Before World War I, Walter Owen Bentley and his brother, Horace Millner Bentley, sold French DFP cars in Cricklewood, North London, but W.O, as Walter was known, always wanted to design and build his own cars. At the DFP factory, in 1913, he noticed an aluminium paperweight and thought that aluminium might be a suitable replacement for cast iron to fabricate lighter pistons. The first Bentley aluminium pistons were fitted to Sopwith Camel aero engines during the First World War.

W.O. registered Bentley Motors Ltd. in August 1919, and in October he exhibited a car chassis, with a dummy engine, at the London Motor Show. Ex–Royal Flying Corps officer Clive Gallop designed an innovative four-valves-per-cylinder engine for the chassis. By December the engine was built and running. Delivery of the first cars was scheduled for June 1920, but development took longer than estimated so the date was extended to September 1921. The durability of the first Bentley cars earned widespread acclaim, and they competed in hill climbs and raced at Brooklands.

4½ litre

The Bentley 4½ Litre was a British car based on a rolling chassis built by Bentley Motors.^[1] Walter Owen Bentley replaced the Bentley 3 Litre with a more powerful car by increasing its engine displacement to 4.4 litres. A racing variant was known as the Blower Bentley.

Bentley buyers used their cars for personal transport and arranged for their new chassis to be fitted with various body styles, mostly saloons or tourers. However, the publicity brought by their competition programme was invaluable for marketing Bentley's cars.

At the time, noted car manufacturers such as Bugatti and Lorraine-Dietrich focused on designing cars to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a popular automotive endurance course established only a few years earlier. A victory in this competition quickly elevated any car maker's reputation.

A total of 720 4½ Litre cars were produced between 1927 and 1931, including 55 cars with a supercharged engine popularly known as the Blower Bentley. A 4½ Litre Bentley won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1928. Though the supercharged 4½ Litre Bentley's competitive performance was not outstanding, it set several speed records, most famously the Bentley Blower No.1 Monoposto in 1932 at Brooklands with a recorded speed of 222.03 km/h.

The essential difference between the Bentley 4½ Litre and the Blower was the addition of a Roots-type supercharger to the Blower engine by engineer Amherst Villiers.

'embiricos' special

This is one of the rarest and most valuable Bentleys in the world, the 4¼-Litre 'Embiricos' special. André Embiricos was a wealthy Greek racing driver living in Paris. Walter Sleator, the company's Paris agent, put him in touch with Georges Paulin, a designer working for coachbuilders Pourtout Carrossier. Under Paulin's guidance Pourtout produced a strikingly sleek, aerodynamic body for a 4¼-Litre Derby Bentley that would be suitable for fast touring and track records alike. To keep weight down the fastback body with split rear window was crafted in Duralumin, an age-hardenable aluminium alloy. The 'Embiricos' Bentley fulfilled all the criteria for a Bentley high performance grand tourer, achieving a timed 184.5 km/h over an hour at Brooklands, yet being civilised enough for Embiricos to use as a road car. Embiricos sold his unique Bentley late in 1939 to H.S.F. Hay who raced it in three post-war Le Mans 24-hour races, achieving a commendable 6th place in 1949.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the resulting Great Depression throttled the demand for Bentley's expensive motor cars. Rolls-Royce took over the assets of Bentley Motors (1919) Ltd and formed a subsidiary, Bentley Motors (1931) Ltd. Rolls-Royce had acquired the Bentley showrooms in Cork Street, the service station at Kingsbury, the complex at Cricklewood and the services of Bentley himself. Bentley had neglected to register their trademark so Rolls-Royce immediately did so. They also sold the Cricklewood factory in 1932. Production stopped for two years, before resuming at the Rolls-Royce works in Derby. Unhappy with his role at Rolls-Royce, when his contract expired at the end of April 1935 W. O. Bentley left to join Lagonda.

When the new Bentley 3½ litre appeared in 1933, it was a sporting variant of the Rolls-Royce 20/25, which disappointed some traditional customers yet was well received by many others. W. O. Bentley was reported as saying, "Taking all things into consideration, I would rather own this Bentley than any other car produced under that name". Rolls-Royce's advertisements for the 3+1⁄2 Litre called it "the silent sports car", a slogan Rolls-Royce continued to use for Bentley cars until the 1950s.

All Bentleys produced from 1931 to 2004 used inherited or shared Rolls-Royce chassis, and adapted Rolls-Royce engines, and are described by critics as badge-engineered Rolls-Royces.

vickers (1970-1998)

The problems of Bentley's owner with Rolls-Royce aero engine development, the RB211, brought about the financial collapse of its business in 1970. The motorcar division was made a separate business, Rolls-Royce Motors Limited, which remained independent until bought by Vickers plc in August 1980. By the 1970s and early 1980s Bentley sales had fallen badly; at one point less than 5% of combined production carried the Bentley badge. Under Vickers, Bentley set about regaining its high-performance heritage, typified by the 1980 Mulsanne. Bentley's restored sporting image created a renewed interest in the name and Bentley sales as a proportion of output began to rise. By 1986 the Bentley:Rolls-Royce ratio had reached 40:60; by 1991 it achieved parity.

r-type

The Bentley R Type is the second series of post-war Bentley automobiles, replacing the Mark VI. Essentially a larger-boot version of the Mk VI, the R type is regarded by some as a stop-gap before the introduction of the S series cars in 1955. As with its predecessor, a standard body was available as well as coachbuilt versions by firms including H. J. Mulliner & Co., Park Ward, Harold Radford, Freestone and Webb, Carrosserie Worblaufen and others.

During development it was referred to as the Bentley Mark VII; the chassis cards for these cars describe them as Bentley 7. The R Type name which is now usually applied stems from chassis series RT.

R-Type Continentals were delivered as rolling chassis to the coachbuilder of choice. Coachwork for most of these cars was completed by H. J. Mulliner & Co. who mainly built them in fastback coupe form. Other coachwork came from Park Ward (London) who built six, later including a drophead coupe version. Franay (Paris) built five, Graber (Wichtrach, Switzerland) built three, one of them later altered by Köng (Basel, Switzerland), and Pininfarina made one. James Young (London) built in 1954 a Sports Saloon for the owner of the company, James Barclay.

s1

The S1 was derived from Rolls-Royce's complete redesign of its standard production car after World War II, the Silver Cloud. Each was its maker's last standard production car with an independent chassis. The S-series Bentley was given the Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 engine in late 1959 and named the S2. Twin headlamps and a facelift to the front arrived in late 1962, resulting in the S3. In late 1965 the S3 was replaced by the new unitary construction Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow-derived T series.

The models shared the 4.9 L (4887 cc/298 in³) straight-6 engine. They were the last vehicles to be powered by descendants of the engine originally used in the Rolls-Royce Twenty from 1922 to 1929.  Total S Continental production : 431.

s2

Announced at the beginning of October 1959^[2] the S2 replaced the S1's straight-six engine with the new aluminium Rolls-Royce - Bentley L Series V8 shared with the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. It displaced 6.2 L (6230 cc, or 380 cu in), and offered significantly improved performance. The cylinder block and heads are cast in aluminum alloy and hydraulic tappets operate the overhead valves. The engine has a compression ratio of 8 to 1 and is fitted with twin carburetors with automatic choke.
Other features available include fully automatic transmission, power-assisted steering, electrically operated ride control, redesigned and more flexible air conditioning, electric rear window demisters and press button window lifts. Of the 1,863 standard S2 models produced, 15 had H. J. Mulliner & Co. drophead coupe bodies. Of the 57 long-wheelbase cars, five had James Young bodies and one a Mercedes-Bentley yachting station-wagon body by Wendler.

t series

The Bentley T-series is a luxury automobile produced by Bentley Motors Limited in the United Kingdom from 1965 to 1980. It was announced and displayed for the first time at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965 as a Bentley-badged version of the totally redesigned Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow.

The Bentley T series was available as a four-door saloon and as a long wheelbase four-door saloon. A small number of two-door saloons were built with coachwork by James Young and Mulliner Park Ward and a two-door convertible with coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward was introduced in September 1967. The T series was the first unibodied Bentley, and was totally different from its predecessor the S series.

Because of being fitted with the traditional round-shouldered "Bentley" style front grille – its sole material styling difference from the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow – it was also 5 inches lower at bonnet height, giving it a slightly more assertive look.

The T was upgraded to the "T2" in 1977, which featured rack and pinion steering, improved air conditioning, rubber-faced bumpers, a new fascia and for Non USA Spec. cars a front air dam. Bosch CIS Fuel Injection was introduced for late 1979 and 1980 models for the US and other markets, similarly to the Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II.

The T2 was discontinued in 1980.

t1 coupé special

The Bentley T1 Coupe Speciale was a concept car designed and built by Pininfarina in 1968.

The T1 Coupe Speciale was shown at the 1968 Turin Motor Show, being a two-door fastback saloon with distinct sportive lines. Pininfarina had preferred a definitely more modern design than that of the quite attractive Mulliner Park Ward two-door saloon designed by Bill Allen.

Not even the original shape of the radiator shell had been considered to meet demands exactly and so this had been subject to certain re-styling.

mulsanne

The Bentley Mulsanne is a performance luxury car which was produced by Bentley Motors Limited from 1980 until 1992, though derivative models like the Continental T and Azure continued in production into the 2000s. The name "Mulsanne" is derived from Bentley's motorsport history, which included five victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 1924 and 1930 — the 'Mulsanne Straight' being the stretch of the Le Mans racecourse where cars reach their highest speeds.

The Mulsanne shared the traditional 6.75 L  Rolls-Royce V8 with aluminium alloy cylinder heads. Two SU carburettors were replaced by Bosch fuel injection on all cars from 1986. All Mulsannes use a 3-speed automatic transmission.

Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in 1982 and produced until 1985 was the Mulsanne Turbo. There was a 50% increase in power thanks to the Garrett AiResearch turbocharger. There was the usual highly polished walnut veneered fascia, blemish-free leather and carpets and headlining of pure wool for the interior. 498 short wheelbase and 18 long wheelbase Mulsanne Turbos were built. The Mulsanne Turbo was replaced by the Turbo R, which used a fuel injected version of the same engine. 

The Mulsanne S was introduced in 1987. Although this model lacked its turbocharger, many of its other details were similar to the Turbo R, including that car's alloy wheels and interior, and the suspension was firmed up for a more sporting ride. The rectangular headlamps from the 1980s gave way to quad round units for 1989, and the model was produced until 1992. The Mulsanne was based on the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Silver Spur introduced at the same time. It would be the basis for all Bentley models until the 1998 introduction of the Arnage.

continental

The "Continental" designation recalls the Bentley Continental of the post-war period. The "R" was meant to recall the R Type Bentley models from the 1950s as well as the Turbo R of the 1980s and 90s where the "R" refers to "roadholding".

Since its launch in 1991, the 6.75 L Garrett-turbocharged V8 engine from the Turbo R was chosen for use in the Continental R. In early cars (produced from 1991 to 1993) power output of 325 hp at 4,000 rpm and peak torque of 610 N⋅m  at 2,000 rpm was available, although this was always estimated as at that time, Rolls-Royce still had a policy of not supplying official figures, preferring to describe power output simply as "sufficient".

The revival of the Bentley marque following the introduction of the Bentley Mulsanne Turbo, and then the Continental R, is widely acknowledged to have saved Rolls Royce Motor cars and formed the groundwork which led to the buyout and parting of the Rolls Royce and Bentley brands in 1998. Bentley was once again capable of standing alone as a marque in its own right when it was purchased by Volkswagen.

Launched in 1996, the Bentley Continental T was a short wheelbase version of the Continental R offering slightly more power, torque and responsive handling, at the expense of rear passenger leg room. At its launch, the Bentley Continental T offered an additional 15 hp over the 1996 Continental R.

java

The Bentley Java is a concept car shown at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show. It was designed by Rolls-Royce head of design Graham Hull in collaboration with Roy Axe of Design Research Associates.

Although only intended to be a show car, 18 Javas were produced to order between 1994 and 1996 for Mohammed Mandari then sold to Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah, the current Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam. There were 6 coupes, 6 convertibles and 6 estates.  They were built on a BMW 5 Series (E34) platform and reportedly powered by a 3.5L (although some sources say it was 4.0L) BMW twin-turbocharged 32 valve V8 engine modified by Cosworth and coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels. Rolls-Royce's projected performance figures for the original Java coupe concept with this engine were 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.6 seconds and an electronically governed top speed of 249 km/h, however, actual performance figures for the production models are unknown.

A second generation of the Java, codenamed P1000, was reportedly in development in 1996, based on the new E39 generation of BMW 5 Series. The project, however, ended up being shelved and the Java's concept was ultimately realised in the form of the Bentley Continental GT as a smaller less expensive Bentley with wider appeal and larger volume production. Some design elements, such as the shape of the dashboard, were carried over from Java into the Continental GT as well.

azure

1995: The Azure debuted in March 1995 on the platform of the Continental R model, which had been originally launched in 1991. Production only crept to a start, with a mere nine examples finished in the first year – in 1996, after full production had started, no less than 251 cars were finished. Pininfarina assisted in the two-year process of turning the Continental R into a full four-seater convertible, and also built the shell and soft-top at their factory in Italy, largely from parts sourced in the UK. Final assembly was then carried out at Crewe. A roll-bar was never considered, which necessitated extensive reinforcing of the chassis. At 5,340 mm in length and 2,608 kg  in weight, the Azure often surprised onlookers with its size and bulk, intended to both convey a sense of "presence" and allow for comfortable seating of four adult passengers. Power came from the company's stalwart 6.75-litre V8, featuring a single, intercooled Garrett turbocharger and rated in the region of 365 PS.

2006: Volkswagen purchased Bentley from Vickers in 1998 when the Azure had been in production for three years. Volkswagen executives decided to keep the then-current Azure in production until 2003, then introduce its successor at a later date. Production of the new Azure began for the 2006 model year.

Now based on the Arnage platform, power came from the then-current variant of the Bentley twin-turbocharged V8 rated at 456 PS  and 875 N⋅m of torque. The Arnage was designed for the BMW 4.4-litre engine. However, due to the takeover battle in 1998 between BMW and Volkswagen Group for ownership of Rolls Royce and Bentley Motors, BMW had threatened to stop supply of their engines if Volkswagen Group won. While the threat was later withdrawn in conjunction with BMW acquiring the right to manufacture Rolls-Royce automobiles at a new location, it was clear that Volkswagen could not accept the business and reputation risks associated with having their rival as a long-term business partner.^[6] Furthermore, customers were uncertain about engine and part availability. Volkswagen was thus forced to significantly re-work the "original" 6.75-liter Rolls-Royce/Bentley V8 in 2001, including a switch from the old single-turbo system to a modern twin-turbocharger setup, reducing turbo-lag and increasing horsepower output. A new, 6-speed ZF 6HP-26 automatic transmission fed power to the rear wheels.

dominator

The Bentley Dominator was a four-wheel drive SUV, commissioned in 1994 by the Sultan of Brunei.  Bentley would eventually produce six Dominators for the Sultan, each with identical specification but different colour schemes. It goes down in history as the first Bentley SUV every produced, well before the Porsche Cayenne, the VW Touareg or the AUDI Q7. Exact details of the car are very sketchy - but we do know that Bentley borrowed heavily from the Range Rover for the four-wheel drive hardware, and that one Dominator was finished in bright Royal Yellow, with two others in metallic grey and bright red.

The Dominator is one of a host of specials which the Sultan ordered in the early-Nineties to essentially keep Bentley from bankruptcy. The cost of the project was estimated at £3,000,000 per car. Knowledge of the Dominator only entered into the public domain after British auto magazine Autocar published a story using scoop photographs of two Dominators being loaded onto a jet destined for Brunei.

rapier

1996

The  Rapier was exclusively produced for the sultan of Brunei. Specifications and technical details are unknown. The Rapier was a 2-door 4-seat sports coupe based on the Bentley Java but fitted with the 6750 cc twin-turbo V8 engine with 542 pk. The car was designed by DRA, Design Research Association from Warwick, and built by Hawtal Whiting. The underframe was from the Continental R and was redesigned.  A total of six Rapiers where made and all have successive VIN numbers.

In October 1997, Vickers announced that it had decided to sell Rolls-Royce Motors. BMW AG seemed to be a logical purchaser because BMW already supplied engines and other components for Bentley and Rolls-Royce branded cars and because of BMW and Vickers joint efforts in building aircraft engines. BMW made a final offer of £340m, but was outbid by Volkswagen AG, which offered £430m. Volkswagen AG acquired the vehicle designs, model nameplates, production and administrative facilities, the Spirit of Ecstasy and Rolls-Royce grille shape trademarks, but not the rights to the use of the Rolls-Royce name or logo, which are owned by Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. In 1998, BMW started supplying components for the new range of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars—notably V8 engines for the Bentley Arnage and V12 engines for the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph, however, the supply contract allowed BMW to terminate its supply deal with Rolls-Royce with 12 months' notice, which would not be enough time for Volkswagen to re-engineer the cars.

BMW paid Rolls-Royce plc £40m to license the Rolls-Royce name and logo. After negotiations, BMW and Volkswagen AG agreed that, from 1998 to 2002, BMW would continue to supply engines and components and would allow Volkswagen temporary use of the Rolls-Royce name and logo. All BMW engine supply ended in 2003 with the end of Silver Seraph production.

From 1 January 2003 forward, Volkswagen AG would be the sole provider of cars with the "Bentley" marque. BMW established a new legal entity, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Limited, and built a new administrative headquarters and production facility for Rolls-Royce branded vehicles in Goodwood, West Sussex, England.

arnage

The Bentley Arnage is a full-size luxury car manufactured and marketed by Bentley Motors in Crewe, England, from 1998 to 2009. The Arnage and its Rolls-Royce-branded sibling, the Silver Seraph, were introduced in the spring of 1998. They were the first entirely new designs for the two marques since 1980.

The Arnage was powered by a BMW M62 V8 engine, with Cosworth-engineered twin-turbo installation, and the Seraph employed a BMW M73 V12 engine. In September 2008, Bentley announced that production of the model would end during 2009.

Following the uplift in sales for all of Rolls-Royce, and resurgence of the Bentley marque, the then-owner, Vickers, set about developing a new model to replace the derivatives of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit/Bentley Mulsanne which it had been selling since 1980. In a complete switch from tradition, these new cars would have engines provided by a third-party vendor, and bodies built at the Crewe factory. A number of potential engines were examined, including the GM Premium V engine and the Mercedes-Benz M119 engine, before, in late 1994, Vickers selected a pair of BMW power plants. It was decided that the Rolls-Royce model, to be called the Silver Seraph, would use BMW's naturally aspirated M73 V12 engine while the more-sporty Bentley model would use a special twin-turbocharged 354 PS  version of the company's 4.4-litre M62 V8 engine developed by Vickers subsidiary Cosworth Engineering.

The Bentley Arnage was replaced by the Bentley Mulsanne. The design of the car is now completely independent from Rolls-Royce cars, because of separate parent companies, Bentley being held by the Volkswagen Group, Rolls-Royce by BMW.

hunaudières

The Bentley Hunaudières is a concept car built by Bentley for the 1999 Geneva Salon International de l'Auto. It is powered by a Volkswagen 8.0-litre, naturally aspirated, W16 engine adapted and modified by Bentley to generate 623 bhp  of power at 6,000 rpm and 760 N⋅m  of torque at 4,000 rpm in conjunction with a five-speed manual transmission. It is capable of a 350 km/h  top speed.

The Hunaudières' name pays homage to the famous straight of Circuit de la Sarthe where Sir Tim Birkin in a "Blower Bentley" overtook Rudolf Caracciola in a Mercedes-Benz SSK at 201 km/h with one wheel on the grass down the Hunaudières straight. The concept, along with the similar Audi Rosemeyer, led to the production of the Bugatti Veyron by parent company Volkswagen.

continental gt

2003-2011: The Continental GT is equipped with a 6.0 litre twin-turbocharged W12 engine, which produces a DIN-rated power output of 552 bhp at 6,100 rpm, and torque of 650 N⋅m  at 1,600–6,100 rpm.  A Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive is standard. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h  in 4.8 seconds, and go on to reach a top speed of 318 km/h.

 The car differed from the previous Continental R & T models in terms of its concept: although much of the car is hand assembled, it is a mass-produced car made in significantly larger numbers. It is not a coach-built car. The price at launch was less than half the price of the Continental R, giving the car a wider customer base. Early models include a choice of 6 body colours (Diamond Black, Burnt Oak, Cypress, Neptune, Spruce, and Umbrian Red), 8 hide colours (Beluga, Burnt Oak, Laurel, Nautic, Portland, Saffron, Savannah, Saddle), 5 veneer types (Burr Oak, Burr Walnut, Dark Stained Walnut, Madrona, Piano Black) and 4 carpet and seatbelt colours (Beluga, Burnt Oak, Laurel, Nautic). The dashboard clock was made by Swiss luxury watchmaker Breitling.

