Wedding Crashers in Britain Destroy Rental Lamborghini Gallardo Spider

Talk about the real wedding crashers; according to a report from The SUN, four Asian-looking men in their late 20s rented a fleet of supercars including three Lamborghinis and a Bentley Continental GT for a wedding but the celebrations didn’t last long as one of them totaled a Gallardo Spider.

The SUN reports that after the wedding reception the group of men went for a drink at The Cider House in Wooton, Shrops where they bragged about hiring the cars for £5,000 a piece for the weekend and how one of them took the supercar up to 160mph. After a few drinks the pals drove off but one of them lost control of the Gallardo Spider trashing it on a tree. The report states that the four men fled the scene before the police arrived. Funny thing is that one witness stated that people stood around the wrecked Spider taking bits off and sitting in it!

Via: Cardomain , Source: TheSun

2009 Bentley Continental Flying Spur: Facelift Model Gets 600Hp Speed Version

Bentley has taken the wraps off its revised 2009 Continental Flying Spur sedan that now includes a sportier edition dubbed “Speed” equipped with the same 600Hp W12 twin-turbocharged engine offered in the Continental GT Speed delivering 600Hp -48Hp more than the standard version. The most powerful 4-door car ever produced by the British manufacturer has a 0-60mph time of 4.5 sec (0-100km/h in 4.8sec) and a top speed of 200mph (322km/h).

Other mechanical changes include the lowered ride height, uprated and redesigned suspension as well as retuned steering system. The Flying Spur Speed is distinguished by the front grille and lower intakes finished in dark chrome, the wider exhaust tail pipes and the bespoke 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero UHP performance tires. Inside the most notable change is the 3-spoke sport leather steering wheel. -Continued

As for the “standard” Flying Spur, it features a more upright grille, different air intakes, a new rear bumper, chromed bezels around the headlamps and tail-lamps, improved noise insulation, revised spring and dampers and new bespoke 19-inch alloys in Pirelli UHP tires. Furthermore, Bentley has introduced a new (optional) Naim audio system with an 1100 Watt amplifier.

ASI’s $800,000+ Bentley Continental GT Based Tetsu GTR

We don’t want to seem offensive or anything, but even though the hand painted bodywork on this Bentley Continental GT based Tetsu GTR from ASI is original Japanese artwork by Nakamura Tetsuei, we do find it kinda weird to dress you car’s hood with flowers. Especially if someone finds out that you paid something north of $800,000 or €520,000 which is the starting price for every one of the 29 Tetsu GTRs that the Japanese tuning firm will produce.

Artwork aside, ASI’s Tetsu GTR features an aggressively styled wide-bodykit (+1,800 mm) that includes dry carbon bonnet, trunk and rear wing spoiler along with several mechanical upgrades the most important being the modified 6.0L W12 engine that now produces 800 Hp. –More pics after the jump

Bentley Designs Collector’s Edition of New James Bond Book, “Devil May Care”

Bentley has joined forces with British publishing house “Penguin Books” to produce a luxury, limited edition of the new James Bond book “Devil May Care”. Written by Sebastian Faulks at the invitation of Ian Fleming Publications to celebrate the Ian Fleming centenary, the book is due to be published on May 28.

The collector’s edition of Devil May Care takes its inspiration from hard-covers of the original 1950s and 1960s Bond books combined with the retro Bentley owner’s manuals and handbooks of the time. Inside the book is a specially designed die-cast scale model Bentley, described in detail by Fleming in Thunderball. -Continued

Bentley Chief Designer Dirk van Braeckel says, “Transferring our design knowledge from the car world to a book was a new challenge for us, but working closely with Penguin, we think we have come up with a unique product which is complementary to the history of Bentley and Bond that can be appreciated by all.”

Only 300 copies of the Special Series edition will be produced, with each book featuring a unique edition number embossed on a black aluminum plate created by the same company that makes the Bentley engine plates. Prices are set at £750 or $1,481 / €952 each, available exclusively from the Penguin James Bond books website www.penguin007.com.

Q&A with Chief Designer at Bentley, Dirk van Braeckel

What was the design philosophy for the cover?

The design captures traditional craftsmanship qualities and techniques and reveals design cues we are passionate about, while also paying homage to the first edition Ian Fleming books. It was important that the design was complimentary to both Bentley and Bond and the history behind both brands meant that the book should be something to be admired and cherished forever.

How did you capture the spirit of Bond and the spirit of Bentley

Marrying Bond and Bentley had to derive from themes that linked both entities: passion, adventure and appreciation for the finer things in life. This helped shape the book into an item which would please people through an element of surprise but could also be admired as something which is unique and unobtainable to everyone.

How does the use of materials reflect materials in Bentley cars?

The choice of materials had to demonstrate the high quality and finishing evident in our cars. It was an opportunity to reflect on historical themes, for example the fluting on the inside book cover, along with the diamond stitching we use on the sport theme seat covers today. The juxtaposition of metal and leather is a theme we work with everyday, and is naturally explored in the design.

How did the idea for the pewter model Continental car come about?

