EPA Rates 2013 Bentley Continental GT V-8 at 15/24 MPG City/Highway

With upcoming CAFE standards looming, all automakers are scrambling to reduce their fleet’s average fuel economy. The upcoming 2013 Bentley Continental GT V-8 should definitely help out the British brand thanks to its EPA rating of 15 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.

By comparison, the W-12-powerd Conti is rated at 12/19 mpg city/highway, which is on par with the four-wheel drive Cadillac Escalade SUV (13/18). The Conti V-8’s fuel efficiency is even more impressive when you consider that it tips the scales at 5059 pounds, almost 300 pounds more than the 500-hp Porsche Cayenne Turbo that’s rated at 15/22 mpg city/highway.

For a more apples to apples comparison, the V-8-powered Continental GT is more efficient than the Aston Martin Vantage V-8 (14/21) and bests the Jaguar XKR-S on the highway by two miles (15/22). It’s also on par with the much lighter -- by 1109 pounds! -- 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL550 (16/24).

The relatively economical 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 was co-developed with Audi and is similar to the one slated for the upcoming 2013 Audi S8 sedan. Fuel-saving features include direct injection, cylinder deactivation, and a new eight-speed automatic that sends power to all four wheels. It’s also very fast, with a factory-estimated 0-60 mph time of 4.8 seconds, just two tenths of a second behind the W-12.

Will fuel economy be enough to sway buyers from the Conti W-12? Well, the V-8 weighs just 55 pounds less and is expected to be priced 10 percent cheaper. With bragging rights being important at this price point, just to be able to say that you have a W-12 may be worth the sacrifice.

Source: EPA

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Five Minutes With: Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber

Bentley CEO Wolfgang Schreiber has been on the job for less than a year but faces critical decisions. He must determine the future of the Continental line and, along with new head designer Luc Donckerwolke, has to fix the disastrous EXP 9F crossover. We sat down with him at the Detroit auto show, where Bentley is showing the GT Speed convertible, to discuss what lies ahead for the brand.

On the Bentley SUV:

“Luc Donckerwolke is a professional. He can easily adapt what is now necessary to improve for Bentley. He is already very concentrated working on the SUV.

“We’re working on it. Not only the stylists but also all development guys and purchasing guys. We are concentrating, to do steps we would do if we had the final release. We are very confident we’ll get that final release within the next weeks or months. We also see a strong business case. We collected 2000 preorders from customers for such a car, without having seen the final styling.”

On the changes from the concept

“If you would see it now, you would see definitely differences. It is more refined. The exterior and interior is still a work in progress, but it is different from the Geneva car.

“It is still an SUV, I can tell you that. From the dimensional point of view, it is not completely different.”

On weight:

“To be honest our customers do not complain about the weight of our car. We all know that our cars are not lightweights. But on the other hand, it is always a question of feeling. And our cars have enough power [and] enough torque to accelerate effortlessly. Therefore, weight is more a thing for us from the engineering point of view.

“For sure, we’ll do everything to reduce the weight in the future, with our midterm successor of the Continental. But to reduce the weight by 1 ton or so would give a completely different car, and you’ve got different customers. The current customers would not be happy.”

On future sales:

We think and absolutely believe we can have a double-digit growth this year. [Bentley sold 8510 vehicles in 2012, a 22 percent improvement from the year before]. Double digit begins with ten [laughs]. 2018, our long-term volume goal is 15,000, but there’s something we should mention: volume is not the main issue for us.  We know we need that volume, but first of all we try to fulfill all the requirements of our customer perfectly, and then we want to earn money with that approach. We are not a volume brand. [For the SUV] I want to say something about 3000 or 4000 a year.”

On whether the next Continental will ride on the same platform as the Porsche Panamera:

“First of all, we have relatively new cars on the new platform. So our range is more or less new. It is not necessary to get in a hurry and decide things without very deep investigation. Within this year we have to decide whether we go this or that direction.”

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Report: 2013 Bentley Continental GTC Speed Appears Before Debut

We know that the 2013 Bentley Continental GTC Speed wouldn't be too far behind its GT coupe sibling. Now, ahead of its debut at the 2013 Detroit auto show, we've gotten our first glimpse at the faster droptop.

Despite the deep shade of Barney purple, the 2013 GTC Speed still looks quite regal. The big difference between the Speed and lesser GTC models is the powerplant – we can assume that the GTC will use the same turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 as the coupe good for 616 hp, 590 lb-ft of torque, a 0-to-60-mph run of around four seconds, and a top speed near (if not cresting) the 200-mph mark. An eight-speed automatic transmission will send that furious power to all four wheels.

Aesthetic upgrades to the GTC Speed over the "regular" GTC look to be minimal. Only discerning enthusiasts will be able to tell the Speed apart from the normal W12 model by spotting the chrome surrounds for head- and taillights, W12 fender badging, and different wheels. The coupe also receives unique interior trim, "Speed" sill plates, and optional carbon ceramic brakes, all of which we should show up on the convertible as well.

Pricing for the Continental GT Speed begins at $215,000; expect a price tag somewhere north of that for the GTC Speed when it goes on sale next year. Look for more official details upon the car's unveiling in a few weeks at the Detroit auto show.

Source: Flickr

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New York 2012: The Bentley Boys Defend The EXP 9 F SUV Concept

I just interviewed Christophe Georges, President & COO of Bentley in North and South America, and Darren Day, a longtime Bentley designer, in a private room on the Bentley stand at Javits. Both of these Bentley Boys are steadfast in their defense of the Bentley EXP 9 F sport-utility concept that debuted a month ago at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

"Reaction has been largely positive," claims Georges. "We have started product clinics in the United States and China, and we already did one in Geneva, where the vehicle was well received by potential customers."

To my assertion that the EXP 9 F lacks the grace and proportion of the Mulsanne sedan and the new Continental GT coupe, both Georges and Day point out that neither I nor anyone else ever saw a concept version of those cars before they reached production. "You haven't seen the process by which we develop and refine," says Day. "We didn't show that in the past, because we didn't have concept vehicles." He continues: "Generally, what we like to do is put a car on the show stand and tell our customers, here, you can buy this. But with the SUV, it's such a different market."

"I don't think you should worry about the front of the car or any other design details," asserts Day, who was in charge of the EXP 9 F's interior but has also worked on various Bentley exteriors during his eighteen-year career at the luxury automaker. "I know that, once we go into production, this car will be a fabulous vehicle. We will listen to our customers and to the media and the design will be inherently Bentley."

Bentley President Georges admonishes that the company has to be ahead of design trends, and to anticipate what future customers will like several years from now. "If you love a car concept today," he says, "that doesn't mean you will like a vehicle in 2015."

To that, I would say that, if I don't like a concept SUV in 2012 because its front styling is garish and looks like something done by a knockoff Chinese car company, I most certainly am not going to like it in 2015. Be that as it may, I would say that, despite Bentley's fierce defense of the Geneva concept, the vehicle is likely to undergo enough revisions over the next three years that it will, I hope, look a lot better in production form.

"The concept we've shown is one possible scenario as to how a Bentley SUV can look," assures Day. "It's simply a chance for the press and public to view possible scenarios."

As for the public, they won't get to see the Bentley EXP 9 F at the New York Auto Show, because it's being shown only to a select group of potential customers in private venues. However, Georges denies that the vehicle is missing from Bentley's Javits stand due to any backlash it might have received at Geneva. "Our stand here is simply not big enough to show it," he says, "but it will be seen publicly at several places in America this year, including Pebble Beach in August."

"Of course, some people will like the [SUV concept] less than others," remarks the suave Frenchman Georges. "But I'm very proud of what we've done."

For more on the 2012 New York International Auto Show, including videos, the latest photos, and more information, click here to visit our New York show homepage.

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Bentley Shows Off Mulsanne Convertible Concept at Pebble Beach

At 189.2 inches long, the Bentley Continental GTC isn’t exactly a small convertible by any stretch of the imagination. That said, Bentley hasn’t built a truly large convertible, one based off its large, flagship sedan platform since the Azure T died in late 2010. That may soon change, if this new Mulsanne Convertible Concept is any indication.

