I suppose it might come as a surprise, if you haven’t read a newspaper or watched any TV in the last six months or so, that the luxury car market is collapsing.  But what’ll really surprise you is the depth to which it’s falling.  For instance, the total sales for luxury car sales this year has fallen fully one third from this time last year.

A third of the market, just gone.  That’s bad enough for anybody, but he luxury car makers aren’t taking this lying down, no sir or ma’am as the case may be.

A recent BMW marketing push, for example, pointed out that its diesel sedans were the most fuel-efficient in their class.  And Bentley offered up incredible financing rates on its catastrophically priced car that was almost the same deal as a GM pickup’s rate.

I’m not really surprised that luxury car makers are finding things tough in the new economy–when pundits bust out lines like “frugal is the new black”, you really have to wonder about the whole mess.  But this may be a sign of much more systemic weakness in the overall economy, and that’s something we’ll all have to watch for.

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What you see above is Bentley’s recently announced 2011 Muslanne. If you have to ask the price, then you probably can’t afford it seeing how it is a Bentley and it is brand new.

Anyways, under the hood of this vehicle is an 8 cylinder 6.75 liter twin turbocharged engine capable of 505 horsepower and 752 pounds-per-feet of torque. Transmission wise the Mulsanne is to feature a paddle shifting 8 speed transmission. Futhermore, it will feature carbon ceramic brakes and 20-inch wheels.

Like I said before, if you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it. But that doesn’t even matter, because Bentley has yet to announce a price, we’ll keep you posted.

via autoblog

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Bentley and Rolls Royce owners who are looking for that hard to find spare part may be in for a treat with this special announcement. Apparently there will be an open house at the Crewe factory for all Bentley and Rolls Royce models ranged from 1955 to 2002.

With so much inventory and parts available, you are bound to find that part you are looking for. This event comes in the midst of the expected release of the Grand Bentley next month, one of the reasons why the factory must be cleaned up from old stocks and parts.

Everything associated with the two models are for sale. So if you have been unsuccessful in landing that elusive car part, here is your chance.

(Source) Luxist

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Bentley’s Continental Supersports is an absolute beast with it’s 6.0-liter W12 twin tubocharged engine that is capable of a maxium output of 630HP and a 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.7 seconds.

All of this makes the Continental Supersports the fastest production vehicle that Bentley has ever created. Anyways, the above video was taken at the Goodwood Festival of speed and showcases said car zooming around a track to showcase its immense power.

I think it’s needless to say but, I want one.

via WorldCarFans

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Now, it’s not very often that you get your hands on an expensive car with the soul purpose of covering it in artwork. However, artist Romero Britto got just that chance with a Bentley Continental GT nonetheless.

Nothing has been done under the hood but as you can see it’s been covered with white squiggles and all sorts of other artwork sure to make any collector drool.

This peice of art will be auctioned off after Britto’s Come to my World exhibition taking place in Berlin from July 10th to September 6th.

Read (WorldCarFans)

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Considering a Bentley already brings speed into mind. But if you get a special edition Bentley, you know you are getting more than just speed on the standard one. Such is the case for this new Bentley, which combines splendor with speed.

The new Birkin Edition Continental GT Bentley boasts of an additional 90 horsepower, and can go as fast as 62 MPH in just 4.9 seconds. This and the specialized look that it brings makes this special edition worth every penny for the additional dollars needed to get one. The Birkin Edition Continental GT Bentley comes at $30,000.

Features:

• Four-pipe sport exhaust system
• Classically-designed 21″ inch Bimoto alloy wheels
• electronically-controlled system to lower the vehicle for better performance and handling

(Source) Luxist

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Bentley recently said good-bye to its Arnage flagship, but the company still has enterprising plans for the future, with a new ‘super’ Arnage expected to begin production by the end of next year. Bigger, faster and more luxurious, a near production ready concept is rumored to be revealed at this August’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The current Arnage is showing its age versus modern super-luxury competitors like the Rolls Royce Phantom and Maybach sedans.

Code named “Project Kimberly”, the new model will be based off an altered version of Audi’s modular platform used for a host of models ranging from the next A8 flagship to the A4  sedan. However, the Bentley will sport its own unique V8 powertrain with drive sent to the rear wheels via ZF’s new 8-speed automatic. A replacement for the Arnage T may also in the works, but don’t expect it to have the Bugatti Veyron’s W16 engine as previously reported.

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There are reports that the owners of a New York car dealership, specializing in Bentleys and Aston Martins, have been accused of corporate espionage against rival Ferrari and Maserati dealers. The charges concern some illegal ‘e-mail tapping’ attempted by the Bentley/Aston Martin dealer, in which they gained unauthorized access to a New York Ferrari dealer’s email server about 2,500 times in 8 months last year.

