Amari Design Crafts Supercharged Bentley Continental GT with 760-Horsepower

A new company in the tuning scene called Amari Design has presented its take on the Bentley Continental GT through the release of two teaser photos. The UK-based firm’s upgrade package includes a body kit, interior revisions and a variety of modifications under the hood.

By adding a supercharger, a sports exhaust system and a new ECU, Amani Design says output is lifted to 750-horsepower. The car also rides on beefier alloy wheels and tires, though the tuner has not yet released specific details.

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Bentley Arnage Red Label, 2000

Bentley Arnage Red Label, 2000

Launched in late 1999 was the Arnage Red Label. Volkswagen, who had purchased the Bentley name and Crewe factory was loathe to continue purchasing BMW's engines, and it turned out that Bentley engineers and customers felt the same way. The BMW-powered Arnage, while objectively more modern than the Turbo RT it replaced, was more than a second slower to 60 mph than that car, and lacked the massive torque that Bentley customers had grown accustomed to.

Vickers had outsourced to Cosworth the production of the old 6.75 L Rolls-Royce engine for use in the continued Continental and Azure models, so reverting to the old standby engine was a natural choice for the company. In fact, Volkswagen purchased Cosworth as well, so all the pieces fell into place to eliminate the BMW engine.

The Red Label model reverted to the old V8, which boasted torque of 835 N·m with a single Garret T4 turbocharger. This was the greatest amount of torque for a four-door car at the time. Also returning was the General Motors-sourced 4-speed 4L80-E automatic.

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Bentley Brooklands, 1992

Bentley Brooklands, 1992

The Bentley Brooklands was a full-size luxury sedan introduced for 1992 as the marque's new flagship after the Bentley Mulsanne and Bentley Eight were discontinued. The Brooklands was replaced by the Bentley Arnage in 1998 as the Bentley flagship model.

The Brooklands continued Bentley's relatively angular design scheme which was used on both, Rolls-Royce as well as Bentley vehicles, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s. The exterior design featured the classic Bentley waterfall grille as well as dual headlights with wrap-around parking lights. As in many Bentley and Rolls-Royce vehicles the Brooklands also featured the trademark descending trunklid and chrome B-pillars.

The interior remained relatively unchanged from previous Bentley models with a more curvaceous design elements surrounding the leather wrapped center console. The steering wheel and interior door panels remained unchanged. The interior continued to be surrounded by ample woodgrain which featured engraved, lighter-colored outlines on the door panels.

Technical specifications
The Bentley Brooklands was driven by a 6.7 L V8 with a 4-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle was rear wheel drive and featured independent front and rear suspension. While not as large as some other Ultra-luxury sedans, the Brooklands remained quite large with an overall length of 211.4" and 214.5" wheelbase (207.4" and 120.5" in SWB trim).

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Bentley T2, 1977

Bentley T2, 1977

The Bentley T-Series was even more rarely built than the Rolls Royce Silver Shadow. The Bentley being technically an identical twin of the Rolls Royce seems to have been bought mostly by owners wishing a little more understatement. The formerly more sportive image of Bentley motor cars differing from Rolls Royces was gone by the time the Silver Shadow/Bentley T was introduced and thus couldn't motivate buyers any more. The outward appearance of a Bentley T is slightly more dynamic because the bonnet design is a few centimeters lower and the radiator shell shape with its rounded edges is smoother.

The T1 was made from 1967-1977 and the T2 was made from 1977-1980.

Production
T1: 1868
- T1 saloon (1965-1977): 1703
- T1 long wheelbase (1971-1976): 9
- Bentley T1 two door saloon (1966-1971): 114 (15 by James Young)
- T1 coupé by Pininfarina (1968): 1
- T1 convertible (1967-1971): 41
T2: 568
- T2 (1977-1980): 558
- T2 long wheelbase (1977-1980): 10

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Bentley Celebrates Ice Speed Record with New Special Edition Supersports Convertible

To celebrate the 205.5mph (330.7km/h) world ice-speed record that was set two weeks ago by Finland’s four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen in a Continental Supersports convertible, Bentley has unveiled a new special edition version of its drop-top model that will be built in a limited run of 100 units.