According to Bentley, it very may well be. The company describes the Mulsanne Convertible Concept allows its design team to “provide a glimpse into the potential future of the marque’s flagship family.”

Apart from losing two doors and a fixed roof structure, the Mulsanne Convertible Concept differs from its sedan siblings by way of rear sheetmetal. The crisp, tapered tail is familiar, but the rear fender forms appear to be bespoke to the convertible: instead of gently fading into the car’s beltline, they appear to drastically arch downward, much like those on vintage S1-S3 Continental drophead coupes. In Bentley-speak, they “convey a sense of power and movement.”

Speaking of which, the Mulsanne Convertible Concept likely utilizes the exact same powertrain as its Mulsanne sedan sibling. For the time being, that means we’d wager on finding Bentley’s 6.8-liter twin-turbocharged V-8, which produces 505 hp at 4200 rpm and a whopping 752 lb-ft at 17500 rpm. We don’t expect the Mulsanne Convertible to be much lighter than the 5700-lb sedan, but perhaps enough to whittle some time off the sedan’s 5.1-second 0-60 mph time.

So, is this truly a concept, or should we see yet another convertible grace the Bentley portfolio in the near future? Seeing as Bentley spent this past weekend privately showing the car to clientele at the Pebble Beach Concours, it’s a safe bet the Mulsanne Convertible is headed to production – especially since Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer proclaims the Convertible as a means to “extend the appeal of the Mulsanne family while enhancing the profile of the brand in new and emerging markets.”

Source: Bentley.

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Top 10 Heaviest 2013 Coupes

The two-door coupe is traditionally the body style associated with sporty and exotic cars. While that's still mostly true today, entries like the two-door Mini Paceman and giant luxury cars from Rolls-Royce blur the lines a little bit. As a result, not every new coupe is a featherweight sports car -- some weigh more than SUVs or pickup trucks. Here are the ten heaviest coupes on sale today.

1. 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed / GT W-12 -- 6063 pounds

Price (including destination): $215,000 / $193,250

The Bentley Continental GT Speed has a lot of big numbers on its specifications sheet: 616 hp, a top speed of 205 mph, and a curb weight of 6063 pound. It's the latter number that earns the Bentley Continental range the top spot on our list of portly coupes. Much of the Speed's weight comes from its beefy engine, a 6.0-liter W-12 with two turbochargers. The Continental GT W-12 tips the scales at the same lofty 6063-pound figure, as it uses the same twin-turbo W-12 engine but in a lower state of tune. There is, however, a much skinnier model: the new Continental GT V-8 uses a smaller, lighter twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 that keeps the car's mass to just 5060 pounds. Why are the cars so heavy? Primarily because they have eight-speed automatic transmissions and all-wheel drive, and because they're filled to the brim with luxury appointments like wood and leather trim. Bentley also offers convertible versions of the Continental GT, called the GTC, which are even heavier.

2. 2013 Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé -- 5688 pounds

Price: $433,895

Even though it stretches 220.8 inches long and spans 78.2 inches wide, the Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupé isn't the heaviest coupe on sale today -- but it's pretty close. The massive, majestic two-door body contains a 6.7-liter V-12 engine good for 453 hp and 531 lb-ft, channeled through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ornate details abound: the hood and windshield frame are made from exposed stainless steel, the rear-hinged doors can be closed with the touch of a button, and there's even an optional headliner with twinkling LEDs meant to mimic starlight. Despite a lightweight aluminum body, filling the interior with hand-prepared wood, leather, and chrome keeps the Phantom Coupé’s mass high. And even with all that mass to move around, the V-12 engine still propels the Rolls to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and on to a top speed of 155 mph. Given the fact the car is built by hand and offers that much capability, it's no wonder the Phantom Coupé is the most expensive entry on this list.

