Posts tagged Bentley
Twin Cities Luxury Auto at the 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show
Mar 15th
Twin Cities Luxury Auto is proud to present two of our finest vehicles in inventory at the 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Gracing Luxury Lane is a 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport finished in Rosso Trio and a 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 in Dragon Red – an absolute stunner.
The exhilaration of driving a Bentley to the Convention Center, and further driving the new Continental GT V8, a vehicle that can cost over 200k, is just something not many people get to experience. While the drive was nice, and the process of getting into Luxury Lane a little stressful, overall I think that for possible future clients the only thing they’ll experience is pure joy. The GT V8 is a great option for those potential buyers who want the best new thing to come from the Crewe factory, and want to see how a V8 performs in Coupe as opposed to the much larger Mulsanne. With the addition of the V8 engine comes better fuel and engine management systems as well as the new release color in Dragon Red.
As for the Maserati, this GranTurismo will turn heads and keep people talking long after you’ve passed them by. With a Ferrari-assembled engine, the GranTurismo Sport just doesn’t sound like anything else on the road, save for a Ferrari. The engineers and designers in Italy have prided themselves on creating one of the most exhilarating and best looking and sounding cars in history. While its looks may suggest otherwise, this elegant refined Maserati has a mean side and when switched over to Manual Sport mode break neck acceleration is right at your fingertips.
The 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show is open from March 9th to March 17th and features over $15 million in new vehicles. Cadillac, Hyundai, Kia, Lincoln, Ford and Nissan all have a presence plus many more brands across the spectrum. Come to Twin Cities Luxury Auto or any of Morrie’s dealerships and ask for a discounted ticket for the 2013 Twin Cities Auto Show. Also be sure to check out Luxury Lane and see the 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 and the 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport. We’ll be looking for you!
The World’s Ultimate Driving Experience
Dec 5th
Power on Ice
Every year in February, Bentley invites car enthusiasts to their Power on Ice winter driving experience in Finland. During this getaway, guests have the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the Continental GT to drive on the frozen lakes of northern Finland while being led by a team of expert instructors. This getaway also includes some very luxurious accommodations.
The event kicks off with drinks and dinner at the Chalet Ruka Peak resort upon arrival. The following morning, guests are introduced to the Bentley driving team, and will then spend the morning on the ice under the guidance of an experienced driving professional.
Bentley Continental GT3 Concept Revealed
Sep 27th
At the 2012 Paris Motor Show this week Bentley debuted the Continental GT3, its high-performance concept car derived from their Continental GT Speed. Bentley has been noticeably absent from the motorsports world in recent events but that is all about to change once the GT3 goes into development. Bentley will run comprehensive test programs over next year to determine what needs to be done before the car can hit the track.
The design of this concept is based on Bentley’s fastest car to date, the new Continental GT Speed. The concept includes heat extractors in the hood to reduce front-end lift at high speeds, a front splitter, a side exhaust, and a hefty rear wing. As if that wasn’t enough, engineers have also shaved an astonishing 2,200 pounds off the vehicle’s overall weight to increase speed and performance even further.
Bentley chief executive Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber says, “The clear message from our customers is that Bentley belongs on the racetrack, and the Continental GT3 is the realisation of a dream we’ve had ever since the launch of the Continental GT. The new GT Speed is the perfect car for us to develop into a racer, and our work so far has shown huge potential. The Continental GT3 is set to show the world what the Continental GT is capable of in its most extreme form, and establishes a solid foundation for Bentley’s long-term motorsport plans.”
We look forward to the development of the GT3 and hope to see it in action by the end of 2013.
