Bentley News
Bentley Debuts 550-hp Biturbo V8 Continental GT3 Race Car
Nov 9th
We haven’t even seen the new 2018 Bentley Continental GT in the metal yet and already the team from Crewe has assembled a beautiful GT3-class race car from the lightweight, aluminum bones set forth by the road car. Although most people would expect the racing version of the Continental to be making more power than its road-legal variant, at 626 bhp, the standard Continental makes significantly more power than allowed in the GT3 class. Instead, the new race car is fitted with a smaller 4.0-liter dry-sumped, bi-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 with 550 bhp on tap to replace the usual 6.0-liter bi-turbo W12.
To make the most of the smaller engine, the engineers at Bentley managed to strip 2,081 lbs out of the standard Continental, bringing total weight down to just around 2,866 lbs for the race car. Just think about that for a second… That’s over a ton of mass stripped from the street car through the use of carbon fiber, aluminum, titanium, and other exotic materials to make it eligible and competitive within its class.
Although Bentley will be campaigning two ‘works’ cars, Bentley will begin selling complete Continental GT3 race cars to privateer teams in June, 2018. The new Continental GT3 race car is currently undergoing testing and simulations to make sure it’s competitive for the European Blancpain GT Endurance Cup Series that kicks off at Monza in Italy on April 21st and 22nd, 2018.
Thankful for a Flying Spur
Nov 28th
My dad lives in Florida, but he flies up to the Midwest every holiday. He rents a car once he gets here and it’s always a base model, economy car. This Thanksgiving, a Bentley Flying Spur just happened to have a lack of weekend plans, so we told him this holiday he would be very thankful for his rental car. Because what better way to impress your family than driving a Bentley all around Minneapolis on Thanksgiving weekend? 
More >
Bentley Bentayga Preview Event at Morrie’s Luxury Auto
Dec 17th
Last night, we had the opportunity to unveil the all-new Bentley Bentayga to a number of our close friends and customers.
The Bentley Bentayga is the first SUV from the British automaker but still maintains all of the company’s luxurious DNA. With 600 HP and 660 ft-lbs of torque, the Bentayga is claimed to be the fastest production SUV in the world, hitting 60 MPH from rest in just 4.0-seconds and surging ahead to a top speed of 187 MPH. Despite having so much power on tap, inside the Bentayga takes SUVs to a whole new class of luxury with huge swathes of leather, wood, and metal throughout. The Bentayga also leads the way with technology, featuring 4G LTE WiFi, a pair of Android OS tablets for backseat passengers, a full-color head-up display, and a night vision mode. Of course, the trick air suspension system helps to make the Bentayga just as good off-road as on.
We can’t wait to start taking delivery early next year!
Bentley Trip to Road America for the Pirelli World Challenge
Jun 30th
Dyson Racing, Bentley’s factory backed race team in the Pirelli World Challenge series, took to the track at Road America in Plymouth, WI this past weekend with two of their Continental GT3-R race cars. Bentley was also kind enough to extend an offer to some of our clients to join them for the weekend at the track to watch the race. We booked a private plane and luxury lodging and Bentley handled the rest, providing cars for us to drive to and from the track, a catered hospitality suite to watch the race from, as well as integrating us with the crew and drivers in the paddock.
For those that missed out, VIP accommodations for this trip included:
- Private airfare
- 2 nights at The American Club in Kohler, WI
- All food and beverages
- A round of golf on the famous Whistling Straits course, home of the 2015 PGA Championship
- Bentley vehicles, including a Continental GTC Speed, a Flying Spur V8s, a Mulsanne Speed, and a Continental GT3-R
- Complimentary tickets to the Pirelli World Challenge race at Road America
- VIP parking and access to the Bentley hospitality suite
- Private paddock tours and meet and greets with the crew and drivers
Everyone on the trip had a great time and we look forward to planning similar trips alongside Bentley for our customers in the future.
Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept is a smaller, sportier Bentley
Mar 3rd
After teasing the Bentayga SUV for so long, many speculated that Bentley would finally reveal the production model in Geneva this week. Instead, they surprised everyone with a new concept car: the 2-seater EXP 10 Speed 6. While the name is a little long-winded, its sleek styling and elegant detailing are stunning. While Bentley has not yet confirmed any details regarding production, cost, or specs, speculation indicates this will be targeted at the Ferrari F12 and Aston Martin Vanquish.
Morrie’s Luxury Auto at the 2014 LA Auto Show
Dec 2nd
The Los Angeles Auto Show during the media press days is an extremely overwhelming, congested and an all out nightmare to navigate. That being said press days are some of the best times you can have at an auto show with all the new releases, food and media crews running every which way. With the vast amounts of luxury exotic vehicles, new models and some of the highest quality concept vehicles in the world it is certainly something to experience. More >
Bentley Teases New SUV Model
Nov 11th
The upcoming Bentley SUV, yet to be named, is going to be a ‘true Bentley’ in that it will be powerful, exclusive, and successful. Following the close of the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, where the EXP 9F concept SUV was initially unveiled, over 2000 inquiries regarding preordering Bentley’s SUV took place. More >
Bentley Racing Team at the 2014 Pirelli World Challenge
Jul 8th
The North American debut of the Bentley GT3 racecar was quite the show. Coming out for the Cadillac Grand Prix at Road America, all eyes were on the Bentley as it took to the grid for the first time. With Butch Leitzinger behind the wheel and a full Bentley support staff, it was no question that Bentley came prepared. Unfortunately, during the qualifying session the rain became a problem. Race officials determined to switch it to a practice session. And while the transponder was not properly functioning in the Bentley which precluded them from recording an official lap time, seeing the Bentley charge up the long straight through the finish line even in the rain was a pretty spectacular sight. Unofficially it was calculated that Butch Leitzinger was able to drive the Bentley in the 2:08.9 range at Road America.