3. 2013 Mercedes-Benz CL65 AMG -- 5027 pounds

Price: $214,105

The Mercedes CL-Class shows, like the previous two entries, that a big twelve-cylinder engine usually leads to a heavy car. In the case of the CL65 AMG, it's a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V-12 that churns out 621 hp and 738 lb-ft. A five-speed automatic transmission directs that power to a pair of 20-inch wheels and tires at the rear axle. Mercedes says 60 mph arrives in just 4.3 seconds, and top speed is limited to 186 mph. This is a seriously fast coupe despite its prodigious weight. There are, of course, three other versions of the CL-Class that are somewhat lighter, but still none are featherweights. The CL550 measures just 4619 pounds, equipped with its 429-hp, twin-turbo 4.7-liter V-8 engine. The CL600 has a 510-hp 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 and weighs 4894 pounds. And finally, the CL63 AMG comes in at 4894 pounds and packs a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 good for 536 hp.

4. 2013 BMW 650i xDrive -- 4387 pounds

Price: $89,395

The heftiest version of the BMW 6-Series coupe is not the boisterous, 560-hp BMW M6 coupe, but the only all-wheel-drive model. The 650i xDrive tips the scales at 4387 pounds, 154 heavier than its rear-wheel-drive version and 386 pounds more than the six-cylinder 640i coupe. The xDrive system accounts for most of the extra mass, although it does make the stylish coupe more appealing to buyers in regions that get snow. Its twin-turbo 4.4-liter V-8 produces 400 hp and 450 lb-ft, and while the xDrive edition is offered only with an eight-speed automatic, buyers of the rear-wheel-drive 650i can also opt for a six-speed manual transmission.

5. 2013 Cadillac CTS-V automatic -- 4255 pounds

Price: $65,410

Adding the "V" suffix to a Cadillac CTS coupe means installing a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine, hefty performance suspension, Brembo brakes, available Recaro bucket seats, and more aggressive bodywork, all of which bumps the car's mass up to 4255 pounds when fitted with a six-speed automatic transmission, or 4217 when equipped with a six-speed manual. The loud, aggressive V is also offered as a sedan and as a wagon -- the latter incredibly cool because it's the only manual-transmission, 556-hp station wagon we know of. Without all the go-fast goodies, regular versions of the Cadillac CTS coupe are considerably more svelte. Powered by a 318-hp 3.6-liter V-6, the car weighs in at 3898 with rear-wheel drive and 4096 pounds if buyers pay extra for all-wheel drive.

6. 2013 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 automatic -- 4170 pounds

Price: $44,420

Muscle cars are rarely pinnacles of lightweight construction, and the Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 is no exception. When equipped with a five-speed automatic transmission, the SRT8 392 weighs 4170 pounds. Opting for a six-speed manual transmission saves a negligible ten pounds but makes the SRT8 392 more engaging to drive. Fortunately the Challenger counters its mass with a 6.4-liter V-8 with 470 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque, which is enough to send the big coupe to 60 mph in less than five seconds. The size of the Hemi V-8 engine contributes plenty of pounds to the curb weight, but the Challenger isn't a light car to begin with. Its big footprint -- nearly as long and as wide as the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan -- means that even the lightest versions are still heavy hitters. The Challenger SXT, which has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine with 305 hp, weighs 3834 pounds. The Challenger R/T is the middle child, with a 375-hp 5.7-liter V-8 and curb weight of 4082 pounds.

7. 2013 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 -- 4120 pounds

Price: $55,250

The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is big on two things: horsepower and weight. Yet even with the focus on its 580-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, the Camaro ZL1 still manages to perform on twisty roads: the big coupe set a 7:41.27 lap on the grueling Nürburgring in Germany, a time on par with some of the world's best sports cars. The ZL1 wears a long list of aerodynamic components to reduce lift at speed, as well as strong Brembo brakes and two-mode magnetic shock absorbers. Yet all those goodies, along with interior upgrades like leather bucket seats and an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, pile on more weight. A standard Camaro coupe with the 323-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 engine weighs only 3741 to 3780 pounds, depending on trim. The Camaro SS, powered by a 426-hp, 6.2-liter V-8, is 3860 pounds with a six-speed manual transmission and 3913 with a six-speed automatic.

