there. Click through the jump to get the full press release and the science, and be thankful Bentley's given you something to look forward to.

[Source: Bentley]