2013 Bentley Continental Gt on 2040-cars

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Bentley Batur Convertible is a coachbuilt, W12-powered stunner

Remember the Bentley Batur from a couple of years ago? Well, it’s back, but this time itÂ’s without a roof, so allow us to introduce you to the Bentley Batur Convertible. Many of the details are similar to the coupe, meaning it has an uprated twin-turbo W12 engine and is a coachbuilt car by BentleyÂ’s Mulliner division. Unlike the Continental GTC that can seat four, the Batur Convertible is only a two-seater, eschewing the rear seats for a gorgeous “airbridge” behind the front two seats – itÂ’s meant to remind of roofless sports cars of old. Plus, if you look underneath the airbridge and tapered cowls, youÂ’ll notice it offers a little bit of storage space for luggage to augment the trunk. The W12 engine under its long hood is more potent than most of BentleyÂ’s W12-powered cars thanks to a revised intake, upgraded turbochargers, new intercoolers, titanium exhaust and a unique engine tune, bringing output to 740 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. This particular reveal car (car number 0) is an engineering development vehicle so wonÂ’t be counted toward the 16 Bentley plans to build. Customization options are truly limitless, Bentley says. The one youÂ’re looking at here is finished in Vermillion Gloss over Vermillion Satin Duo, or in other words, orange. YouÂ’ll notice it features BentleyÂ’s ombre effect front grille option that flows from a dark color to the bright Vermillion Gloss as the grille traverses from the center to its edges. An added splash of sportiness is visible with its carbon fiber front splitters, side skirts and rear diffuser. And those 22-inch wheels with Vermillion accents look fantastic, too. Its interior features limitless customization options, and Bentley says its design is inspired by the wraparound interior seen in the Bacalar. ItÂ’s revealed via an electronically operated soft top that goes down in 19 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. Essentially every surface of the interior is customizable in both color and finish, Bentley says. It highlights the use of 3D-printed rose gold thatÂ’s seen on the engine start/stop buttons, drive mode selector, vent controls and as an insert on the steering wheel itself. In case you were curious, the gold comes from the centuries-old Jewelry Quarter of Birmingham, England. Bentley didnÂ’t say whether the Batur Convertible is sold out yet, but we suspect it could be considering only 16 slots are available.

What it's like to drive a brand-new, 92-year-old Bentley Blower

“Vivid” doesnÂ’t even begin to describe this; neither does “damn cold.” The throttle is pinned to the firewall, the needles behind the glass in the dashboardÂ’s 10 dials are twitching and dancing, the supercharger boost gauge is nailed to the lock stop, and the dark-green scuttle is shuddering with the ripples of the concrete banking. Think World War II airplane over the storm-tossed North Atlantic – I even slid a picture of my wife into my breast pocket this morning Â… IÂ’d be grinning, but the freezing blast over the leather-strapped bonnet gives me a rictus grimace. ThereÂ’s a lot to do in this 92-year-old supercharged Bentley as its fish-tail exhaust blares seal-honk indifference at a shoal of insignificant super cars fluttering in its wake; at 100 mph this is motoring at its zenith. They donÂ’t make ‘em like they used to and I used to think that was indubitably true of this car: Sir Henry ‘TimÂ’ BirkinÂ’s Blower Bentley. This was his favorite out of the five Blowers built at the Welwyn factory between 1929 and 1930. It was bankrolled by Dorothy Paget, the Whitney family heiress, and serial race-horse owner and gambler. How famous? This car, known as Number Two, was entered in the 1930 Le Mans 24-hour race. Birkin drove it like a bat out of hell in the initial stages of the race with the tacit approval of the Bentley factory, which had entered a team of "6 1/2 litre" naturally aspirated cars and was looking for its fourth-consecutive Le Mans victory and the marqueÂ’s fifth overall. They used Birkin and this lovely old machine as “the hare,” testing the potential and reliability of the astonishing Mercedes-Benz works supercharged, 7-liter SSK driven by Rudolf ‘RudiÂ’ Caracciola (ironically Paget also owned one of these rare and exotic beasts). The fast and courageous Birkin was sent out to poke a stick at the German ace – it was like poking a waspsÂ’ nest. Twice Birkin overtook Caracciola at over 120 mph at the end of the Mulsanne/Hunaudieres straight, with one wheel on the grass and the rear tire down to its canvas. By all accounts Caracciola was so startled simply because he couldnÂ’t believe that anyone would be actually overtaking him. Legend has it that in pursuing Birkin, Rudi Caracciola damaged the engine by over using the supercharger, which could be clutched in and out, but the truth is more nuanced. Birkin drove his car so hard he twice lost a tireÂ’s tread and had to pit early.

Bentley's 1,000th Mulliner project is a one-off purple Bentayga

Bentley's Mulliner division completed its 1,000th project in July 2021, and the milestone car is one you can't miss unless you park it in a lavender field. It's a one-off Bentayga painted purple and fitted with special interior accents. It took seven years for Mulliner to reach this milestone; it formed its own design team in 2014. It designed the sweet potato-colored Bentayga for an anonymous client in Europe who worked closely with the division to create a one-of-a-kind SUV. Look beyond the exterior (or try, at least), and you'll see the cabin features Olive Ash wood trim, which is normally found in the now-retired Mulsanne, plus twin-stitching on the seats and on the door panels. Mulliner's work extends far beyond unusual paint colors and new stitching patterns. Its first project was bringing a limited-edition model named Flying Spur Serenity to life. The sedan received redesigned seats, among other features. It also developed stone veneers for some of Bentley's cars, a variant of the Mulsanne Speed named Blue Train that honors Bentley's racing heritage, a Mulsanne-based six-seater limousine, and the Bacalar roadster, which is limited to 12 examples worldwide. It's based on the Continental GT, but the two models share no body panels. It has also applied its expertise to a handful of unusual projects. For example, Mulliner sometimes helps design the liveries worn by Bentley's GT3 race cars. It fine-tuned details on the 1929 Team Blower continuation car, and its resume also includes creating scale models, sculptures, plus picnic baskets complete with silverware and glasses. Related Video: