Tag: Bentley

  • Will renewable fuel power Bentley to a Pikes Peak hat trick?

    Bentley has set records at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with its Bentayga SUV and Continental GT coupe, but now it’s going for a hat trick, this time using renewable fuel.

    A Bentley Continental GT3 race car modified to run on renewable fuel will race at the 2021 Pikes Peak hill climb, scheduled for June 27, Bentley announced Monday in a press release. Driver Rhys Millen will aim for the Time Attack 1 record, to go with the production SUV record achieved with the Bentayga in 2018, and the production car record scored with the Continental GT in 2019.

    Bentley didn’t provide much detail on the fuel it planned to use, but claimed blends currently being tested could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 85% compared to conventional gasoline or diesel.

    The Continental GT3 that will be used at Pikes Peak is a modified version of a car raced in the popular GT3 category before Bentley’s exit at the end of 2020. Bentley plans to work with two race teams—United Kingdom-based Fastr and United States-based K-Pax Racing—to run Pikes Peak, with technical assistance from U.K. firm M-Sport.

    Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak

    Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak

    Itself a modified version of the Continental GT road car, the GT3 will get additional modifications for Pikes Peak, including the largest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley and an equally massive rear diffuser and two-plane front splitter. Power comes from the same twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 used in the road car, but it’s modified to run on renewable fuel and produce adequate power at Pikes Peak’s high altitude (the starting line is at 9,300 feet above sea level and the finish line is at 14,100 feet).

    Bentley plans to begin testing the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak race car in the U.K. before shipping it to the U.S. for high-altitude testing. A progress report will be released in May, ahead of the running of the hill climb in June.

    Bentley isn’t the only automaker investigating alternatives to conventional fossil fuels. Porsche is testing synthetic fuel made using methanol in its own race cars, and is working with multiple partners on a pilot plant in Chile to produce the fuel.

    If all goes according to plan, though, renewable fuel will have a fairly short useful life in new Bentley road cars. Bentley plans to launch its first electric car in 2025, and go all-electric by 2030.

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  • Bentley picks Audi designer as new design chief

    Bentley on Tuesday named Andreas Mindt as its new design chief.

    Mindt is currently head of exterior design at fellow Volkswagen Group brand Audi and starts his new role on March 1.

    He replaces Stefan Sielaff, himself an ex-Audi designer, who is leaving Bentley after a six-year stint to pursue other opportunities.

    In his new role, Mindt will be in charge of a team of 50 designers and report to Matthias Rabe, head of engineering at Bentley. One of the first models he is likely to be tasked with designing is Bentley’s first electric vehicle, which is due in 2025.

    Fortunately, Mindt has plenty of experience with EVs as the 25-year VW Group veteran was pivotal in devising the design direction for Audi’s expanding EV portfolio, including the E-Tron and upcoming E-Tron GT. Now he will do the same at Bentley which is committed to offering a full-EV lineup by 2030.

    “Designing a car, and a future, is always a process based on the performance of many, not one, and so I look forward to working with my colleagues to help define the next phase for Bentley, into an electrified future,” Mindt said in a statement.

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  • One-off Bentley Flying Spur Reindeer Eight is Santa’s new sleigh

    Looks like Santa Claus is getting a new sleigh. According to Bentley, Santa has worked with the company’s Mulliner personalization division to order a one-off Christmas-themed Flying Spur dubbed “Reindeer Eight.”

    Bentley revealed the customized Flying Spur V8 last Friday, complete with a 3D-printed reindeer hood ornament in place of the traditional “Flying B.” The paint color is called Cricket Bauble, a Christmas-themed play on Bentley’s Cricket Ball dark red paint. A diamond graphic running along the bottom of the car represents snow-covered mountains.

    To be clear, Bentley actually built the car for the fictional St. Nick.

    The sedan boasts a carbon diffuser, carbon side sills, and a trunk-lid spoiler for “maximum aerodynamic performance at cruising altitude,” Bentley said in a press release. The rest of the exterior brightwork is gold, along with the 22-inch wheels.

    Bentley Flying Spur Reindeer Eight

    Bentley Flying Spur Reindeer Eight

    Leather seats with hand-applied cross stitching get heating, ventilation, multi-mode massage, adjustable bolsters, and top tilt—a feature that should come in handy for Santa’s long one-night journey. The Bentley Rotating Display also has Santa’s “naughty and nice” list pre-loaded into the navigation system, while the wood veneer on the dashboard depicts the North Pole at night.

    Bentley didn’t mention any mechanical changes, so instead of eight reindeer, this sleigh gets eight cylinders. The twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 produces 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Bentley previously quoted 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 198 mph.

    “What fun it is to ride in a 542 horsepower sleigh. Plus, there’s space in the back for all my subordinate Clauses. I’m looking forward to putting 41 million miles on the clock before the end of the year,” read a quote Bentley attributed to Santa.

    The Flying Spur’s all-wheel drive should help Santa deal with winter weather, but with an EPA-estimated 15 mpg combined, he may lose a lot of time to fuel stops during his annual sojourn.

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