Autoblog

• Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least
  

  Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Bentley

  
  
  Click above for a high-res gallery of the Bentley GTC Speed
  
  
  The Bentley GTC has only been out for two years and a bit, but you might not know that; the car is so popular in some parts that it has become something like Ugg Boots for the monied-up automotive fashionista. Like its other Continental stablemates, Bentley has finally taken the drophead into their Speed garage for the transformation from really fast to "Egads!" fast.
  
  It emerges from said garage with its twin-turbo W12 producing 553 lb-ft. of torque and 600 horsepower - 100 ponies more than...
  



• Coming soon: Hamann tuning for the Bentley Continental GT and GT Speed
  

  Filed under: Aftermarket, Tuners, Coupes, Sports/GTs, Bentley

  
  Click above for a gallery of the Hamann Bentley Continental GT
  
  
  No stranger to tuning supercars like the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, Hamann's most recent addition to its parts catalog is the Bentley Continental GT and and GT Speed. There's no word on what will exactly be available for the brawny two-seater, but judging from the photos it looks like pretty standard Hamann fare. A new body kit consists of a more aggressive front fascia, side skirts, rear wing, and a lower rear fascia that makes room for a new exhaust...
  



• From Royal Blue to Green: the Queen retrofits her Bentleys to run on bio-fuel
  

  Filed under: Sedans/Saloons, Government/Legal, Green, Bentley, Celebrities

  
  
  Click above to view the Bentley State Limousine in our hi-resgallery
  
  
  Britain's royal family may not have the power to legislate any new initiatives, green or otherwise, but the heads of state still wield influence over public opinion and have taken up the cause of environmentally-conscious motoring. Following the lead of her son and heir Charles, the Prince of Wales - who had his Aston Martin converted to run on old wine and his Range Rover, Jaguar and Audi to run on discarded cooking oil - Queen Elizabeth II is having her bespoke Bentley limos converted to...
  



• Automakers tapped by CAR to redesign Santa's sled
  

  Filed under: Etc., Euro, Bentley, Ford, Nissan, Rolls-Royce, Toys, Special/Limited Editions

  
  
  Click above for a high-res image of Santa Claus' Bentley Continental GTC
  
  
  Thanks to CAR and a few masters of vehicular design, Santa is bringing some serious automotive enthusiast cheer. The glossy euro mag asked designers from Ford, Bentley, Nissan and Rolls-Royce to design some sleighs for Santa, and while a few of them look to be from the land of misfit toys -- and one of them looks like Santa's Death Star -- it's a fabulously cool exercise. Nissan's intergalactic sleigh is pulled by a...
  



• VIDEO: We wonder if this voids the warranty
  

  Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Videos, Bentley

  
  
  Click above to watch video after the jump
  
  
  The Bentley Continental series is a lot of fun. The cars look good, are appropriately sybaritic and, most importantly, they go like stink. The have all-wheel drive, too - mostly to help keep Johnny Swell's 550-horsepower chariot on the pavement and out of the tree line when he gets delusions of grandeur behind the wheel. We thought that was pretty much the extent of things, but as one UAE driver demonstrates in the video after the jump, the Continental's AWD and trick air suspension let...
  



• Bentley prepares to weather a tough 2009
  

  Filed under: Coupes, Sedans/Saloons, Bentley

  
  
  Click above for high-res gallery of the Bentley Continental GT Speed
  
  
  Ever since Bentley came out from under the shadow of Rolls-Royce after the Volkswagen takeover in the late 1990s, the marque has been on a roll. The venerable British brand started getting its first bespoke designs in over half a century, which paid off in a huge spike in sales. After topping 10,000 sales for the first time in 2007, Bentley is feeling the same force of gravity as everyone else (except Audi it seems) this year. So far sales have dropped by 30 percent in 2008 and the Crewe factory has...
  



• On Again, Off Again: Winterkorn suggests Bentley diesel
  

  Filed under: Green, Bentley

  

  Bentleys are known, among other things, for their train-like torque delivery. But while Bentley has toyed with the idea of an oil-burning engine for its big saloons, the idea was ultimately rejected by the luxury automaker due to low market interest. However, Martin Winterkorn, CEO of Bentley's parent Volkswagen Group, has now suggested that diesel engines could make it under the Flying B bonnet after all.

  Although previous reports placed one of the group's big V10 or V12 turbodiesels in a potential Bentley model, Winterkorn suggests something decidedly more compact. Namely, a twin-turbo version of the company's 3.0-liter TDI V6, currently under development for sister-company Audi's...
  




• Bentley and Bugatti to be featured at Pebble Beach in 2009
  

  Filed under: Time Warp, Bentley, Bugatti

  

  Preparations for the Pebble Beach Concours are a year-long process and start the day after the Best of Show has been crowned. The organizers are working hard to make next year's show one of the best ever, and have already announced that Bugatti and Bentley will be the featured marques, with Zagato designs, and the 100th anniversary of Morgan and Audi also highlighted. Bugatti was last featured in 2003 and has the largest number of best of show winners of any make, with a total of nine. Entry forms were mailed out a few months early in an effort to bring out the best field...
  




• LA 2008: Bentley Azure T arrives in style
  

  Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertibles, Bentley

  
  

  Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2009 Bentley Azure T
  

  The Bentley Azure T sits on its raised, hardwood decking like it's about to dance with the stars. At 18 feet and 5,700 pounds, it probably won't be pulling any Thriller moves, but we bet it could do a mean tango. The lowered stance and larger wheels make the car gentlemanly mean, and the 6 3/4-liter engine is good for 500 hp and 738 lb-ft. and a 176 mph top-down speed for your hair's pleasure. We could tell you how much it costs, but there are far more...
  




• LA Preview: Bentley Azure T to debut in city of angels
  

  Filed under: LA Auto Show, Convertibles, Bentley

  
  
  Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Bentley Azure T
  
  
  The current Bentley Arnage family's farewell tour culminates with this. We've already seen the Brooklands coupe and the Arnage Final Series sedan, and now with the L.A. Auto Show, the Azure droptop gets its opportunity to take a curtain call. Say hi to the 2010 Bentley Azure T, which gets the same 500-horsepower, 737 lb-ft 6¾-liter V8 lump found under the substantial bonnets of the aforementioned duo. A 6-speed auto directs all that grunt to the rear wheels. What's it cost? No word yet,...