The Bentley/Aston dealers were reading the emails and also contacting customers of Ferrari that were currently negotiating with them. The maximum penalty, if the Bentley/Aston dealer is found guilty, could amount to 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

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Bentley is confident that its customer base will be ready to purchase again as early as next year. In fact, this luxury British brand is so sure that it is bumping up its release dates for its future product cycle by about half a year which means that the successor to the popular Bentley Continental GT may be coming as early as next year.

While the next-generation Bentley Continental GT coupe will probably arrive by next year, it will be followed by replacements for the Continental Flying Spur four-door sedan, in addition to the GTC convertible version. Also expected next year is a replacement for the Arnage which is expected to roll in as a new super-luxury model towards the end of the year.

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Pearl White Bentley Flying Spur

Project Kahn, UK’s leading modifier of exotic cars, has completed their latest project, which is an exquisite Pearl White Bentley Flying Spur. As with most Project Kahn designs, the main focus is in the wheels. Project Kahn feels these 22-inch White Mist diamond cut alloy wheels are the most intersting feature of the car.

 According to the company, these wheels enhance the Bentley’s graceful curves while showing off the vehicle’s well-defined style. This vehicle is also outfitted with Kahn’s quilted leather and an electronic lowering module. The suspension is lowered by 20 mm and can be adjusted according to customers needs.

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The limited-edition 2009 Bentley Brooklands is a four-seat superior luxury coupe that comes in only one trim, but of course, it’s loaded up with standard features. Continuing on with Bentley’s race-winning heritage, the Brooklands carries a 6.8-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that comes from the Brooklands’ companions- the Arnage and the Azure. Its official output is 530 hp and 774 pound-feet of torque while that may seem like overkill, keep in mind that the V8 has some serious weight to cart around.

The Brooklands is 17 feet+ long and weighs nearly 3 tons. Without a doubt, this Bentley makes a statement. It is a contemporary representation of a bygone automotive era when women wore long flowing dresses and wealthy gentlemen desired a large, luxurious coupe that was supremely stately, yet powerful. Regardless of what they are wearing, todays driver will need to come up with at least the base price of $348,085.

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“Chicks Dig The Car! Well if you want to go a bit into it, it should be “Chicks dig the Bentley”. The Telegraph writes up a study that showed women pictures of the same man sitting in two cars, a silver Bentley Continental and a battered Ford Fiesta. Surprise, surprise the women, who were aged between 21 to 40, chose the man in the Bentley.

The research from Dr, Michael Dunn, of the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff, has been published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Psychology. His study also shows that men are more impressed by how a woman looks than what she drives.

Dr. Dunn says that women still look for wealth and status because they are seeking a man in “better condition to rear healthy offspring.” He says that this basic human trait is not likely to change even as women acquire more independence and wealth. Dr. Dunn, who drives an old Ford himself, will now do research to find out if luxury items help make up for “the attractiveness-diminishing effects of age.”

(Source) Telegraph.co.uk

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Bentley has a new two-seater ready to be presented at the Geneva Motor Show. It’s the Continental Supersports which is said to be greener than meets the eye. This Bentley will offer 621 brake horsepower, 590 lb-ft of torque and a 0 to 60 time of only 3.7 seconds. Will this thing fly? The engine has smart sensor to monitor gasoline/methanol use, and the power and torque will remain constant, no matter what the ratio is. The car is 110 pounds lighter than its 4-seater counterpart. The Continental Supersports also puts carbon fiber to good use and it uses the Quickshift technology which will halve gear change times.

Ready for this Bentley? Head on over to Geneva for more details.

via Press

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Approximately 220 people stand to lose their job as Bentley has announced hundreds of job cuts and layoffs amongst its workforce. Similar to what most car manufacturing companies worldwide are employing today, the British car industry is following the same path to be able to sustain operations and stay in business.

They also announced a temporary pay cut of ten per cent for its entire 3,600 workforce, including all management, from April 1 to the end of December.
(more…)

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The Bentley Zagato GTZ is not for the frailest hearts today as far as pricing is concerned. A car that costs $1.7 million dollars is no joke. While others may laugh it off, others just stare and imagine themselves driving this luxury vehicle. At this time and age, where do you get that much money?

Regardless, that is the set price for the Bentley Zagato GTZ. There will be nine examples of the Bentley Zagato GTZ manufactured for discerning plutocrats.

The GTZ leaves the engineered perfection of the Bentley Continental GT as is, merely clothing it in a Zagato treatment consisting of two-tone coachwork, a twin-bubble roof that glides into a sculpted rear window, and more added creases you could shake a Picasso.

(Source) Auto Blog

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