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MONDAY, DECEMBER 05, 2011 |

It's been known for over a year now that Bentley is planning to supplement the range of its Continental series with a brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine sourced, of course, from the Volkswagen Group's vast parts bin.
While Bentley remains tight lipped on the details, today, the British carmaker released the first teaser video of a Continental GT coupe fitted with the base V8 powerplant that is currently shared with the Audi S6, S7 and S8 models.
For the record, in the Audi S6 and S7 Sportback, the 4.0 TFSI delivers 420-horses and 550 Nm (405.66 lb-ft) of peak torque, while in the S8 sports saloon, the bi-turbocharged V8 pushes out 520-horses and a 650 Nm (479.42 lb-ft).
Bentley accompanied the video with a laconic press statement that reads: "Welcome to the new sound of Bentley -- a stirring and thunderous soundtrack and the prelude to a potent new Bentley driving experience that begins in 2012".

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 |

The new Bentley Flying Spur is a welcome departure from what we were used to seeing in recent year, and it looks like a very modern interpretation, of one of their cars from the mid-1990s, especially from the back. It has now made its official North American debut, at the2013 New York auto show, along with an updated version of the Mulsanne flagship.

This makes the Bentley stand at the motor show particularly interesting, as the Mulsanne is a sight wherever you see it, and the new Flying Spur is a basically a new car. Sure its platform may have only been overhauled, but it looks so much more modern than the car it replaces, so that can be excused.

Powering it is the latest development of the six-liter twin-turbo W12 power plant, which thoroughly deserves being called that due to its sheer bulk - it puts out 616 hp and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm), which is sent to all four wheels (60 percent to the rear wheels at all times) via a new eight-speed self-shifter from ZF.

Thanks to a reported 14 percent better power/weight ratio, compared to its predecessor, the Flying Spur can reach 60 mph (96 km/h) in 4.3 seconds, and it tops out at 200 mph (320 km/h). That is serious performance when you consider just how much weight is being lugged around, as it has all of the interior amenities you'd expect from the Flying B.

The new Flying Spur has a base MSRP of $200,500 in the U.S., with arrivals to begin during the second quarter of the year.

The refreshed Mulsanne, which is the self-proclaimed "pinnacle of British luxury motoring", gets several updates for the model-year transition. Bentley says that a "range of new luxury features have been added to the Mulsanne and are on display for the first time in North America, offering a new suite of entertainment and communication system options."

What this means is that buyers can now specify "Specifications". They now offer an Entertainment Specification, a Comfort Specification, along privacy curtains for the rear passengers, which Bentley says allows them to " maximise work or rest as they travel."

By Andrei Nedelea

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2013 |

Over the past couple of years, we've come to know about Vilner mainly through its interior makeovers, and much less about its limited exterior and performance mods, but the Bulgarian studio wants to spread out and enhance its offerings with the first fully transformed project, which happens to be a first generation Bentley Continental GT.

Like the big players in the industry, Vilner also likes playing the teasing game so it released a trio of renderings to preview its newest creation before the reveal.

The Continental GT coupe's body has been revamped with a full body-kit comprising wider front and rear fenders with matching aprons, side skirts, bumpers, a prominent rear diffuser and plenty of carbon fiber trims and pieces. A set of new alloy wheels and a rear spoiler are also part of the package.

Naturally, the Bentley's cabin has been thoroughly reworked with the rendering showing a black and red two-tone theme for the new interior upholstery and trims.

Vilner added that the Continental GT's engine has received a boost as well, but it won't say just how much power it gained, yet.

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