Continental GT 2003–2010  5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 560 PS 

Continental GTC 2006–2010  5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 560 PS 

Continental GT Speed 2007–2010  5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 608 PS 

Continental GTC Speed 2009–2010  5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 608 PS

Continental Supersports 2009–2010  5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 630 PS 

Continental Supersports Convertible 2010 5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 630 PS

2011-2018: The GT V8 version of the Continental GT has a twin-turbo 4-litre  V8 engine (developed jointly with Audi) that produces 500 hp  and 487 lb⋅ft  of torque. The car is capable of reaching a top speed of 309 km/h. It also features Cylinder deactivation technology that can deactivate half of the cylinders when they're not needed to improve fuel economy by up to 8%. Other changes, including on-demand steering assistance, weight reduction, better engine heat management, overrun alternator charging and eco-tyres, improve overall fuel consumption by 40% from the W12's.

The Continental GT Speed Coupé is a version of the Continental GT W12.  It also features a lowered ride height and chassis and uprated suspension. It has a top speed of 330 km/h  and can accelerate from 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds.

GT V8 2013–2018 3,993 cc  V8 twin turbo 507 PS 

GT V8 S 2014–2018 3,993 cc  V8 twin turbo528 PS

GT W12 2011–2018 5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 575 PS 

GT Speed 2012–2018 5,998 cc  W12 twin turbo 625 PS 

2018-2024

2018: The model shares the Volkswagen-developed MSB platform with the second-generation Porsche Panamera. Compared to previous models, the car features a lighter body (>80 kg ), an extended wheelbase (135 mm), a 48-volt roll-control system and a new 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine, as well as a significant interior overhaul including an industry first rotating display. The Continental GT is the first production car ever to have an entire body side made from the Super Formed process; a precision technique with aluminium which allows more complex, sharply defined body lines. Unlike prior models, the panels are "superformed" with heated aluminum sheets molded by gas instead of a stamp.

Manufacturer's figures indicate 0–100 km/h takes 3.7 seconds  and it is capable of reaching a top speed of 333 km/h. The W12 engine – designed, developed, and handbuilt in Crewe – is a further enhanced version of the TSI engine launched in the Bentayga in 2016.

GT W12 2018–2021 5,950 cc  W12 twin turbo 635 PS

GT V8 2019–3,993 cc  V8 twin turbo 550 PS

GT Speed 2021–5,950 cc W12 twin turbo 659 PS

2024-present

Delivering 782 PS and 1000 Nm of torque, combined with 80 km of electric-only range and a CO2 figure (WLTP) of under 50 g/km, the new Continental GT marks a significant step forwards for Bentley. Not only will it be the most powerful and most dynamically capable Bentley road car in the company’s 105-year history, it will also be the most sustainable – whilst retaining the handcrafted luxury and exceptional materials that are synonymous with all Bentleys. 

The car you see here is called the fourth-generation Continental GT by Bentley itself. That's only true if you're willing to see the Volkswagen Golf 6 as 'completely new' after the Golf 5, or the 'new' Porsche Panamera after its predecessor. In the case of the Bentley, too, it is more of an extensive facelift, with the news even more limited than with the examples mentioned. At least, as far as the visible part of the car is concerned.

The W12 twelve-cylinder engine that has been under the hood of the Continental GT from the start will be permanently scrapped in this new version. Instead, all versions get a maximum of a V8, including the Speed. It has a 4.0-liter V8 with 600 hp, paired with a 190 hp electric motor. The combined power comes to a whopping 782 hp, with a torque of 1,000 Nm. That is enough to drag the car from 0 to 100 in 3.3 seconds (convertible: 3.4), compared to 3.6 for the 'old', 659 hp W12 Speed. The top speed is unchanged at 335 km/h.

flying spur

The Bentley Flying Spur (formerly the Bentley Continental Flying Spur) is a luxury saloon produced by Bentley Motors Limited since 2005, and was released since 2006. It is the four-door variant of the Bentley Continental GT coupé.

The Continental Flying Spur has a 6.0 litre  twin-turbocharged Volkswagen W12 engine shared with the Volkswagen Phaeton saloon, but tuned to produce 560 PS and torque of 650 N⋅m  at 1,600–6,100 rpm. Torsen-based permanent four-wheel drive is standard. It can go 0–100 km/h  in 5.2 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 312 km/h. It also has Adaptive Air Suspension and Continuous Damping Control. Sales began in Spring 2005.

