1991 Bentley Turbo R Base Sedan 4-door 6.7l Custom Rolls Royce Phantom Body on 2040-cars

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Bentley considering diesel engine for new SUV

Turns out, in case you didn't know, the rich are just like regular people. They too are concerned about the environment, even when tooling around town in their super-luxurious Bentleys. So the automaker is weighing the idea of offering a diesel engine in its SUV offering, which could help satisfy customers' demands for more fuel-efficient engines.
Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Schreiber told Autoblog in a roundtable interview at the Geneva Auto Show that the automaker is researching whether or not a diesel engine makes sense for the brand. Bentley, owned by the Volkswagen Group, could in theory use a diesel engine from anywhere in the Volkswagen Group family. We at Autoblog have hopes they'll revive the V10 TDI used in the VW Touareg until 2010, but ever-stricter emissions laws would likely make that problematic.
But rich people aren't so much like us that they'll be worried about petty things like pricing. Schreiber admitted the diesel engine could be a $15,000 option, which he said customers would probably find "acceptable." Given that the cheapest Bentley today starts at $177,000, typical customers probably won't be diddling around worrying about an extra 15 grand.

Bentley Bentayga bodies to be built in Bratislava

Volkswagen's plant in Bratislava, Slovakia, has come a long way. After getting its start in 1971 by subcontracting the production of Skoda-branded vehicles, the plant was purchased by VW in 1991, where it was quickly put to further good use as it began producing Volkswagen Passat models for export. More recently, Bratislava has become a bastion for SUVs, assembling the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne, in addition to the VW Touareg. Color us unsurprised, then, to learn that the Bentley Bentayga, which will be built atop the same large SUV platform as its cousins from Audi, Porsche and VW, will also be used for at least part of the production of Bentley's first SUV. Surely, though, one of the hallmarks of the Bentley brand is that its cars are handmade in England. Won't the Bentley-buying populace feel slighted by production in Slovakia? Not to worry. As is the case with the Porsche Cayenne, all that will be produced in Slovakia is the Bentayga's body. According to a report from Automotive News, bodies for the Bentayga will be shipped from Bratislava to Crewe, England, where they will be finished into fully operational vehicles. In order to accommodate the additional work, VW will reportedly invest 500 million euros into the plant in Slovakia and hire hundreds of workers.

Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak racer puts out 750 horsepower on biofuel

Bentley revealed its Continental GT3 Pikes Peak car to us earlier this year, but was short on engine details. That left us especially curious, as Bentley foreshadowed lots of modifications and a promise that it’d run on a renewable biofuel. Of course, more power than standard was expected. Today, all the details of this wild Bentley are available. Its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine will make “more than” 750 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. ThatÂ’s a 100 horsepower increase over the most potent street version of the Continental, the Continental GT Speed. HowÂ’d Bentley do it? For starters, Bentley began with the GT3 race version of its 4.0-liter V8, not the street version. But Bentley went to town on this race engine for Pikes Peak anyway. It has new pistons and connecting rods, plus the boost is turned up to 2.2 bar with larger turbos. The carbon fiber intake manifold is reinforced and made thicker than the standard one. Plus, one-off exhaust manifolds made from Inconel alloy by Akrapovic are fitted. The exhaust ultimately exits via very short pipes just behind the front wheels. Not very Bentley-like. Cooling is reinforced by a secondary cooling system positioned in the rear of the car. The rear windows are traded for air scoops that channel air through a second radiator, exhausting heat through ducts in the trunk lid. It all runs off a dedicated secondary water pump. Another change youÂ’ll find at the rear is a new driveshaft with a larger diameter for better durability. The biofuel Bentley uses is called 98RON Renewable Racing Fuel, and Bentley says it is "a dedicated blend of advanced biofuels specifically designed for motorsport, and is a technological stepping stone to sustainably-created eFuel with a greenhouse gas reduction of up to 85%." Bentley didn't say what the emissions reduction was for this specific biofuel in the Pikes Peak car. When it comes to handling, Bentley says it has significantly modified the GT3 setup. ItÂ’s running far more camber in front and rear. Softer springs and anti-roll bars were fitted to allow more body movement and maximize weight transfer for braking (keep in mind all your braking will be done while going straight uphill). Plus, the brakes themselves are newly water-cooled to handle the extreme loads that this hill climb will put on them. You can watch out for Bentley's attempt at a record on June 27, a day that will mark the 99th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.