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Bentley officially returns to racing at Gulf 12hr

For a company with a tendency to name its cars after parts of the Circuit de la Sarthe like Arnage and Mulsanne, Bentley sure has been gone from endurance sportscar racing for a long time. It famously won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times in the 1920s, but didn't come back until 68 years later to win again in 2003. That was the last time Bentley competed on the world stage... until now.
Bentley first revealed its rekindled racing ambitions with the Continental GT3 at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The car would be developed for privateer racers, and that's all led up to this point. Team M-Sport, which you may know better for having run Ford's World Rally Championship team, was charged with developing the car, and it entered the new racecar this past weekend in the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi. There, on the Yas Marina Circuit in the United Arab Emirates, the Continental GT3 diced it with GT3 versions of the likes of the Ferrari 458, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and McLaren 12C.
So how did it fare on its first time out? Well the race is split into two six-hour sessions, and the Conti finished third in the first heat (behind the AF Corse Ferrari and Black Falcon Benz) and fourth in the second (just edged out by another 458 entered by Kessel Racing). Not a bad outcome for Bentley's first race in a decade. And the Abu Dhabi race was essentially a dress rehearsal for next season when the Continental GT3 will be entered in the full 2014 Blancpain Endurance Series.

Bentley debuts the first Bentayga Hybrid in Geneva

Transcript: Bentley unveils the "world's first" luxury hybrid. Bentley revealed the Bentayga Hybrid at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. This is Bentley's first step toward eventually going fully electric. The Bentley Bentayga Plug-in Hybrid will include a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine and the "E Motor." The E Motor acts as a generator and electric motor with 3 E Modes: EV Drive, Hybrid Mode, and Hold Mode. It has an electric range of 31 miles with a charge time of 2.5 hours using an industrial connection. Or 7.5 hours using domestic household sockets. The Bentayga Hybrid will also include: traffic sign recognition, rear crossing traffic warning, top view, a 360 view of your surroundings, and park assist detection. What do you think of Bentley entering the electric world? The luxury automaker Bentley unveiled its first ever Bentayga Hybrid SUV at the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show. It's Bentley's first step into going fully electric. The 'E Motor' in the vehicle will provide an electric range of 31 miles with a charging time of 2.5 hours using an industrial connection. Want more coverage of the 2018 Geneva International Motor Show? Head over to www.autoblog.com/geneva-motor-show Green Geneva Motor Show Bentley Hybrid Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video

Bentley Continental GT 'Ultratank' makes tracks in Russia. Literally

When the automotive news cycle last turned its attention to Russia, it was to celebrate the maniacs who'd linked three cheap four-cylinder engines to create a 12-cylinder Lada. Our newest visit to the motherland is for the diametric opposite: a first-generation Bentley Continental GT placed on a custom set of heavy duty tracks. Created by Russian YouTube channel AcademeG, the navy blue mutant is called the Ultratank, and its waiting for its close-up in the Akira sequel. Chronicling the build began last August, sometime after AcademeG's presenter bought the cheapest Continental GT he could find. Seems that kind of purchase is a cautionary tale in Russia as much as it is here, because the Bentley's 6.0-liter, twin-turbo W12 needed a list of expensive repairs, starting with new turbos. It appears that was the cue to throw out the whole engine, drivetrain, and frame. AcademeG took the coupe to Swap-Point, who replaced the stock motor with Toyota's Japanese-market 4.3-liter V8 used in the Toyota Crown Majesta, Celsior, and Soarer and Lexus GS, LS, and SC 430. The engine sends power to a solid rear axle only through a torque converter automatic. From there, the twist is transferred to a set of heavy vehicle tracks measuring 98.4 inches long. The Bentley's passenger tub and upper portions mostly survived the transformation, but tube-frame construction replaced the stock architecture front and rear. Nine months later, the Ultratank has taken its first steps. The Russians took their baby into the woods to play, and - watched by some goats and shepherds - proved they got it mostly right in spite of a few issues. Running on treads is often done best in low revs, but the engine doesn't like low revs. There wasn't enough tension on the tracks, and the rubber nubs aligning the tracks with the wheels aren't substantial enough, so the tracks rolled off the wheels during hard cornering. And there are no brakes. Slowing down requires sawing at the wheel, which brakes the inside tread as the Ultratank starts to turn. Even so, the vehicle and the test were declared a success. The team will tune the engine, add doors and tweak the tracks, but according to YouTube's Russian translation, "everything is simply ideal." You can check out the entire build while awaiting updates on the next big changes, including a higher top speed: The Ultratank tops out at 31 miles per hour now, and AcademeG wants to double that.