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Kankkunen Breaks World Ice Speed Record with Bentley Continental SuperSports

In 2007, four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen shattered the world ice speed record by achieving an average two way speed on a 1000m long straight on the frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, of 199.86 mph (321.6 km/h) in a Bentley Continental GT. Fast forward to 2011, and Kankkunen has done it again breaking his own record at the same location with a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. This time, Kankkunen surpassed the 200mph mark reaching a top speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h).

“The last time, I narrowly missed the magical 200 mph mark in a Continental GT. When I heard about the Supersports I was determined to go record breaking again with the Bentley Boys. This time, with over 600bhp under the bonnet, a Quickshift transmission and the security of the all-wheel drive system, the Supersports convertible was the perfect car to go for the record,” said Kankkunen.

“200mph came up after 5km on sheet ice. Then it was just a question of getting everything right in the timing zone and hoping the snow kept away. There’s nothing to beat driving a Bentley at these speeds; the conditions may be perilous but the car responds so well to the slightest adjustment which gives you the confidence to push even harder.”

As was the case with the previous record-breaking drive in the Continental GT, Kankkunen and his team used a regular car with some minimum modifications including a heavy-duty safety roll-cage, along with Pirelli winter tyres (Pirelli SottoZero II 275/40R20) and a rear bumper-mounted parachute, plus front and rear spoilers

[From Bentley Press Release]

JUHA KANKKUNEN: BRIEF CV

• Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen, born 1959 in Laukaa, Finland
• One of the most experienced rally drivers of all times
• Four times rally World Champion (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993)
• 23 times World Rally Winner
• Started his career in 1978
• First World Rally win in 1985 (Safari Rally)
• Won Dakar Rally in 1988
• World ice speed record in 2007, in a Bentley Continental GT

HISTORY OF WORLD ICE SPEED RECORDS

• 2011: Bentley Continental Supersports convertible: 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) driven by Juha Kankkunen
• 2007: Bentley Continental GT: 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) driven by Juha Kankkunen
• 1995: Bugatti EB110 Supersport: 184 mph (296 km/h)

BENTLEY’S EARLY HISTORY OF RECORD BREAKING

• 1924: John Duff in a Bentley 3-litre took records at Brooklands between 87mph (139.7 km/h) and 93 mph (149.3 km/h) and a Double-Twelve race victory at 86.69 mph (139.2 km/h)
• 1925: A Bentley 3-litre established a 24-hrs record at Montlhery at an average speed of 95 mph (152.9 km/h).
• 1927: The 24-hrs Grand Prix de Paris at Montlhery was won by a Bentley 41/2 –litre at an average speed of 52.5 mph (84.5 km/h)
• 1928: A Bentley 3-litre driven by Dudley Froy became the first car to average more than 115 mph (185.1 km/h) over a distance of 100 miles (160.9 km) at Brooklands
• 1929: Mrs Victor Bruce drove solo in a Bentley 41/2-litre at Montlhery to set a Class C record at over 89mph (143.2 km/h)
• 1932: Tim Birkin in a Birkin blower single seater broke the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record with a speed of 137.96 mph (221.47 km/h)
• 1934: Walter Hassan in a Barnato – Hassan single seater set a new Brooklands Outer Circuit record of 142.6 mph (228.9 km/h). It achieved a faster lap time of 143.11 mph (230.3 km).

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Kankkunen Breaks World Ice Speed Record with Bentley Continental SuperSports

In 2007, four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen shattered the world ice speed record by achieving an average two way speed on a 1000m long straight on the frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, of 199.86 mph (321.6 km/h) in a Bentley Continental GT. Fast forward to 2011, and Kankkunen has done it again breaking his own record at the same location with a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. This time, Kankkunen surpassed the 200mph mark reaching a top speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h).

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Bentley Opens its Crewe Headquarters to the Public with New Design Exhibition

If you're a petrol head and live in or are considering a trip to England, you may want to make plans to visit Bentley's headquarters in Crewe and check out a new design exhibition called "An Unbroken Line", which offers a rare glimpse inside the company's usually secret studios.

