2012 Bentley Continental Gt on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Luc Donckerwolke named Director of Design for Bentley

Bentley has announced Luc Donckerwolke will take over as the automaker's Director of Design. Donckerwolke started with Volkswagen in 1992 as a designer for Audi. Since then, he's worked with Škoda, Lamborghini and Seat in various design roles. His resume includes helping sketch out both the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo among other notable models.
The designer steps into the vacancy left by Dirk van Braeckel, who has moved on to work with Volkswagen Group design under Walter de Silva.
As you may recall, van Braeckel is responsible for a number of Bentley's most successful models, including both the Continental GT and the Mulsanne. He joined the ultra luxury automaker in 1999. You can take a look at the official announcement below for more information.

Bentley designer hints at even faster Continental GT3-R

Does Bentley have room in its Continental GT lineup for an even more extreme version than the new GT3-R? Luc Donckerwolke seems to think so. Speaking with Autocar, the Bentley design chief suggested that an even more performance-focused Continental GT could be in the works, potentially ditching the heavy all-wheel drive system in an effort to further reduce weight, improve handling and drop even more ticks off the 0-60 time that's already down to a best-yet 3.6 seconds in the GT3-R.
To borrow a page from the same playbook used not only by sister-companies Audi and Porsche but also by Renault and Jaguar (to name just a few), we'll tentatively call it the Continental GT3-RS. Whatever the name, though, power would likely come from an even more potent version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 co-developed with sister-company Audi. Considering that engine already produces 500 horsepower in the Continental GT V8, 521 hp in the V8 S and 572 hp in the GT3-R, we could be looking at as much as 600 horses to make it the most powerful V8 model to date. With that much juice, it would even eclipse some of the W12 models that start at 567 hp in the core Continental GT and range up to the 616 hp in the Speed, which currently ranks not only as the most powerful Conti yet, but also the fastest road car Bentley has ever made.
Donckerwolke says that Bentley has already sold the entire production run for the Continental GT3-R and that customers are already clamoring for something more focused. Younger buyers are likely to be even further drawn to the brand by the ne-plus-ultra Conti, especially if the racing team advanced from its current fifth place in the Blancpain Endurance Series standings.

Top London design students imagine Bentley in 2050

Imagination is the birthplace of good design. Shapes, curves, and edges are formulated inside an artist's mind before spilling onto a sketchbook page and taking shape as an automobile. The Royal College of Art in London aims to nurture this within its mobility students. In a recent project, vehicle design students of the MA Intelligent Mobility program brainstormed how the future of Bentley Motors would transpire in physical form. The challenge asked, "What will British luxury mean in 2050?" In total, 24 designer hopefuls turned in designs to a judging panel of RCA teachers and members of the Bentley design team. These same teachers also helped the students throughout the process. Of the 24, only four designs were plucked and highlighted, seen in the concept sketches above. Eunji Choi's "Elegant Autonomy," which looks like a mesh between a luxury yacht and a grand piano, took a high-class approach to what driverless cars might look like. Jack Watson's "Stratospheric Grand Touring," the teardrop pod on legs, makes note that without the worry of travel difficulties, home could be literally anywhere. Irene Chiu's "Luxury Soundscapes," seen from the overhead and cockpit views, reimagines a car's cabin as a tranquil safe space. Kate NamGoong's "Material Humanity," which most resembles a current-age car while invoking historic Bentley design, offers a future where the way to stand out from the crowd will be to occasionally drive a combustion engine like "the old days." The rarity of such an engine will form a niche for craft exposed engines, much like is true of high-end watches. We think we like that one best *wink*. The intent for the Intelligent Mobility program is to lead the proclaimed third age of automotive design. It is meant to work toward a future of interconnected megacities, flying cars, driverless vehicles, and sustainable energy and materials. The biggest problem with the future? It'll have new innovations and worse problems even the human mind not be able to imagine. Related Video: Featured Gallery Future of Bentley, Royal College of Art View 16 Photos News Source: Royal College of Art Design/Style Green Bentley Autonomous Vehicles Luxury