Bentley Releases Details on the 2013 Continental GT Speed
Aug 24th
The 2013 GT Speed is the fastest production Bentley ever made with a top speed of 205mph. Orders are already being taken for the all-wheel drive performance flagship. The car is equipped with the iconic 6-liter twin turbo W12 engine and achieves zero-to-sixty in just 4 seconds. The Continental GT Speed model include exclusive 21-inch, ten-spoke alloy wheels and a dark tint to the lower grille. The interior of the car features perforated leather and metal detailing with a wide range of optional finishes. The GT Speed has been fitted with an energy recuperation system to optimize the use of the electrical system and the alternator so that energy is stored for use later. The 8-speed can now shift from eighth to fourth gear to gain faster acceleration. The enhanced steering and suspension changes on the vehicle included with the anti-roll bars are guided by new software to make the most out of Bentley’s fastest vehicle.
4¼-Liter Bentley Embiricos Special at Bentleys Lineage Showroom
Aug 22nd
The Bentley 4 ¼ liter Embiricos Special is currently on display at Bentleys Lineage showroom in Crewe, England. The rare and valuable vehicle comes from the Derby Era in the 1930s and was commissioned by wealthy Greek racer André Embiricos. French designer Georges Paulin produced the aerodynamic vehicle with an age-hardened aluminum alloy to allow it to reach top speeds of 114MPH. The next owner of the vehicle raced it in three 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance races, receiving 6th place in 1949. You don’t see many Bentleys like this due to the development being interrupted by World War II. You will be able to find this vehicle on display at Pyms Lane until September and then at the Windsor Castle Concours d’Elegance.
Royal British Car Show 2012
Aug 21st
Check out some of the classic British cars that were showcased at the AutoMotorPlex this weekend for the Royal British Car Show! This event highlights many different British car models, a British fashion show, live British music, authentic fish & chips and tea beer. Some of the cars at this event included Bentleys, Aston Martins, Jaguars, McLarens, and many more!
Revealed: Bentley EXP 9 F
Mar 6th
Bentley EXP 9 F
Have you outgrown your Continental GT? Do you find the Range Rover too common? The Cayenne Turbo too slow? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, Bentley has your answer. Welcome, everyone, to the Bentley EXP 9 F concept.
Destined to be the most powerful and most luxurious SUV ever built, the EXP 9 F will be the third model in Bentley’s lineup, alongside the Mulsanne and Continental ranges. Revealed the night before the start of the Geneva Auto Show, the EXP 9 F is very elegantly styled, featuring a prominent hood, flat beltline, a generous grennhouse and Bentley’s hallmark matrix grille. You’ll also recognize the well-defined power line that runs over the front fenders and through the door handles towards the prominent rear “haunch,” just as you’ll find on the Continental GT.
The interior is as opulent as one would expect from the folks in Crewe, with leather, wood and chrome everywhere. The “T” shaped dashboard echoes the design found in the Mulsanne, and Bentley expects the EXP 9 F’s interior to set new benchmarks for luxury in the SUV segment.
They also expect the performance to set new benchmarks for the SUV sector. Motiviation will likely come from the venerable 6.0L W12 found in the Continental Range with the power being sent through an advanced all-wheel drive system. Power and torque figures haven’t yet been released, but expect to see north of 600 horsepower and more than 590 pound-feet of torque.
Pricing hasn’t yet been released, but stay tuned to the Twin Cities Luxury Auto blog for updates as we get them. For those of you anxious to get line for the EXP 9 F, we expect it to be in our showroom by sometime in 2015-16. We’re now taking pre-orders.
Head on over to Bentley Motors’ website for more information about the EXP 9 F, or over to Autoweek for their write-up on the EXP 9 F.
Source: Bentley Motors
Via: Autoweek
Riding Shotgun with Juha Kankkunen, World Champion Rally Driver
Feb 14th
The name Juha Kankkunen should immediately resonate with all you rally fans out there. Just in case you’re not a rally fan and you’ve never heard of Kankkunen before, here’s the skinny. He’s a former rally driver for Toyota, Peugeot and Lancia and has won 23 individual rallies and has earned four world driver’s champion titles. Needless to say, the man can drive.
What you may not know is that Kankkunen is a big fan of Bentley. Such a big fan, in fact, that he set the world speed record on ice in 2007 with his own Bentley Continental GT. You read that right – he drove his own car at nearly 200 miles per hour on ice. In 2011, Kankkunen beat his own record in a factory-provided Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible averaging 205.48 miles per hour (one run in each direction on the track). Both records were set in largely stock vehicles, save minor aerodynamic improvements, the addition of roll cages, studded Nokian tires designed specifically for the task, and that’s it.
To see what it’s like to drive a 5000-plus pound car at insane speeds on a frozen fjord, Bentley invited some of its best-performing dealers to attend a driving event in Finland. Our General Manager was the fortunate one from Bentley Minneapolis to make the trip. Bentley provided lots of seat time for Matt and the other folks who were there, but the best part may have been the ride along with Juha himself.
Luckily for us, Matt brought a camera with him to capture the experience. Check out the video below to see what it’s like to ride with a world-champion rally driver in a 621 horsepower Bentley on nothing but ice and snow.
Note: the car in the video is the very same Continental Supersports Convertible that set the 205-MPH record in 2011 (shown in the photo above).
Rendered Speculation: Bentley looking to expand with entry coupe, crossover? (from Autoblog)
Mar 4th
It’s no secret that Bentley’s sales have lagged a bit in the past couple of years. To combat that decline, the folks in Crewe have put a great deal of focus into strengthening their line-up with cars like the Continental Supersports, the Mulsanne, and the soon-to-be-released 2012 Continental GT. It looks like they aren’t going to stop there, however. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but we may see something along the lines of a Mercedes CLS competitor, as well as a crossover to fight the likes of the Porsche Cayenne and Maserati’s upcoming SUV.
Here’s what Autoblog had to say:
Rumors continue to swirl that incoming Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer, who previously served as head of research and development at Porsche, is looking long and hard at how to expand the luxury marque’s product line. Considering Dürheimer’s experience making magic happen at Porsche, it seems likely that Bentley would tap into the platform used for the Panamera sedan, and that’s exactly what the blokes from Auto Express are suggesting.
The first new model may be an ultra-luxe machine that would fit into the burgeoning four-door-coupe segment. If so, expect a price tag in the mid-$250,000 range and engine choices ranging from the tried-and-true W12 to a new turbocharged 4.0-liter V8.
Those powertrains may also find their way into the engine bay of a Bentley crossover, says Auto Express. As much as some may protest, a Porsche Cayenne-based Bentley with a price near the $200K mark would seem a very real possibility… as would an optional diesel engine, which would be new territory for the brand.
Finally, the long-rumored entry-level (can anything with a $150,000 price tag be called entry-level?) Bentley coupe that would slot below the Continental GT is still a talking point. Branching out into any or all of these segments are seen as a way to get back to the 10,000-unit peak sales year of 2007, as compared to just 4,616 units in 2009.
Head on over to Auto Express to see some rendered speculation on what these vehicles could potentially look like.
via [Autoblog]
source [Auto Express]
Autoblog: Bentley Mulsanne Review
Jan 20th
2011 Bentley Mulsanne
The 2011 Bentley Mulsanne is, on paper at least, everything a big Bentley should be. Beautiful? Powerful? Luxurious? Yes, yes, and yes. ”Great,” you may be thinking, “but does it drive like a big Bentley should?” Well, thanks to Old Man Winter, none of us here at Twin Cities Luxury Auto have actually driven the car on U.S. soil. Thankfully, the good folks over at Autoblog just published their own review of Bentley’s new ultra-luxury sedan.
What did they think? In their words, “Let us reassure you that the 2011 Bentley Mulsanne is worth every single copper-plated zinc cent of one-third of a million dollars.”
Head on over to Autoblog.com or click here to read the entire article. Oh, and follow that starting procedure carefully. Like the best dessert at your favorite restaurant, this car is best when savored. Sensible bites, everyone.
source [Autoblog]