The exhibition follows the development of a Bentley from the first sketch right through to the final product, and includes drawings from the prototype phase of models such as the new Continental GT that are being shown to the public for the first time ever.

Furthermore, the exhibition also captures key moments of the company’s lineage with signature characteristics that define a Bentley to this day such as the positioning of the headlights, the use of inverted needles on the dashboard and the pronounced ‘powerlines’ that sweep down the flanks of the car.

Dirk van Braeckel, Bentley’s Director of Design and Styling, commented: “What I particularly like about the exhibition is the sheer number and variety of interesting objects we’ve been able to bring together for the very first time, it is quite a collection. It is also fascinating to see just how talented the early Bentley designers really were - the beauty of their concept sketches and sheer precision of their technical drawings still inspires my own team to this day.”

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Bentley Opens its Crewe Headquarters to the Public with New Design Exhibition

If you're a petrol head and live in or are considering a trip to England, you may want to make plans to visit Bentley's headquarters in Crewe and check out a new design exhibition called "An Unbroken Line", which offers a rare glimpse inside the company's usually secret studios.

The exhibition follows the development of a Bentley from the first sketch right through to the final product, and includes drawings from the prototype phase of models such as the new Continental GT that are being shown to the public for the first time ever.

Furthermore, the exhibition also captures key moments of the company’s lineage with signature characteristics that define a Bentley to this day such as the positioning of the headlights, the use of inverted needles on the dashboard and the pronounced ‘powerlines’ that sweep down the flanks of the car.

Read more »

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VIDEO: Bentley Continental Supersports' Run at Goodwood Hill Climb Course

Bentley's latest model, the Continental Supersports that utilizes an E85 capable 6.0-liter W12 engine producing 621HP, was one of the newest sports cars to participate at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed (July 3-5). Behind the steering wheel of the Continental Supersports was former Le Mans racer and honorary "Bentley Boy" Derek Bell. Follow the jump to watch the Bell tackling the challenging 1.16-mile Goodwood hill-climb course in the fastest and most powerful car in Bentley's 90-year history.

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2010 Grand Bentley to Debut at Pebble Beach in August - New Teaser Video

Bentley officially confirmed today that the successor to the Arnage limo will be revealed (and named) at the Pebble Beach Concours D' Elegance in Monterey, California, on August 16. The Crewe-based automaker that is celebrating its 90th anniversary today said that the new flagship model will signal "a new era in British luxury motoring". Even though Bentley remains secretive about its Rolls Royce Phantom rival, a series of photographs that were shot inside the factory gave us our first glimpse of the vehicles exterior design. You can see those photos here.

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Car Magazine Bags 2010 Grand Bentley in the Flesh

For a moment there I had a 'grand' flashback that took me back to my junior years and my neighbor's "swanky" 1970s Ford LTD - that's the Australian market model which you can check out after the jump. In all fairness, I must say that Ford's Aussie limo shamelessly aped traditional Rolls Royce and Bentley styling cues. But anyway, back to today, the crew over at UK's Car Magazine somehow managed to photograph the Arnage's successor, currently referred to as the 'Grand Bentley', in production guise at Bentley's Crewe headquarters.

The photos reveal that the new Arnage (Bentley has yet to reveal the official name) will have a 'grand' front end dominated by a massive grille that's flanked by a pair of headlamps that are surrounded by small LEDs. There's also a cryptic photo of the rear end that suggests a more curvy design for the Grand Bentley's arse.

The VW Group owned automaker has not released any information on its Rolls Royce Phantom challenger, but it is said that the British firm's flagship limo will use a modified version of the Audi A8's spaceframe chassis as well as new range of engines that might include a Flex-Fuel variant capable of running on either petrol or E85 biofuel or any combination of the two.

The Arnage's successor is expected to be officially revealed later in the summer.

Via: Car

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Grand Bentley Useless Teaser Video No4: Fusion of Extremes

Being in the auto biz, we're obliged to take a look at all official videos released by automakers even if we're almost certain that it's going to be a complete waste of our time. But that doesn't mean that you have to go through the ordeal of hearing that annoying piano-music for the fourth time on Bentley's latest teaser video for the Arnage replacement, so do yourself a favor and just ignore this post...

