Motor Authority - blog Category: Continental

The future of the automobile is a tricky subject, but looking to the nearer term, high-tech driver-assistance systems are definitely on the way. Getting there is the problem, and that's where luxury carmaker bankrolls and high-tech corporations come into play.

A group of suppliers including Bosch, Continental and Infineon have joined forces with BMW and Daimler to help forge new ground in making radar systems affordable. The end goal of the project is to make it affordable to put radar into a car in every segment, basing every driver assistance system possible off of it, reports the EE Times.

Radar is already making huge inroads, with ... The future of the automobile is a tricky subject, but looking to the nearer term, high-tech driver-assistance systems are definitely on the way. Getting there is the problem, and that's where luxury carmaker bankrolls and high-tech corporations come into play. A group of suppliers including Bosch, Continental and Infineon have joined forces with BMW and Daimler to help forge new ground in making radar systems affordable. The end goal of the project is to make it affordable to put radar into a car in every segment, basing every driver assistance system possible off of it, reports the EE Times. Radar is already making huge inroads, with Toyota, Ford, Mazda and many other carmakers offering it already or working to bring the tech to market. But doing so cheaply is the hard part. Planned as a three-year project with a budget of €17 million ($23.6 million), the companies will jointly develop mass-production radar sensors capable of covering distances as small as 2in (5cm) out to about 820ft (250m). This will allow the radar units to be employed for everything from parking assist to adaptive cruise control and crash-prediction. Another aspect of the project is moving the frequency band of the radar used: right now many cars use a 24GHz frequency for short-range radar that will go out of license in 2013. So the coalition is moving the new hardware to a 76-81GHz range to comply with forward-looking government regulations in the European Union. Cars like the BMW 7-series and Mercedes Benz S-Class currently feature a number of radar-based technologies, including Mercedes' Pre-Safe system pictured above. Read More

When dealing with the amount of money and prestige involved with a custom Bentley Continental, it's easy to get carried away - and there are plenty of examples to attest to that. But sometimes a custom house pulls off an upgrade that actually enhances the original, and that's exactly what we have with the MTM Birkin Edition Bentley Continental GT.

The kit adds 90hp, raising the output to 650hp from the big V12 engine, and lifting torque to 587lb-ft. That's enough grunt to get the big car up to 62mph (100km/h) in just 4.9 seconds and on to 124mph (200km/h) in 15.9 seconds - three seconds quicker than the stock version.

MTM also lays claim... When dealing with the amount of money and prestige involved with a custom Bentley Continental, it's easy to get carried away - and there are plenty of examples to attest to that. But sometimes a custom house pulls off an upgrade that actually enhances the original, and that's exactly what we have with the MTM Birkin Edition Bentley Continental GT. The kit adds 90hp, raising the output to 650hp from the big V12 engine, and lifting torque to 587lb-ft. That's enough grunt to get the big car up to 62mph (100km/h) in just 4.9 seconds and on to 124mph (200km/h) in 15.9 seconds - three seconds quicker than the stock version. MTM also lays claim to the title of 'world's fastest Bentley' thanks to the Birkin Edition's 205mph (331km/h) top speed, proven three years ago and not exceeded since. MTM gets the extra performance out of the Continental GT with upgraded exhaust, an engine retune and a few secret tweaks. Other performance upgrades include a special F-Cantronic system that incorporates an electronic system to lower the Bentley by 35mm at the rear and 25mm at the front. Huge 412mm brakes with six-piston calipers stop the massive Bentley with ease. Twenty-one inch alloy wheels in a classic design match the modern-classic lines of the Continental. The exterior and bodywork are otherwise left untouched. MTM also offers the Birkin treatment to the Continental GTC, Flying Spur, GT Speed and GTC Speed in addition to the Continental GT pictured here.MTM Birkin Edition Bentley Continental GT Read More

Bentley may best be known for its hedonistic land yachts that can cost as much as a house, but lately the carmaker has become increasingly recognized for its environmental efforts. Bentley has already laid out a three-stage plan to reduce emissions of its fleet by 15%, launch new powertrains that deliver a 40% improvement in fuel economy, and introduce flex-fuel models to help deliver a fleet-wide carbon-dioxide emissions average of 120g/km – all by 2012 – but now the team at Crewe are going a step further.

Bentley's chief vehicle developer, Arno Homburg, explained that the carmaker’s new "environmental policy is based on... Bentley may best be known for its hedonistic land yachts that can cost as much as a house, but lately the carmaker has become increasingly recognized for its environmental efforts. Bentley has already laid out a three-stage plan to reduce emissions of its fleet by 15%, launch new powertrains that deliver a 40% improvement in fuel economy, and introduce flex-fuel models to help deliver a fleet-wide carbon-dioxide emissions average of 120g/km – all by 2012 – but now the team at Crewe are going a step further. Bentley's chief vehicle developer, Arno Homburg, explained that the carmaker’s new "environmental policy is based on sustainable principles" and that designers take "a holistic view of the whole process". Starting with its Continental range, Bentley has announced that a substantial 85% of the car is recyclable. Essentially, Bentley now guarantees that other industries will be able to reutilise or otherwise reprocess the vast majority of materials used in the construction of its cars, thus reducing land fill and helping the environment. What the company can't help, however, is the fact that the large majority of Bentley cars are not recycled, but instead remain on the market or get sent to museums and collectors. It’s estimated that only around 30% of all Bentley models ever built have been sent to the scrap yard, most of them probably not featuring the same 85% of recyclable parts as the current Continental range of cars. Read More

While some industry analysts are predicting that the auto market will not recover until 2011 or 2012, Bentley is certain that its customer base will be ready to buy again as early as next year. In fact, the luxury British brand is so confident in this prediction that it’s bumping up its release dates for its future product cycle by around half a year - meaning that the replacement for the popular Bentley Continental GT may be arriving as early as next year.

