2014 Bentley Flying Spur W12 Sedan 4d on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bentley names new CEO for the Americas

Bentley has announced a shift in its upper ranks that will see Michael Winkler take the reins as head of its operations in the Americas. A longtime sales executive and regional manager, Winkler has worked for Porsche in locations around the world, and comes to Bentley from his previous position as director of Australian operations for Jaguar Land Rover. In his new capacity as president and CEO of Bentley Motors Inc. – the office responsible for handling the brand's operations across the Americas – Winkler will report to Kevin Rose, the Bentley board member for sales and marketing. Winkler succeeds Christophe Georges, who moves back to the head office as director of product and marketing. The British automaker has 53 dealerships across the Americas, accounting for 29 percent of its global sales last year. Its American operations are based at 2200 Ferdinand Porsche Drive in Herndon, VA. MICHAEL WINKLER NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BENTLEY MOTORS INC. (Crewe/Herndon 26th January 2015) Bentley Motors today announced that Michael Winkler will become President and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors Inc., the regional office for Bentley Motors in the Americas, with effect from 1st April 2015. He succeeds Christophe Georges, who was recently appointed Director of Product and Marketing for Bentley's global organisation. Winkler will report directly to Kevin Rose, Bentley's Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. Rose commented: "The Americas region plays a key part in Bentley's global success, our biggest market with more Bentley customers than anywhere else in the world. I am delighted to welcome Michael to Bentley, and look forward to working with him to drive our brand and network presence further." Winkler has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, holding a number of international positions, working with Porsche in Germany, North America and Australia, and joins Bentley from Jaguar Land Rover, where he held the position of Managing Director of the company's Australian division. The Americas remained Bentley's number one market throughout 2014, closing the year delivering 3,186 cars, up from the 2013 number of 3,140. This accounted for 29% of total global deliveries. There are 53 Bentley dealerships throughout the Americas, with the corporate headquarters based in Herndon, Virginia.

2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed Video Review

"It feels like a million bucks and it's only $400,000." I completely agree with this statement from editor-in-chief Mike Austin, that you'll hear in the video above. I spent a weekend with the 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed and can honestly say that taken as a whole, every single part of this sedan works together to make it feel like the absolute fanciest car in the world. The big story with this Mulsanne is the Speed part of its name. Bentley's 6.75-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 is massaged to produce 530 horsepower and an absolutely astonishing 811 pound-feet of torque. Still, this is a nearly 6,000-pound car, so even with all that power, the Mulsanne Speed isn't a rocketship. A sub-five-second run to 60 miles per hour is, of course, nothing to scoff at – especially in a car that's built like a bank vault. But that quickness is masked by the stately, luxurious, wafty nature of the Mulsanne. This is a Gentleman's Car, after all. Despite its overwhelming luxury, the Mulsanne isn't the most modern car around. A lot of the switchgear screams last-generation Volkswagen to us, and in contrast to the 2016 Mercedes-Maybach S600, a lot of the Bentley's interior feels a little behind the times. No matter, it's still a rolling embodiment of class, refinement, and upper-crust exclusivity, and it'll turn heads in a way that the long-wheelbase Mercedes simply cannot. Don't just take my word for it, though. Let editor-in-chief Mike Austin tell you all about the super-luxurious, super-fast Mulsanne in the video, above. Bentley New Car Reviews Luxury Performance Videos Original Video Sedan bentley mulsanne bentley mulsanne speed Autoblog accepts vehicle loans from auto manufacturers with a tank of gas and sometimes insurance for the purpose of evaluation and editorial content. Like most of the auto news industry, we also sometimes accept travel, lodging and event access for vehicle drive and news coverage opportunities. Our opinions and criticism remain our own — we do not accept sponsored editorial.

Bentley will race Pikes Peak for the first time — in a Bentayga SUV

Bentley is throwing its hat in the ring for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb first time, saying it's targeting a new SUV race record with its Bentayga. The British luxury marque will enter the W12 version, not the slightly less-powerful V8 version that it recently unveiled, when the Race to the Clouds takes place June 24. The brand's motorsports department in Crewe, England, is working to develop the vehicle for the 12.42-mile assault under the direction of motorsports director Brian Gush. They'll be working with a 2017 model and its 6.0-liter W12 engine, which makes 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque and goes 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, its all-wheel-drive transmission, four-mode adjustable air suspension and its 48-volt active anti-roll system. A driver will be announced later. Bentley's motorsports efforts have mostly focused on GT3 versions of its Continental GT coupe, which have a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 powering the rear wheels and goes on sale in June, and on special-edition models like the Continental 24. So it'll be interesting to see how the motorsports crew tunes the Bentayga, which debuted back in 2015 as the brand's first production SUV and the fastest, most powerful entrant in its segment. The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a grueling race up the famed mountain near Colorado Springs, featuring 156 corners and a finish line at 14,115 feet above sea level. This year will be the event's 96th running.Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Bentley Bentayga: First Drive View 36 Photos Image Credit: Bentley Motorsports Bentley SUV Luxury Performance pikes peak bentley bentayga Sport Utility