The second generation Flying Spur was unveiled in March 2013 at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The "Continental" prefix was omitted; according to Bentley's designers, this was a conscious attempt to take the Flying Spur in a more opulent direction and distance it from the more driver-oriented 2-door Continental GT range (historically, the Continental name has generally been used by Bentley to refer to models of a "sporting" nature). Despite this, the Flying Spur and Continental GT continue to share the same engineering platform.

The third-generation Flying Spur was unveiled in June 2019. The car has been completely overhauled and is built on a brand-new platform, resembling the current Continental GT. The front receives a new grille with vertical slats akin to that of a Rolls-Royce, while the rear features new taillights that incorporate a B motif. The hood ornament is now illuminated at night, electrically deployable, and capable of meeting pedestrian impact requirements. Rear-wheel steering is new and is accompanied by air springs with 60 percent more volume than its predecessor. The all-wheel drive system is also new and uses an electronically controlled clutch pack. The interior boasts a rotating 31.2-cm display and an all-new Touch Screen remote that allows rear occupants to control several systems. Compared to the second generation model, the new Flying Spur gets close to 130 mm additional wheelbase. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and reaches a maximum speed of 333 km/h.

mulsanne

The Mulsanne nameplate was last used by Bentley for a four-door saloon that was built between 1980 and 1992. It was resurrected as the nameplate for what would become the replacement for the Arnage, Bentley's then flagship model. The new Mulsanne was unveiled at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

 Like the Arnage, the Mulsanne retains the venerable 6.75 L Bentley L Series V8 engine, modified to meet Euro V emissions regulations. The engine is lighter and features cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing to improve fuel efficiency. Unlike the less expensive Continental Flying Spur and Continental GT, the Mulsanne shares fewer common components with other marques in the Volkswagen Group.

The Mulsanne is the first flagship car to be independently designed by Bentley Motors in nearly 80 years. The last independently designed Bentley automobile was W.O. Bentley's 8 litre model in 1930, after which most Bentleys shared platforms with Rolls-Royce cars.

Mulsanne 2010–2020 6,752 cc  V8 twin turbo 512 PS

Mulsanne Speed 2014–2020 6,752 cc  V8 twin turbo537 PS

bentayga

The name comes from Roque Bentayga, an emblematic highland rock situated in Tejeda, Gran Canaria. An evolution of the 2012 Bentley EXP 9 F concept car, the production Bentayga debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2015 as Bentley's first SUV– using unibody construction and full-time all-wheel drive as well as Volkswagen Group's bi-turbo W12 engine and MLB platform, the latter shared with the second-generation Audi Q7 and the third-generation Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q8, and Lamborghini Urus. Available in seating configurations for four, five, or seven, the Bentayga was claimed by the manufacturer as the SUV which has the highest top speed 301 km/h as well as the second most expensive production SUV.

The production version was announced in July 2013. The Bentley EXP 9 F's design proved to be controversial, and it received a mixed response from the automobile press. After some criticism for the design of the EXP 9 F, Bentley announced that it would change the styling for the production versions.

The 2016 Bentayga was the first to receive Bentley's new twin-turbo W12 engine. Initially, the W12 was the only engine option for the Bentayga, capable of bypassing 6 cylinders if needed. The 6.0 L, twin-turbo gives the Bentayga performance figures of 0–100 km/h in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 301 km/h. The manufacturer self-proclaimed the vehicle to be the world's fastest production SUV in 2016.

W12 2016–2020 5,950 cc  W12 twin turbo 608 PS

V8 2018–3,956 cc V8 twin turbo 550 PS

Hybrid 2019–2,984 cc  PHEV V6 turbo 449 PS

Speed 2019–5,950 cc W12 twin turbo635 PS

Diesel 2017–2020 3,956 cc  V8 twin turbo 435 PS

exp 10 speed 6

2015

The Bentley EXP 10 Speed Six represents a new design direction for Bentley, and is a significant departure from the brand's current styling language. The Speed 6 retains Bentley's signature dual round full-LED headlamps, but the main headlamp is almost an oval-shape, but when seen from head-on it appears to be perfectly round. The second headlamps is similar to the second headlamps of the Bentayga and Mulsanne, and is smaller than the main headlamp and features an integrated headlamp-washer.

The concept car featured a V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain, the first V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain ever used in a Bentley concept or production vehicle (a V8 plug-in hybrid was used in the Mulsanne Hybrid Concept in 2014).