Moving production ahead is a bold move, but jumping the gun doesn't seem to be an issue at Bentley, which is confident that it will see a recovery in 2010. The information comes... While some industry analysts are predicting that the auto market will not recover until 2011 or 2012, Bentley is certain that its customer base will be ready to buy again as early as next year. In fact, the luxury British brand is so confident in this prediction that it’s bumping up its release dates for its future product cycle by around half a year - meaning that the replacement for the popular Bentley Continental GT may be arriving as early as next year. Moving production ahead is a bold move, but jumping the gun doesn't seem to be an issue at Bentley, which is confident that it will see a recovery in 2010. The information comes from the carmaker’s board member for sales and marketing, Stuart McCullough, who explained to Automotive News that capitalizing on this recovery will be important, and "coming out of the dip is when new models will pay off". While the next-generation Bentley Continental GT coupe is now likely to arrive by next year, it will be followed soon enough by replacements for the Continental Flying Spur four-door sedan, as well as the obligatory GTC convertible variant. Also due next year is a replacement for the Arnage, which is expected to bow in as a new super-luxury model towards the end of the year. Bentley's plans will place a great deal of weight on emerging markets such as China, the Middle-East and Russia, as well as returning customers from previously vital markets such as the U.S. market. Last year, sales for Bentley in the U.S. fell by close to one-third. The first quarter for this year was even worse, with sales down by over two-thirds compared to the same period last year - not exactly a good sign for a recovery predicted as early as next year. Read More

Grooming a new model for release into the world is a tough task - ask any carmaker. But Bentley isn't just any carmaker, and so the task is even more monumental. Work on the new Continental, for example, is already underway, though the car isn't expected to make its debut until early 2011. Today some of the speculative details have emerged.

The first of the new Continental line will be the GT Coupe, followed about a year later by the Flying Spur sedan, then another twelve months to the release of the GTC Convertible, while the Speed models will be saved for the mid-point of the generation, around 2015, says Automobile.

Appearances are... Grooming a new model for release into the world is a tough task - ask any carmaker. But Bentley isn't just any carmaker, and so the task is even more monumental. Work on the new Continental, for example, is already underway, though the car isn't expected to make its debut until early 2011. Today some of the speculative details have emerged. The first of the new Continental line will be the GT Coupe, followed about a year later by the Flying Spur sedan, then another twelve months to the release of the GTC Convertible, while the Speed models will be saved for the mid-point of the generation, around 2015, says Automobile. Appearances are hard to predict, and even harder to describe, but expect incremental changes to the current Bentley language. A focus will be placed on making the cars more aerodynamic, helping to improve efficiency and speed, so a slightly smoother, more refined version of today's Continental is likely. Under the skin the next-gen Continental will share more bits with corporate sister the Audi A8, though all visible elements can be expected to remain pure Bentley. Lighter materials and design will cut weight from the cars, improving efficiency and performance, while at the same time allowing for a longer wheelbase and therefore more room inside the Coupe. Power-wise, one big expected change is the addition of a 375hp (280kW) 4.2L V8 turbodiesel engine to the lineup. An upgraded version of the W12 engine is also in the cards, with about 580hp (432kW) and 515lb-ft (697Nm) of torque on tap in standard models. Speed variants will get upgrades to the 650hp (485kW) neighborhood - a very quick neighborhood indeed. Radical options could also be in store should the market undergo even more sweeping changes than we've seen in the past 8 months. "I would rather derive, the next Continental coupe from a future Audi A5 than let the company go under. In that case, a twin-turbo V-6 might be an appropriate engine," said Bentley Chairman and CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen. He quickly noted that though the scenario is possible, at this point, it is not likely. Expect pricing to take off from around the current $180,000-$200,000 mark when they begin rolling in early next decade.2010 Bentley Continental GTC SpeedBentley Continental Supersports Read More

Common adjectives applied to tuner-modified Bentleys include: gaudy, excessive, and hideous. The Premier4509 won't be falling victim to such criticism, however, as its sleek lines and highly aerodynamic profile actually fit with the overall theme of the car.

Rather than going the route of its last wide-bodied aero kit for the Bentley Continental GT, Premire4509 has taken a more tasteful tack for the 2009 update. This version will only be available to 300 customers, however, with the company limiting output to keep the look exclusive.

“The response to the wide body package has been over whelming and there is a large demand to debut... Common adjectives applied to tuner-modified Bentleys include: gaudy, excessive, and hideous. The Premier4509 won't be falling victim to such criticism, however, as its sleek lines and highly aerodynamic profile actually fit with the overall theme of the car. Rather than going the route of its last wide-bodied aero kit for the Bentley Continental GT, Premire4509 has taken a more tasteful tack for the 2009 update. This version will only be available to 300 customers, however, with the company limiting output to keep the look exclusive. “The response to the wide body package has been over whelming and there is a large demand to debut a non-wide version. We didn’t want to do an exact replica of the wide body version, so we have made some changes to differentiate the two designs,” said company president H. Yokomaru. The kit includes a replacement front bumper, side skirts, rear bumper, six-piece grille set, rear deck spoiler (the sole flirtation with poor taste) and new exhaust tips. No pricing on the conversion has yet been released, but considering the car and the special-edition nature, expect a proportionate price tag.Premier4509 widebody kit for Bentley Continental GTPremier4509 Bentley Continental GT 2009 Read More