Bentley

According to Cars UK and IPWire, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) sued Bentley Motors earlier this month in Federal District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, over a patent infringement. JLR claims Bentley’s All Terrain Specification used in the new Bentyaga comes with a Drive Dynamics system that offers Snow, Ice, and Wet Grass, Dirt and Gravel, Mud and Trail and Sand Modes – nearly the same as its own Grass/Gravel/Snow, Mud and Ruts, Sand, and Rocks modes. As part of the suit, JLR filed a 30-page complaint seeking monetary damages, attorney’s fees, and a permanent injunction against Bentley. Supposedly JLR had spent 2-years trying to get Bentley management to address their issues and complaints about using similar ‘All Terrain Specs’ in the Bentyaga without much success. Cases such as this can be very hard to prove without direct evidence of backward engineering, industrial theft, or some […]

The tenth Flying Scotsman saw William Medcalf and a whole fleet of vintage Bentleys line up at Brooklands in late April 2018. Just as they had done a decade earlier, they had come to contest perhaps the toughest UK rally for pre-war motor cars. All manner of different marques were down on the start list but it’s not too much of a stretch to say that as usual, anything from the Cricklewood stable acquitted itself very well over the typically tough course. The late Philip Young and the Endurance Rally Association devised the Flying Scotsman as a reliability trial ‘for crews with a press on attitude’ and, in every edition since the first one in 2009, the crews and their cars have been tested by the roads, the weather, and the navigation. This year the route was designed by Anthony Preston, renowned […]

The Bentley Bentayga demonstrated its performance credentials by claiming the outright record for a production SUV at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Driven by two-time champion Rhys Millen (NZ), the Bentayga completed the 12.42-mile course in just 10:49.9 – taking nearly two minutes off the previous record by averaging 66.5 mph. Climbing almost 5,000 ft through 156 corners, the Bentayga deployed its unique combination of a 600 bhp, 900 Nm W12 engine, adaptive air suspension, active electric 48V anti-roll control and carbon ceramic brakes to set a stunning new benchmark.

After a six-month preparation and development program, a race-ready Bentley Bentayga is in Colorado and ready to take on the 96th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb this weekend. Along the exceptionally challenging 12.42-mile course, which features 156 corners and a 4,720 ft climb, the Bentayga will have to average a minimum of 60 mph to achieve its target – to claim the outright Production SUV record. Tackling the challenge will be two-time overall Pikes Peak champion Rhys Millen, whose race team has been working tirelessly with Bentley Motorsport this year to prepare the car for “The Race to The Clouds”.

Bentley’s second-generation Continental GT3 claimed its maiden podium on Saturday night (2 June) with Bentley Team M-Sport, thanks to a faultless performance from drivers Steven Kane (GB), Jules Gounon (FR) and Jordan Pepper (ZA) at the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Paul Ricard 1000km in France. The results came in only the third race for Bentley’s new 2018 Continental GT3, in the first real test of its endurance credentials ahead of next month’s blue riband Spa 24 Hours.

Bentley’s new, second-generation Continental GT3 will make its competitive debut at Monza in Italy this weekend (April 20-22) when Bentley Team M-Sport begins the defense of its Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup Teams’ title. Following an extensive testing schedule, the outfit’s two new-for-2018 Continental GT3s will line up at the historic grand prix circuit in northern Milan for the first of this season’s five European rounds. Guy Smith (GB), Steven Kane (GB) and Jules Gounon (FR), who made their first appearance together as a trio at Bathurst in February, are paired in the #7 entry while the #8 crew comprising Andy Soucek (ES), Maxime Soulet (BE) and Vincent Abril (MC) embarks on a second season eager to go one better than the runners-up position achieved in 2017’s Endurance Cup Drivers’ standings.

The new Bentley Bentayga V8 headlines a trio of models for the luxury British brand at the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. Powered by a 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged petrol engine, the latest version of Bentley’s exquisite SUV combines limousine-like refinement with exceptional performance and sporting character and will be showcased in China for the first time. Alongside it will be the all-new Continental GT, a car that sets new standards in luxury Grand Touring. Also making its Beijing show debut, it is designed, engineered and handcrafted in Britain, and features the highest levels of attention to detail, artistry and cutting-edge technology.

International auctioneers Coys are back in town with 50 classic and sports cars worth millions going under the hammer at their long-established Spring Classics auction on April 24th at the Royal Horticultural Halls in London. The barn find 1963 Bentley Continental Mulliner Park Ward S3 is one of the highlights of the auction and, although it is being offered at no reserve, it could fetch £40,000 on the hammer. Chris Routledge, CEO of Coys, said: Our Spring Classics auction has for decades been a prelude to motoring season which is now very much upon us. This year we have a stunning selection 50 fine historic and classic motor cars looking for a new owner, ranging from three original-bodied pre-war Rolls Royces through to a genuine barn find 1960s Bentley S3 Continental Coupe by Mulliner.