Although the concept car was shown with a V6 plug-in hybrid, the production version has been confirmed to likely include an all-electric version, which will be Bentley's first all-electric vehicle, and its second plug-in vehicle (after the Bentayga V8 plug-in hybrid which will arrive in 2017)

There has been speculation of a V8 being available, the same engine used in the Continental GT, and it is likely to be available in the production version as well. There will likely be a Speed or Supersports version of the EXP 10 Speed Six and it has been suggested that there may be a W12 engine available as well.

exp 100 gt

The Bentley EXP 100 GT is a concept car introduced by Bentley for its 100th anniversary, on 10 July 2019. It is Bentley's vision of a GT car for 2035. The car is a fully electric 2-door coupe, can hit 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph. The car's doors open vertically and are two-meter wide and the car is 5.8 meter long. The creative team have looked back at Bentley’s history for visual inspiration so the elegant, prominent rear haunch is a gesture to the brilliant 1952 R-Type Continental; the round headlights overlapping the grille a nod to the Bentley Blower from the 1930s.

The EXP 100 GT maintains a relatively low weight of 1,900 kg thanks largely to the use of aluminum and carbon fiber for the exterior structure, embellished with copper and aluminum elements. The warm ecological copper makes complete sense as an alternative to chrome - a unsustainable material which tends to features in premium car design.

This car is electrified. It is engineered to be driven and be driverless, with batteries that offer five times the conventional energy density allowing some 435 miles on pure-electric power. The system drives four motors for zero to 60mph happening in less than 2.5 seconds; a top speed of 186 mph is available, as is a maximum torque of 1,500 Nm. Plus, this future GT can be charged to 80% in just 15 minutes.

mulliner bacalar

Designed by Bentley Mulliner, it is a limited (12 units) production roofless two-seater barchetta inspired by Bentley EXP 100 GT concept car. Superficially similar to convertible, it externally only shares door handle with Continental GT, which contains the keyless entry system. It includes a 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine rated 659 PS, rear track 20 mm wider than Continental GT, bespoke, 22-inch tri-finish wheels, unique front and rear horizontal lights, model emblem ‘hidden’ behind the lacquer of sustainable rice husk paint, optional luggage, dark anodised titanium trim on the main controls, metallic dark bronze on Bulls-eye air vents, semi-gloss Khamun leather and natural wool upholstery, Bentley Rotating Display, unique clock face with individual one-of-12 badging, Riverwood wraparound dashboard veneer, wool overmats from Wilton. It can accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of over 322 km/h as the third Generation Continental GT W12.

mulliner batur

The Bentley Mulliner Batur is a luxurious grand touring coupe that features an upgraded version of the company’s familiar twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12. While the engine is “entering its twilight years,” it’s not dead yet and engineers equipped it with upgraded turbochargers, beefy intercoolers, and numerous recalibrations. Thanks to all these changes, the engine produces more than 730 hp. That’s at least 80 hp more than the Continental GT Speed, which can rocket from 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds before hitting a top speed of 335 km/h. Besides being the most powerful Bentley in history, the Batur is notable for featuring a modernized design that will “ultimately guide” the styling direction of the company’s upcoming EVs.

Production will be limited to 18 units and all of them have already been spoken for. Each will be “designed collaboratively” with its owner and they’ll be able to specify the color and finish of virtually every surface of the Batur.

the bentley boys

The Bentley Boys were a group of British motoring enthusiasts that included Barnato, Sir Henry "Tim" Birkin, steeple chaser George Duller, aviator Glen Kidston, automotive journalist S.C.H. "Sammy" Davis, and Dudley Benjafield. The Bentley Boys favoured Bentley cars. Many were independently wealthy and many had a military background. They kept the marque's reputation for high performance alive; Bentley was noted for its four consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, from 1927 to 1930.

exp2

speed 6

speed 8

24 hours of Le Mans Grand Prix d'Endurance

• 1923 4th (private entry) (3-Litre)
• 1924 1st (3-Litre)
• 1925 did not finish
• 1926 did not finish
• 1927 1st 15th 17th (3-Litre)
• 1928 1st 5th (4½-litre)
• 1929 1st (Speed Six); 2nd 3rd 4th: (4½-litre)
• 1930 1st 2nd (Speed Six)

Bentley withdrew from motor racing just after winning at Le Mans in 1930, claiming that they had learned enough about speed and reliability.