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249 reasons you want to go to Goodwood Revival

At its most basic, Goodwood Revival is a long weekend worth of car races featuring cars made before 1970. There are lots of those, though, including some pretty great ones all over the world. But nothing is like Goodwood Revival because it's so much more than "just" vintage car racing.  First, you have to look the part. Attendees are strongly encouraged to dress in period clothing from the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, with a strict dress code enforced should you want to enter the paddock. The goal is to create a more authentic atmosphere to match the cars and the meticulously restored and recreated paddocks, grandstands and other facilities of the reborn Goodwood circuit. Now, the dress code was relaxed this year since the Saturday was literally the hottest Sept. 9 on record in that part of England, and the organizers didn't want people dropping dead because they needed to wear an ascot. Some people definitely took the "relaxed" bit too far, but there was still plenty of atmosphere maintained. It really does make a big difference, as those "relaxed" individuals were often akin to seeing a Starbucks cup in a scene from "Game of Thrones."  You can see what I came up with below along with former Autoblog editor Reese Counts and various other Goodwood attendees. Second, there's the parking lot. But I'll let this entire separate post detail that. Third, there's the enormous carnival-like area featuring vintage-looking rides and various boutiques. Both of those are on the outside portion of the track, and honestly, you could easily just spend your entire day in the parking lot and carnival/shopping area without even crossing over into the circuit area. There you'll find more shops, food and drink opportunities, plus obviously, race car paddocks and the track itself.  Fourth, there are airplanes! I heard there are fewer than in the past, but they're there and they're cool. The Goodwood circuit started out life as the perimeter road around the World War II airfield RAF Westhampnett.  Fifth, with all of the above, Goodwood Revival really is fun for the whole family. It isn't just a bunch of old guys sitting around in lawn chairs. There are plenty of women and adorably dressed children, including babies in vintage prams. It's also not an event that's exclusively for the uber rich, even if they are certainly in full force given who has the sort of money needed to go vintage racing.

Bentley designer says electric Bentley coming ‘not so far in the future’

Bentley lead designer Stefan Sielaff told Auto Express, "A full electric Bentley is something I am extremely convinced we have to do." He essentially confirms a Bentley EV by saying, "It will happen not so far in the future." We can look at the designer's comments as a near-final declaration on an undertaking the English carmaker's been considering for the past few years. Don't look for a production run of the EXP 12 6e concept shown at last year's Geneva Motor Show, though. Based on Sielaff's comments and a process of elimination, AE expects an electric four-door coupe. Instead of the PPE electric architecture Porsche and Audi are developing, Bentley would use the J1 architecture beneath the Mission E. The most powerful Mission E trim should put out close to 700 horsepower, a proper figure to begin discussions concerning an offering from The Flying B. A report from two years ago said a larger, 115-kW battery supplying two 375-horsepower motors in back and a 186-motor in front would give 936 hp and a potential 500-mile range. Beyond that, insiders supposedly spoke of a 150-kW battery to come in 2022, which would bring with it astronomical numbers. When asked what kind of vehicle Sielaff had in mind, the designer said he envisioned "a completely fresh and new development" that is "not imitating another concept." The alternative propulsion, Sielaff said, would give him and his team "a great chance to establish a completely new design language for the company." His ideal chariot would have four or five seats, "the possibility to carry a little bit of luggage," "a certain coupe style or sportivity," and definitely not an SUV. Those are about all the words one would use to describe a four-door coupe without saying the words "four-door coupe." Before the recent executive shuffle, previous brand CEO Wolfgang Durheimer told AE he expected a company EV to get around 600 hp and travel up to 310 miles on a charge. Wireless charging would be a major consideration as well, since grubby charging plugs don't mix well with white gloves. New brand boss Adrian Hallmark was told to invest in the brand instead of focusing exclusively on the numbers, and the EV initiative is about recasting Bentley as a luxury and technology brand, and appealing to younger customers. The next-generation Continental GT will get a PHEV drivetrain, and the Crewe manufacturer plans to have its entire range electrified by 2025.

First new Bentley Blower built since 1930 is now being tested

Just over a year after announcing the program, Bentley has finished building its first Blower car since 1930. It's called "Car Zero" since it's not one of the 12 customer cars. Instead, this first car is a prototype that will undergo testing before the customer cars begin production. Bentley says this car took 40,000 hours to complete. The company figured out how to build it based on existing tooling and blueprints, as well as laser scans of the components in the company's 1929 race car on which the continuation models will be based. The company collaborated with a variety of outside companies for help with the frame, radiator shroud and leaf springs. The frame was built by a company that builds and restores boilers for steam engines. Bentley itself also built a custom stand so it could hook up the recreated 4.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder to its modern-day engine dynamometers for break-in. Now that this prototype has been completed, Bentley will begin testing it for durability. The planned testing should recreate just under 22,000 miles of regular driving and nearly 5,000 miles of track driving. The company will also do a top speed run with it. Once testing is complete, Bentley will start building the 12 customer cars, all of which have been sold and specified. While many are likely excited about this new Bentley, there are a handful of car enthusiasts that probably don't share the excitement. Earlier this year, several of these wealthy enthusiasts, including fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, sent a letter to Bentley expressing concerns that these continuation cars will reduce the value, both monetary and intrinsic, of the original cars. The complaint obviously hasn't had an effect on Bentley's plans. Related Video: