2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur / 102 Pt Inspection / Meticulous & Pristine on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Queen Elizabeth needs a new chauffeur - could it be you?

We don't often post job listings here on Autoblog – and especially not ones based overseas. But then it's not every day that a sovereign monarch is in the market for a new chauffeur. Yet that's precisely what we came across, and not just for any monarch, either: this listing is for a chauffeur to drive around the Queen of England. The listing on the official website of the British Monarchy specifies that the job in question – based at the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace – entails working "as part of a busy and supportive team tasked with driving members of the Royal Family, Household officials, guests and official visitors." That means being around some highly distinguished individuals, for what it's worth, but also getting access to some very rare machinery, the likes of which most people will never get close to: namely, the Bentley State Limousine, a vehicle designed and crafted in Crewe, based on the Arnage, specifically for use by Her Majesty and members of the royal household. Don't think that the proximity to one of the wealthiest families and heads of state in the world means the job would be what you might call "lucrative," though: it pays around $35k per year, which includes meals but not the mandatory lodging, the cost of which is deducted from the salary. Of course it is a government job, of sorts, so it comes with full benefits. And then Queen Elizabeth II has been known to drive herself around from time to time, when the mood strikes (and with impunity), so there could be a lot of downtime, too. News Source: The Royal HouseholdImage Credit: Bentley Government/Legal Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Bentley queen elizabeth ii chauffeur queen elizabeth

2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid is less efficient on the highway than V8 version

Official EPA fuel-economy ratings are out for the 2020 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid, the luxury brand’s first electrified offering, and they donÂ’t exactly bathe the crossover in a green light. As spotted by Green Car Reports, the plug-in performs worse on the highway than its V8-powered combustion sibling. The EPA rated the Bentayga Hybrid as delivering 18 miles in all-electric range, which is two miles more than Bentley previously touted, and a combined 19 miles per gallon in hybrid mode, which is indeed the most efficient of the three Bentayga versions offered. ItÂ’s rated at 17 mpg city and 21 on the highway. By contrast, the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 version of the luxury crossover offers just 17 mpg combined, yet it delivers 23 mpg on the highway. Its overall EPA-rated highway range also beats the Hybrid, at 518 miles to 430 miles on a full charge and tank. The Bentayga Hybrid combines a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 and a 94 kilowatt electric motor that also functions as a generator. The system combines for 443 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, with a 5.2-second 0-60 mph time. It sends that through an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels. Curb weight is a hefty 5,709 pounds. Base price starts at $160,000. The V8, by comparison makes 542 hp, nearly 100 more ponies, and 568 lb-ft, with a 0-60 mph of 4.4 seconds. It will set you back $171,025. At any rate, both versions are well below the 27 combined mpg of the average 2020 vehicle, according to the EPA. The HybridÂ’s fuel economy ratings suggest that buyers may be motivated less by concerns about carbon footprint than conveying the appearance of having those concerns. Bentley has said its first full electric vehicle will be a dedicated model that will arrive in 2025 at the earliest, and possibly with a solid-state battery pack. Related Video:

Bentley releases new details on Continental GT3 racer

Porsche's new LMP1 Prototype isn't the only motorsports news coming out of Volkswagen AG this week. After unveiling its new Continental GT3 at the Paris Motor Show last year, Bentley has released some new images and details as this racecar continues its development. Similar to the Porsche announcement, Bentley's new GT3 marks a significant return to motorsports, only in this case, Bentley hasn't raced a car since 2003 - a winning effort at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
From street to race form, the Continental has dropped about 2,200 pounds by shedding many of the luxury and tech features that make the street-legal Continental GT the car that it is - including 50(!) electronic control units. The Continental GT3 uses the same 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 as the road car, but we're guessing output has been tweaked a bit from the standard 500 horsepower. Except for the carbon fiber hood, decklid and doors, Bentley says that the body of the GT3 is a direct carryover from the Continental GT.
Inside, even a stripped interior and full roll cage won't stop Bentley from being Bentley as it gives this racecar the same attention to detail as its road cars - the seats, steering wheel and door pulls all receiving the hand-crafted treatment from the factory in Crewe. There is no word as to when the Continental GT3 will make its racing debut, but more details about the car can be found below in the official press release.