2013 Bentley Continental Gt Speed Le Mans Edition on 2040-cars

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Bentley opening new R&D center in Crewe

The world's fastest lorries. That's how Ettore Bugatti referred to cars from Bentley back in the day, employing the British term for trucks, long before the two became sister companies. Those immortal words will come true when Bentley launches its new SUV, which promises not only to be the most luxurious and prestigious but also the first to crack the 200-mile-per-hour mark. But it won't come without its share of investment. Bentley and its parent company Volkswagen will surely have invested untold millions to bring the luxury crossover to market, but the vehicle itself isn't the only major investment the British automaker and its German owners will have made when it does. Bentley is also embarking upon an unprecedented expansion of its headquarters in Crewe. The massive expansion plan, budgeted at over $60 million, will create over 300 new jobs and include the creation of a new research and development center on site. The facility will cover a good half-million square feet and include a design studio, R&D offices and technical workshops that will be home to some 1,300 engineers and will be "the latest step in preparing Bentley's infrastructure to bring the world's first ultra-luxury SUV to roads in 2016." Bentley may undertake some of the SUV's production at home in Crewe, but much of the work is expected to be completed alongside the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne in Slovakia. The expansion plan was announced by Bentley chief Wolfgang Durheimer (also CEO of Bugatti) while George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer (Britain's equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury or most any other government's Minister of Finance) was visiting Crewe. "Bentley is an iconic British Brand that exports around the world. Their decision to create another 300 jobs in R&D on a new site providing close to 1,000 new jobs is fantastic news for Crewe and for Britain," said Osborne. "The investment will not only create jobs at Bentley, but support many more through suppliers across the UK." MULTI-MILLION POUND SITE EXPANSION BRINGS NEW JOBS TO BENTLEY - GBP40 million planned investment into Bentley headquarters in Crewe - New research and development centre to house 1,300 Bentley engineers - 300 new roles created (Crewe, 4 December 2014) Today, Bentley has announced the latest phase in the biggest site development in the company's history.

Tesla Model S Plaid takes first in class at Pikes Peak

Tesla celebrated a victory in the Exhibition class at the 2021 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Sunday, laying down a 6:57.220 pass on the famous uphill time attack – good enough for 10th place overall – in the hands of pro driver Randy Pobst.  Pobst documented the attempt in the above video and called the Unplugged Performance Model S race car "the most bad-to-the-bone electric car ever made," praising its performance. Note that the race car uses an old-fashioned, round steering wheel ... because it's better. Though this year's climb was held on a course that was shortened due to weather conditions farther up the mountain, Tesla's attempt paid off quite handsomely yet again.  Things were not so rosy for Bentley, which finished second to sister brand Porsche in the Time Attack 1 class. Bentley driver Rhys Millen was hoping to nail down the third and final course record to complete its triple crown with its bonkers Continental GT3 Pikes Peak racer, but Romain Dumas spoiled their fun in the 2019 Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport, knocking off the bigger Bentley with a few seconds to spare. Bentley's finish was still strong enough for 4th overall despite the disappointment. Related video:

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: