2010 Bentley Continental Gt Speed on 2040-cars

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Ares Design Coupe for the Bentley Mulsanne is the grand tourer we dream about

Bentley exited the grand coupe business when it made the last of 550 Brooklands models in 2011. The UK carmaker said it will make 19 examples of the Mulsanne Grand Convertible, but that doesn't count as a coupe. So when a U.S. Mulsanne owner wanted his Bentley with a roof but a touch less four-door-y, he went to Italian coachbuilders Ares Design. And not only did Ares do the thing, they did it magnificently. The resulting two-door is called the Ares Design Coupe for the Bentley Mulsanne, and the first of them was just handed over in Beverly Hills in time for a Pebble Beach appearance. Modena-based Ares started with a three-dimensional scan of the sedan, then reworked that CAD file into the coupe they sought by changing just about everything behind the A-pillars. A reprofiled roof replaces the old one, and it falls into a new backlight and longer rear decklid. The engineers moved the B-pillars rearward to install longer front doors, and fabricated new side impact protection for the portals and rear quarter panels. New chrome surrounds on the windows maintain the look as if from Crewe. Yet because the roof and doors are made from carbon fiber, they contribute to the coupe's 992-pound overall weight loss compared to the donor four-door. Inside, Ares replaced the front seats with more rakish thrones, redesigned the interior trim panels to flow with the body style, and matched the wood and leather as if all were factory original. Under the unchanged hood, a tuned ECU means the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 produces more than 591 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque, both healthy improvements on the stock 505 hp and 752 lb-ft. Completing the transformation, the coupe sits 20 millimeters lower on "a sportier suspension." One report said that a friend of the California owner likes the car so much that a second two-door has already been commissioned. Ares charges $460,000 for the service, to start, and it takes about six weeks. And no, that price doesn't include the donor Bentley. However, that's a lot less than Bentley would charge to make the swap, since the carmaker won't make the actual car. The Italian firm said it wants to keep volumes "ultra-low," yet, "As long as [Bentley] don't make one, we will continue." Although we haven't spoken much of Ares here outside of their Tesla Model S wagon, the firm led by ex- Lotus boss Dany Bahar has kept busy in its four years of operation.

Bentley debating production of either Speed 6 or smaller SUV

A fifth model is coming to the Bentley range, and after the EXP10 Speed 6 concept dropped jaws and a whole lot more at this year's Geneva Motor Show, observers expected the luscious green coupe to get the go-ahead. Yet, since January, Bentley has publicly mulled a new SUV smaller than the coming Bentayga that would "to attract more women and younger buyers to the brand." Now, the firm's marketing director is in the midst of a global research to work up a business case for each model that will decide the matter. The growth of the SUV market and the success of more affordable models forces Bentley to consider the potential money stacks provided by an even more price-friendly entry. The SUV is helped by the fact that it could be built on the same MSB platform that would support a production version of the EXP10 Speed 6. It looks like this is another cage match between heart and incontrovertible business case, yet a nod to the SUV wouldn't necessarily kill the Speed 6, only delay it. The investment for a fifth model begins after the Bentayga goes on sale at the end of this year, with 2020 or 2021 suggested as the production date for whichever new model comes next. There's no reason the Speed 6 couldn't come after that, even though we - and a bunch of potential customers - know the model we'd choose to build right now. According to Autocar, it might take up to two years for a decision. And either model will be draining enough of the company's time, talent, and resources as to mitigate a super-high-performance Continental variant, as we reported earlier. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept: Geneva 2015 View 9 Photos News Source: AutocarImage Credit: Drew Phillips / AOL Bentley Coupe Crossover SUV Concept Cars Luxury Performance bentley bentayga bentley exp 10 speed 6

2017 Bentley Bentayga officially revealed

The Bentayga is not only Bentley's first production SUV, but the fastest and most powerful one in the business. It's been a long time coming, but it's finally here. The Bentayga is not only Bentley's first production SUV, but the fastest and most powerful one in the business. Set to make its grand debut at the fast-approaching Frankfurt Motor Show, the all-new Bentley Bentayga is the redesigned successor to the EXP 9 F concept that debuted to lukewarm reception back at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The design bears all of Bentley's hallmarks, albeit applied to a taller form that shouldn't be unfamiliar to Range Rover owners. It certainly looks better than the original concept, but we'll reserve final judgment until we see it in person next week. Up front we find four round LED headlamps, the outer set taking an outline not unlike those we saw on the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. Bentley says that rear haunch panel represents the largest single-piece aluminum pressing in the industry – said another way, it allows the Bentayga to be 520 pounds lighter than a non-aluminum construction. Glass panels account for nearly 60 percent of the roof's surface, and a hands-free tailgate gives access not only to a large cargo bay, but a folding seat for enjoying the view wherever the ultra-luxe sport-ute takes you. The Bentayga will get you there in a hurry, too, thanks to a powerful W12 engine. It's got both direct and indirect injection, cylinder deactivation, and a stop/start system with coasting mode. The net result is an output quoted at 600 horsepower and 663 pound-feet of torque. Mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, this engine will rocket the Bentayga to 60 miles per hour in four seconds flat and on to a top speed of 187 miles per hour. It's the fastest production SUV in the world. Bentley intends to launch a seven-seat version, a higher performance Speed model, and more efficient diesel and hybrid variants. The Bentayga also features a four-mode adjustable air suspension, electronic active roll control, and electric power-assisted variable steering. It's also got predictive, adaptive cruise control, traffic sign recognition, rear crossing traffic warning, hill descent control, around-view monitor, and available park assist, electronic night vision, and head-up display systems. The driver controls everything via a large dial in the center console, which also handles drive modes and traction management.