Kate Whatmore, one of our young designers, is very proud of this feature. She wanted the book to have a feel of sophistication and history but to make it “Bond” it had to have something that was a bit unexpected. The element of surprise created from opening the book to find the car within allowed us to carry the Bond–Bentley theme throughout. The model car is handmade and numbered to the book, which makes it a complete entity especially as the model is the car featured in the book.

How closely did you work with Penguin?

Working with Penguin was a unique experience. We learned a lot from designing around an unfamiliar product and certainly learned a lot technically about Bentley craftsmanship in relation to a product other than a car. The people we met and worked with from Penguin were very supportive and enthusiastic about the prospect of the book, Bentley and Kate’s ideas for the design. It was a very positive experience.

What challenges did you face in both design and production?

In all areas of design there are problems that challenge you as a designer to produce the best solution you can. The feasibility of a design idea is always the greater challenge to achieve the best aesthetics and quality. Transferring our design knowledge from the car world to a book was a new challenge for us, but working closely with Penguin, we think we have come up with a unique product which is complementary to the history of Bentley and Bond that can be appreciated by all audiences.

Who at Bentley was involved in the project?

We always start a project in the Bentley design studio by giving all designers a chance to have an idea input and then proceed with the selected work and the designer behind it. In this case it was Kate Whatmore, our lady in exterior design, who came up with the goods. Crispin Marshfield was at hand to help with the right process to follow and link with Penguin. I, as always, had the overview and the pleasure to select and guide the ideas and take them to fruition.

Via: Le blog Auto , Source: Bentley

Bentley Continental GT by ASI

ASI is a new tuning company that was established in Nagoya, Japan in December 2007, and is now developing a variety of tuning solutions for Bentley models. The pimped GT Speed featured in the images has been equipped with an aggressive full bodykit combined with a dry carbon bonnet, trunk and rear wing, and also a new set of 22-inch custom 3-piece forged alloy wheels.

Towards the end of April the Japanese tuner will also unveil a special edition version of the Bentley Continental GT Speed called “Tetsu” that will be equipped with a modified 6.0L W12 engine producing 800 Hp along with an even more aggresive wide-bodykit. –More pics after the jump

Bentley Recalling... Four Continental GT & Flying Spur Vehicles

Usually, when we write about recalls, it concerns at least, hundreds of owners. But that’s not the case with Bentley. The British carmaker announced that it's recalling four –yes, that right 4, MY 2004 - 2006 Continental GTs & Continental Flying Spurs because the passenger airbag replacement trimmed covers have been manufactured with tethers of an incorrect length. In the event of a crash, this could result in damage to the airbag itself during deployment increasing the risk of injuries. Bentley dealers will replace the passenger's airbag cover free of charge.

Geneva Preview: Bentley Continental Zagato GTZ

Italian coachbuilder Zagato will introduce their latest creation based on the Bentley Continental GT Speed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The Zagato GTZ features several distinct design elements like the concave roof, the rounded tail and a contrasting colour scheme that differentiates it from the standard Continental GT Speed.

Zagato left the Continental GT Speed’s engine and mechanicals untouched, with the 6.0-liter W12 engine producing 600bhp and 553lb ft of torque. For the time being the Zagato GTZ is just a show concept, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the Italian coachbuilder announced an ultra-limited run edition in the near future. –More pics after the jump

Via: Motorpasion

2008 Le Mansory Bentley Continental GT

Funny how a different mixture of colors can totally screw up a good design. If you follow the jump you’ll see that apart from the “alpine-white” version of the 2008 Le Mansory Bentley Continental GT featured in the above picture, the German tuning and design shop also offers the British luxury coupe in a “bumblebee” themed color choice which just makes you wanna puke honey. So unless you’re one of those people who think that Carrot Top looks cool, we’d advise you to go for the ‘alpine-white’ version. -Continued after the jump

Whatever color you choose though, if you're seriously interested (and rich), better hurry up as the 2008 Le Mansory Bentley Continental GT, which pays homage to the 24h Le Mans race, will be built in a limited quantity of 24 sets. Wide-bodykit aside, the supped up Bentley coupe also gets 22-inch alloy wheels in 265/35/22 high performance profile tires up front and 305/30/22 tires at the rear-end.

Inside, Mansory equips the Continental GT with carbonfibre trim inserts, sport steering wheel in combination Leather/Carbon, illuminated sill plates in stainless steel with a lighted LE MANSORY Logo, foot deposit pedals, brake- and restpedal in stainless steel high polished punched and floor mats with LE MANSORY logo stick with leather border.

Under the hood, Mansory’s electronic engineering package helps the 6-liter Twin-Turbocharged W12 engine’s performance grow up to 641bhp (650PS or 478 kW) at 6100rpm and peak torque to 780 Nm (575-lb/ft) at 1.600 rpm. The British coupe now accelerates from 0 - 100km/h in 4.6 seconds (0 - 60mph/h 4.4 seconds) and goes on to a top speed of 205 mph or 330 km/h.

Along with engine enhancements, the German tuner has revised the braking system which gets massive BREMBO 412/38 rotor discs with 6 piston aluminium fixed calipers in front and disc dimensions 405/22 with 4 piston calibers in the rear.