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VeilSide 4509 GTR is a Toyota Supra IV with an Identity Crisis

Japanese tuners sure love breaking the mold and shocking people with their creations. Revealed at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the 4509 GTR is the product of VeilSide, a Japan-based tuning firm established in 1990 by Yokomaku Hironao. It is based on a fourth generation Toyota Supra Turbo from 1993 and has received a complete makeover with the exterior design borrowing styling elements from the Bentley Continental with a hint of an Audi R8 here and there.

The body parts are made out of carbon fiber and fiberglass, while the look is completed by the new black wheels sized 20-inches up front and 22-inches at the back. The alloys are wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza rubber, 255/30R20 at the front and 295/25R22 at the rear.

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A Chrysler Sebring-Based Bentley Replica that could Actually Pass for its Inspiration

Here’s a scary admission for you: I actually don’t mind the first generation Chrysler Sebring. It was sort of “Mustang-lite” in the styling department and is still a lot better looking than the latest incarnation of America’s middle-age spread, the almost universally despised third generation Sebring. And, as you no doubt know by now, here at Carscoop we love us some eBay-found Euro reskins of fifteen plus year old American cars.

Today’s entrant is this, dare I say it, rather convincing replica of a 2009 Bentley Continental GT convertible or GTC based on a ’96 Chrysler Sebring Convertible. Fashioned in ghetto / Saudi Arabian sheik white with the typical, so-not-a-Bentley blinger rims that’d make even Lil’ Jon a lil ill, our wanna-B (you see what I did there?) comes complete with 175,000 miles on the clock and a full fibreglass body.

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Bentley S1, 1955

Bentley S1, 1955

The Bentley S1 was a luxury car produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1955 through 1959. It marked Bentley parent, Rolls-Royce, reducing the differences between their Bentley and Roll-Royce models, with the S1 differing only in its radiator design and badging from the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud I.

The models shared the 4.9 L (4887 cc/298 in³) straight-6 engine, with this being the last vehicle to use this engine. The bore was 95.25 mm (3.7 in) and the stroke was 114.3 mm (4.5 in). Twin SU carburetors were fitted, with upgraded models from 1957. A 4-speed automatic transmission was standard, with a 4-speed manual available as an option. Two wheelbases were produced: 123 in (3124 mm) and, from 1957, 127 in (3226 mm).

A somewhat sportier coachbuilt-only S1 Continental was introduced six months later.

Production
S1: 3072 (145 with coachbuilt bodies)
S1 long wheelbase: 35 (12 with coachbuilt bodies)
S1 Continental: 431

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Bentley R-Type, 1950

Bentley R-Type, 1950

The R Type was the second series of post-war Bentley automobile, replacing the Mark VI. The front of the saloon model was identical to the Mark VI, but many had custom coachwork.

The Continental model was produced specially for continental Europe, with many coachbuilt by H.J. Mulliner. This would be the first appearance of the famed Bentley Continental name.

All R Type models used an iron-block/aluminum-head straight-6 engine fed by twin SU carburettors. The basic engine displaced 4.6 L (4566 cc/278 in³) with a 92.08 mm (3.6 in) bore and 114.3 mm (4.5 in) stroke. The Continental had a larger bore of 94.62 mm (3.7 in) for a total displacement of 4.9 L (4887 cc/298 in³).

Production numbers
Bentley R Type: 2320 (303 with coachbuilt bodies)

Bentley R Continental: 207 (plus one prototype)

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Bentley Embiricos, 1937

Bentley Embiricos, 1937

Bentley Embiricos, 1937

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Anderson Germany's Bentley GT Speed Elegance Edition

Leaving no stone unturned, Anderson Germany has presented a new tuning take on the Bentley Continental GT Speed. Called the Elegance Edition, the package enhances the British grand tourer with number of performance and styling goodies.

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Anderson Germany's Bentley GT Speed Elegance Edition

Leaving no stone unturned, Anderson Germany has presented a new tuning take on the Bentley Continental GT Speed. Called the Elegance Edition, the package enhances the British grand tourer with number of performance and styling goodies.

Read more »

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