8. 2013 Audi RS5 -- 4009 pounds

Price: $69,795

With its 450-hp 4.2-liter V-8 engine, quick-acting dual-clutch transmission, and torque-vectoring Quattro all-wheel drive, the RS5 is the most exciting version of Audi's A5 coupe to date. It's also the heaviest version, scaling at 4009 pounds -- more than 300 pounds heavier than the regular Audi A5. Yet the weight doesn't hold back the Audi's performance potential. In a recent comparison test, it lapped Michigan's Grattan Raceway quicker than a BMW M3, Porsche Boxster S, and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG. The A5 and S5 coupes have less power, but still reward owners with a sporting driving experience wrapped in a sultry design. The A5 and S5 were mildly refreshed for the 2013 model year, with upgrades including new headlights, a new grille, electric power steering, more infotainment toys, and a supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 in place of the car's previous 4.2-liter V-8. The base A5 coupe weighs 3681 pounds, while the S5 is 3858 pounds with a six-speed manual transmission and 3924 pounds with its optional seven-speed dual-clutch.

9. 2013 Jaguar XKR / XKR-S -- 3968 pounds

Price: $98,375 / $132,875

Although a regular Jaguar XK coupe weighs only 3770 pounds, the faster XKR and XKR-S coupes tip the scales at 3968 pounds. Compared to the base XK, the performance versions add a supercharger to the 5.0-liter V-8 engine, boosting horsepower to 510 in the XKR coupe and 550 in the XKR-S. The cars also get performance equipment like stiffer suspension, larger brakes, and a rear wing, which adds even more mass to the British two-door, earning the XKR and XKR-S the number-nine spot on our list. Buyers who want a lighter -- but also considerably slower -- Jaguar coupe can opt for the base XK, which is powered by a non-supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 with 305 hp.  It weighs only 3770 pounds.

10. 2013 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG -- 3935 pounds

Price: $63,325

The C63 AMG is the heaviest version of Mercedes' C-Class coupe for one simple reason: it's got a big 6.2-liter V-8 engine under the hood. That engine produces 451 hp in standard guise or 481 hp if buyers opt for the $6050 AMG Development package, and a seven-speed automatic transmission transmits that power to the 18-inch rear wheels. Mercedes claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds for the standard car and 4.3 seconds for those with the AMG kit. Top speed is normally limited to 155 mph but raised to 174 mph with the AMG package. Other versions of the C-Class coupe are significantly lighter, owing to their smaller engines and brakes, and reduced equipment levels. The C250, which has a 201-hp, 1.8-liter turbo-four engine, weighs 3538 pounds. The 302-hp C350 coupe tips the scales at 3693 lb with rear-wheel drive and 3737 pounds with 4Matic all-wheel drive.

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Top Down, Up North: Audi A5 Cabriolet, Bentley Continental GTC, and BMW 650i Convertible

If you were the proud owner of a luxury convertible and you lived in the snowy Midwest, late January might seem like the perfect time to drive your droptop to Miami, Palm Springs, or some other sun-baked locale.

We're different.

We gathered three all-wheel-drive ragtops -- one of the first 2013 Bentley Continental GTCs, an equally fresh 2012 BMW 650i xDrive convertible, and a gracefully aging 2012 Audi A5 Quattro cabriolet -- so we could drive them four hours north (yes, north) of Ann Arbor to Montmorency County, Michigan, site of Rally America's popular season-opening Sno*Drift race.

Winter tires? Check.
Winter attire? Check.
Heated leather seats? Check.
Crock-Pot full o' chili? Check.

On Friday morning, we pull our three convertibles out of the garage of our rented log home near Mio, Michigan, and lower their tops. If there's such a thing as a perfect winter day for driving a convertible with the top down, this is it. Barely a breeze wisps through the air, the temperature is 34 degrees, and the sun is already brightening the sky. Our many layers of winter gear and the convertibles' supercomfortable heated leather seats, permafrost-solid driving demeanors, and excellent top-down wind management mean that we can fully revel in the curvy, tree-lined country roads on the forty-five-minute drive northwest to Lewiston, where the Sno*Drift Rally will commence.

