Posts tagged Continental GT
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.
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]
2011 Bentley Continental GT is TopGear’s Grand Tourer of the Year!
Jan 6th
2012 Bentley Continental GT
Can’t say we disagree. Top Gear had this to say:
“”Aargh! A Camel!” is not what you want to hear while travelling at speed around a corner in a £130k GT. If you were to provide some sort of macabre menu of final phrases to hear before you die, it would also come very close to the bottom of my personal list, somewhere between “I think that’s poisonous” and “What are you doing with that hammer?” Nevertheless, here we are, my German friend Juergen and I, both trying desperately to push the brake pedal of the new Bentley Continental GT into and past the shag pile and regretting the car’s not-inconsiderable 2,350kg mass. To make matters even more bizarre, Juergen is a passenger. Juergen doesn’t even have a brake pedal. ”
via [TopGear]
source [Top Gear Magazine, Awards Edition]