Bentley Motors today announces that construction has started on the UK’s largest ever solar-powered carport at Bentley’s factory headquarters in Crewe, UK. The installation of 10,000 solar panels, which has a capacity of 2.7MW, will take approximately six months to complete. Once completed, the carport – which covers Bentley’s colleague car park – will take Bentley’s energy system to 30,815 solar panels. This includes the 20,815-panel rooftop installation completed in 2013.

Two-time Pikes Peak overall winner Rhys Millen will pilot a Bentley Bentayga at the 2018 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 24th. Aiming to break the existing Production SUV record of 12:35.61, the Bentayga will need to average a minimum of 60 mph up the exceptionally tight and twisty 156-corner course. With years of competition at Pikes Peak and in Red Bull Global Rallycross under his belt, Millen possesses both the ability and experience required to push the Bentayga to its limits of performance in pursuit of the record.

Bentley is introducing biometric capacitive fingerprint sensor technology with a secure storage unit in the Bentayga – affording customers even greater peace of mind. Developed by Bentley’s personal commissioning division, Mulliner, the fingerprint sensor technology has been applied to a high-pressure die-cast aluminum secure stowage unit located in the cabin. This discreet and unobtrusive locker creates the ideal place to stow valuables while at the beach, on the ski slope or utilizing valet parking services. With two USB ports and an auxiliary socket, it can also be used for connecting and charging mobile devices both inside and outside of the unit, enabling occupants to access Bentayga’s extensive infotainment technology, including Apple CarPlay. Uday Senapati, Mulliner’s Head of Technical Operations, said: The Mulliner Biometric Secure Stowage unit is hidden from view. We are incorporating the familiar capacitive fingerprint sensor technology from […]

Bentley has announced full details of the world’s first luxury hybrid model. The Bentayga Hybrid represents Bentley’s first step towards full electrification, combining the serenity of silent motoring with exquisite comfort and effortless performance. Offering the best of both worlds, the new plug-in hybrid model combines an advanced electric motor with a powerful and efficient new-generation V6 petrol engine. The hybrid version of the world’s most luxurious SUV will be the company’s most efficient model ever with CO2 emissions of 75 g/km (NEDC). The Bentayga Hybrid feels and rides like a true Bentley, providing the refinement, effortless performance and exquisitely tranquil cabin environment for which the luxury British brand is famed. It represents the future of luxury mobility; an oasis of calm and tranquillity in the city and beyond.

The 1925 Bentley Super Sports of Graham and Marina Goodwin reigned supreme on the Endurance Rally Association’s The Road to Saigon rally. Holding their lead on the Vintageant category from the start line in Singapore right the way to the finish in Saigon or Ho Chi Minh City as it is now known. Former Peking to Paris entrant Andrew Webster and his co-driver Ian Robertson took second place in their 1939 Chevrolet Master 85. Rallying over 8,600kms in 27-days, around 35 crews took on a series of challenging regularity and speed trials as they journeyed through Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Bentley Motors has launched its 2018 trainee recruitment campaign with 86 new positions available for apprentices, Undergraduates and Graduates to start in the autumn of 2018. Apprentice applications open from 10 February at www.bentleycareers.com with Undergraduate and Graduate opportunities added throughout the month. Vacancies cover commercial areas such as Sales and Marketing, Communications, Human Resources, Finance, and Purchasing, as well as the traditional Engineering and Manufacturing opportunities.

Bentley Motors has been recognized as a Top Employer for the seventh consecutive year, reflecting the company’s investment and focus on personal development, future talent, and employee conditions. The award – presented by the Top Employers Institute – highlighted Bentley’s emphasis on continuous improvement, employee conditions and dedication to the company’s 4,000-strong workforce.

Bentley Team M-Sport’s 2018 motorsport season and Intercontinental GT Challenge campaign get underway in Australia next weekend when two Continental GT3s line up for the Bathurst 12 Hour. The British squad travels to Mount Panorama eager to claim a third consecutive overall podium at one of the world’s toughest long-distance sportscar races, before heading back to Europe for the defense of its Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup teams’ title.

Bentley and the Royal College of Art (RCA) are today announcing details of an exciting collaboration aimed at exploring the future of British luxury. Bentley’s Design Director Stefan Sielaff – himself an alumnus of the RCA’s renowned Intelligent Mobility programme – is challenging second-year post-graduate students to develop concepts around ‘the meaning of future British luxury in the year 2050. Students at the London university are being asked to use the project as an opportunity to interrogate the future of areas such as craftsmanship, materials, technology and, of course, luxury.

Bentley Motors will compete in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb for the first time on 24th June 2018 with the award-winning Bentayga. The 600 bhp, W12-powered Bentayga will tackle the famous 12.42-mile Colorado Springs hill climb with record-breaking ambitions, aiming to navigate the 156 corners of ascending asphalt quicker than any SUV before.