We pass the shores of East Twin Lake and drive into Lewiston, where sticker-covered rally cars are already noisily blatting through town. Rally America racers must drive on public roads, at posted speeds, to get from one competition stage to another, so they're all street-legal and plated. The Sno*Drift course, which includes 241 transit miles, is made up of twenty-four competition stages encompassing 132 miles and is conducted on gravel roads temporarily closed to regular traffic. The race cars we see are heading to or from the morning's practice stage, which is also where we're going. Fittingly, this stage is a public street called Winding Road.

We've arranged to get a ride in the co-driver's seat of rally veteran Henry Krolikowski's 2000 Subaru Impreza. Krolikowski's Impreza will compete in the top class, known as Open, reserved for highly modified cars that are usually all-wheel drive and turbocharged. (Several other classes pit stock-tuned, two-wheel-drive, and/or normally aspirated cars against one another.) According to the "speed factor," which predetermines cars' starting order in the rally, this is the seventeenth-quickest car in the field. The faster cars must be completely insane, because the 2900-pound, 300-hp Subaru surges away from the starting line with almost as much authority as the 567-hp Bentley would. Then Krolikowski tosses the Subaru sideways into a slippery curve at 65 mph, and I find myself looking over my right shoulder at the road ahead. Awesome. A very tight corner comes up quickly, allowing Krolikowski to show off his car's surprising braking ability, immediately followed by an impressive display of the Impreza's ultrashort gearing (the tachometer reads 3000 rpm at 55 mph in top -- fifth -- gear, and the car maxes out at about 105 mph). At this pace, unfortunately, it doesn't take long for the practice stage's three miles to disappear behind us, but my heart is still racing when I unbuckle my five-point harness and climb out of the tight Recaro racing seat.

While I was crammed into Krolikowski's noisy, gutted race car, rally organizers and drivers were chuckling at the sight of our convertibles sitting on the side of a snow-covered road with their tops down. The threesome of topless foreign exotics attracts even more attention in "downtown" Lewiston, where the Parc Expose car show, which doubles as the opening ceremony of the Sno*Drift race, is held on the main drag. A steady stream of rally cars turns onto the street and parks in formation. Their drivers hop out and amicably chat with anyone who approaches. Formula 1 fans would be amazed by the level of accessibility to both the drivers and the cars. Top seed (and eventual winner) David Higgins signs autographs and facetiously flexes his muscles for our photographer, while other drivers and co-drivers let children sit in their cars for photos that'll be framed for a lifetime.

Some kids get even better souvenirs. Deon Rice, who hasn't missed a Sno*Drift since the inaugural event in 1973, is at Parc Expose with his four young sons and his dad, Jerry. They don't watch from designated spectator areas, instead setting up their own stations along the course. Rally America asks fans to view the event from six designated spectator areas -- five of which have no admission fee -- but with 132 miles of competition roads, it's impossible for rally marshals to stop devoted fans from finding their own spots. "We hide behind trees and stand four feet away from cars going 80 mph," Deon reveals. "While we wait for the cars to come by, we target-shoot BB guns and twenty-twos." He recounts their experience in 2008, when racing superstar Travis Pastrana drilled a deer with just eleven miles remaining in the race, abruptly halting his chance for certain victory:

"When Pastrana hit the deer, we were on the stage waiting for him. We knew something was going on because he hadn't come through. After the wrecker went by with his car, we walked down the stage, found the deer, dragged it back to our campfire. I had a pocketknife, so I processed it right there."

"So, you took the deer home?" I ask.

"No, we ate it right then and there," Deon responds, clearly annoyed to hear such an ignorant question from a downstater. "Cooked it over the fire and went back to shootin' guns and watchin' race cars."

The Rice family also found Pastrana's carbon-fiber light bar -- basically four stadium lights mounted to his Subaru's hood to supplement the headlamps. "Later, we saw Pastrana's team in town," Deon says. "They really wanted that light bar, but we wanted to keep it as a souvenir. I finally ended up trading it for the front bumper of the car. Took it back to Sno*Drift the next year and Travis signed it for my sons. It's hanging on our living-room wall."

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