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2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 Second Drive Review | The leathery lap of luxury

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. — I came home from Florida, unpacked, and was treated to a snowstorm the day after my vacation. As I sat in the office, watching the white stuff come down harder and harder, Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore started asking questions. “Is the Bentley in the basement?” he asked, referring to the $280,000 Continental GT V8 that I was supposed to drive home that evening. Later, “What kind of tires are on the Bentley?” I wasnÂ’t too nervous yet. It was on all-seasons, and was equipped with all-wheel drive. After more hours of blowing snow, he said to me, “If you want to punt on driving the Bentley until the weatherÂ’s better, thatÂ’s fine.” Punt I did, taking the 2020 Toyota 4Runner TRD Off-Road Premium home that night instead. The next day, after the plows, salt trucks and sunshine had done their thing to the roads, I finally got to scratch the Bentley itch that had been nagging me since I had landed in Detroit. I grabbed the weighty key fob, Autoblog Associate Producer Alex Malburg grabbed a camera and mic, and we headed down to the basement together to film the video you see above. Opening the door to the 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 greets you with a big white “B” illuminated on the ground from the puddle light, surrounded by a yellow circle. I don't recall seeing another multi-colored puddle light before, but IÂ’ll remember this one. We got in the Bentley, fired it up, and gingerly crept out of the basement garage. Before exiting, I made sure to give the car a few revs, but there wasnÂ’t much to hear from inside the cabin. Despite the lack of volume, the 4.0-liter V8 is potent. With 542 horsepower, itÂ’s just shy of the 552 horses of the original Conti GTÂ’s W12, and it out-torques it at 568 pound-feet. Helping to motivate it is a pair of twin-scroll turbochargers. As Alex and I took the Bentley for a cruise down Woodward Avenue, I got to test its straight-line acceleration at stoplight after stoplight. Despite the BentleyÂ’s 5,000-pound curb weight, itÂ’s brisk, but also smooth. ThereÂ’s no noticeable turbo lag as it motivates itself toward extralegal speeds. Bentley claims itÂ’ll do 0-60 in 3.9 seconds. There was no way IÂ’d get this thing anywhere near its 198-mph top speed. 2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 First Edition View 24 Photos The big V8Â’s sound doesnÂ’t intrude inside. ThereÂ’s no constant drone, and you only really hear it when you get on the gas.

Bavaria-themed Bentley Continental GT Convertible has a blue top and blue interior

The online configurator for the Bentley Continental GT Convertible offers seven different roof colors, but Imperial Blue is not one of them. It's a specialty product only Mulliner could provide, and it's one of the key features of the new Continental GT Convertible Bavaria Edition. Only one example will be built, making it an instant collector item. Envisioned by Bentley Director of Design Stefan Sielaff, the theme for the Bavaria edition is appropriately white and blue in honor of the German region's flag. Officially, the car wears Glacier White paint, an Imperial Blue top, and 22-inch Mulliner Driving Specification wheels. It also has a bright chrome lower bumper grille, and a chrome-bordered Bavarian flag emblem with Mulliner Bespoke White and Light Blue Sport enamel on the front fender. The interior is just as elegantly pretty. Reverse of the exterior, it predominately features Imperial Blue leather with Linen contrast piping and stitching, and a pearly Mulliner Glacier White veneer dashboard. A branded treadplate plaque and flag headrest stitching add extra special touches. Hand-built by Mulliner, the special-edition car will be shown at an exclusive event at the Munich Bentley dealership. There is no mention of a price or which customer will take ownership of the Bavaria Edition.

Inkas reveals armored Bentley Bentayga for risky VIPs

Inkas Armored Vehicle Manufacturing has unveiled what it is billing as the first commercially available armored Bentley Bentayga, a week after we saw the armored X5 Protection VR6 straight from BMW. It can be equipped with up to level B6 protection, so it can withstand shots from a 7.62 mm round fired from an assault rifle. The first example has already been purchased for approximately $500,000.  Inkas, which is based in Toronto, lists armoring services for a number of different vehicles including the Toyota Camry, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or even Ford Transit vans. And now, it offers a service for Bentley's luxurious and performance-minded Bentayga SUV.  Inkas offers two routes for its customers. An interested consumer can bring a car in and have it outfitted exactly the way he or she wants. Or, the customer can tell Inkas what he or she is looking for, and Inkas will source and build the entire project, including finding the right vehicle. For the Bentayga, specifically, armor options start at $130,000, and fully sourced projects can range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as previously noted.  Standard armor for each project includes a safety shell for passengers, multi-layer bullet-resistant glass, battery and ECU protection, reinforced door hinges, a reinforced suspension, and run-flat tires. Inkas says the B6 level of armor is meant to stop armor piercing rounds, but it could also protect from grenade blasts.  Inkas also offers the options to equip the Bentayga with a lightweight armor package, a PA system, heavy duty brakes, emergency lights, a fire supression system, and heavy duty wheels. We imagine most orders tick all the boxes.  Take a look inside the world's first bulletproof Bentley Bentayga made by INKAS® Armored Vehicle Manufacturing #bulletproof #bentley #bentayga #wolrdfirst #inkas #armored pic.twitter.com/rmrsXK7Nyv — INKAS Vehicles (@inkasvehicles) August 28, 2019