Bentley had two races during its North American debut at Road America. The race on Friday provided for some intense battles between Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, and Bentley. Because Bentley had no points, what with this being their first race, they were staged at the back of the pack. Knowing they needed to really fire on all cylinders with minimal mistakes, Butch Leitzinger performed well under the rain conditions. During the 2nd race on Saturday, Bentley was able to secure a 2nd starting position and throughout the race fought hard against the competition. While they did not bring in a podium finish, it was still a great weekend of Bentley racing.
Powered by a V8 engine with around 600bhp, this GT racecar is unlike anything Bentley has produced before. To begin with it is the only Bentley Continental GT that is RWD, of course for racing this suits the car just fine. Included in the GT3 racecar we find an xTrac 6-speed sequential transaxle gearbox, racing clutch, and steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. Looking to Bentley’s recent past the only thing that could come close with regards to power and handling would be their W12 Supersports, which sadly won’t be making a return to the production line. Clearly the production model, GT3-R, will fill the Supersports shoes nicely.
What sets the Bentley GT3 apart from other Bentley racecars is that Bentley has also produced a road-going GT3R, but only in a limited production run of 300 units. From what we are able to gather at Morrie’s Luxury Auto it appears that 100 GT3Rs were available for sale in the US, however they are all sold out.
For more race coverage make sure to visit our blog often.
Guest Photographer at Morrie’s Luxury Auto
Mar 21st
I’m Joshua Duffy, and Morrie’s Luxury Auto graciously allowed me to photograph this beautiful car. The photo shoot was for a project I had been assigned for my Location Photography course at The Art Institutes International Minnesota. The assignment was to photograph the exterior of a car.
Photos by Joshua Duffy
Of course, having a mother who works for an automotive group, meant that I wasn’t content photographing my 1993 Buick Skylark (Custom trim… It’s pretty rad). I was put in contact with Kevin at Luxury Auto, and he allowed me to pick any (all-wheel drive) car on the lot. I recognized the very special Bentley on the lot, and knew I would never have another chance to photograph such a special vehicle.
Photos by Joshua Duffy
Photos by Joshua Duffy
All the folks I’ve come in contact with at Morrie’s have been top notch, awesome, hilarious, and helpful people. I really feel like everyone cares about these vehicles and finds them all just as exciting as I do. That being said, the experience was great. Maybe I’ll be able to photograph some more special cars soon. (Hint, hint!)
Photos by Joshua Duffy
Guest blog post written by: Joshua Duffy- The Art Institutes International Minnesota.
Morrie’s Luxury Auto at NAIAS 2014
Jan 17th
This week marked the celebration of the 25th Annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit and we were there getting coverage on some of the luxury brands!
We made sure to get a good spot for the Bentley press conference where they unveiled the all-new 2015 Continental GT V8S! This new model will have a 4.0 liter-twin-turbocharged V-8 producing 521 horsepower and 502 lb/ft. of torque! This is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that includes a Sport mode with sharper throttle response.
A higher-output 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 will give the vehicle 521 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. This will be mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission that includes an S mode with sharper throttle response and a more aggressive shift logic. The vehicle is said to reach 0-60mph in just 4.3 seconds and hits top speeds of 192 mph!
This entire Continental lineup includes electronic climate control, Bluetooth, a DVD nav system, Google maps and an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, and the Naim audio system for an addition $7,000. You can also purchase the Mulliner package, which offers quilted leather interior, knurled chrome, and turned aluminum trim and lambs wool rugs as an option. Stay tuned for more information of the latest Bentley model revealed just this week!
We couldn’t attend the International Auto Show without making a stop at Porsche for the unveiling of the 2015 Porsche911 Targa! The all-new Targa is Porsche’s latest in a long line of Targa models. This model is known for having a lower, wider body and rear track. The Targa 4 will start around $102,595 and with that you can expect a 350-horsepower 3.4 liter flat-6 cylinder engine. You can also choose between a 7-speed manual and Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission. The Targa S on the other hand is equipped with 400 horsepower and the same flat-6 motor. But don’t forget the top, it was the talk of the show! The beautiful automatic Targa takes the top off and stores in away in the center with the push of a button. We hope to see the Targa 4 and 4s both on sale next summer.
While at Porsche we also spotted the 2014 918 Spyder again, but this time it was in Pearl We saw this beautiful vehicle for the first time at the LA Auto Show a few months back, but we sure were happy to lay our eyes on it again! The 918 Spyder is powered by a 4.6 Liter V8 engine which is backed by two electric motors that can achieve up to 62 mph in just 2.6 seconds.
Make sure to check out all of our photo’s below in the gallery and head over to YouTube for a playlist of all our Auto Show videos!
