1970 Bentley T1 (rolls Royce Silver Shadow), Survivor, Service History on 2040-cars

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On any given Sunday, there'll be a Bentley racing somewhere

Most of us would regard Bentley more as a luxury marque than a racing one. Sure, it dominated Le Mans in the 1920s with five wins (four of them consecutively), but that was a long time ago. It won again in 2003, but that was an exception – right? Bentley doesn't actually race much anymore, does it? The short answer is: yes, yes it does. The automaker rolled out the Continental GT3 a few years ago, following sister companies Porsche, Audi, and Lamborghini into the category. Now you may be scoffing something along the lines of "yeah but it's only GT3," but while you're doing that, Bentley Motorsport is steadily ramping up its racing program. This year we'll be able to see Contis racing in "more than 90 top-level GT races around the world." Count out the off-season that's now drawing to an end as the racing season gears up and you're talking about two races every week. Yeah, that's right: Bentley will, on average, be competing in two races each week somewhere in the world. Those races will be part of series like the Pirelli World Challenge here in America, the Blancpain Endurance Series in Europe, the ADAC GT Masters in Germany, the British GT Championship, and the GT Asia series. So wherever you live, there's bound to be a race coming up where you'll be able to see the Continental GT3 racing towards the finish line. Of course the Bentley Team M-Sport works squad won't be contesting all of those races itself. It has an array of customer and partner teams lined up for series around the world. Instead of fielding, for instance, a works entry in the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year, it'll deligate to the Bentley Team Abt Sportsline. But that's just one of the 90 races in which the Continental GT3 will compete this season, and we're looking forward to seeing how it fares in each. Related Video: BENTLEY ANNOUNCES LARGEST RACE PROGRAMME YET - Bentley Motorsport races across the globe in 2016 - Works team adds Blancpain Sprint Series to calendar - Wolfgang Reip becomes latest Bentley Boy 22 March 2016, Crewe – Bentley Motorsport will contest more than 90 top-level GT races around the world in 2016, as both its works and customer team programmes expand. The Bentley Team M-Sport works outfit will now enter the full Blancpain GT Series and welcomes Wolfgang Reip to the Blancpain Endurance Series line-up.

2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 First Drive Review | Making a scene at the ends of the Earth

Even in the face of fading four-door relevance, a new luxury sedan still turns heads, and that goes double when it’s sporting the Flying B. The 2021 Bentley Flying Spur V8 marks the return of the “entry-level” variant of BentleyÂ’s storied touring sedan, and perhaps for the last time, as parent company Volkswagen appears poised to electrify its flagship luxury brand. As luxury nameplates go, Flying Spur really isnÂ’t all that long-running. It was used on a handful of cars in the late 1950s and early 1960s and then mothballed for four decades, returning in 2005 as part of the same Volkswagen prestige project that brought us the Phaeton. The two were even assembled side-by-side for a brief period at one of VWÂ’s German facilities while BentleyÂ’s factory in Crewe scaled up; that probably went over far better in 2005 than it would have in 1959.  My oldest remaining memory of the (then still a Continental) Flying SpurÂ’s modern incarnation stems from a write-up by a journalist who had embedded with some of VW GroupÂ’s engineers in South Africa. They were subjecting it to hot-weather validation, running the prototype (disguised as a Mercedes-Benz) deep into triple-digit territory on remote, dusty highways in a once-unforgiving and distant corner of the globe. The whole thing seemed very romantic to a 20-year-old college student and budding European car nut. The notion of a 190-mph super-sedan being tested in a locale that was once the southern terminus of the known world seemed almost mythical, and it left me with the lingering image of the Flying Spur as the sort of conveyance one might employ in a quest to reach the very ends of the Earth. Naturally, it wasnÂ’t long after Bentley asked if I wanted to sample the new Flying Spur V8 that this association bubbled up. LetÂ’s face it, though; taking a road trip in a grand British luxury sedan needs no justification. This isnÂ’t a car that requires an occasion; it supplies one all on its own. The 4.0-liter V8Â’s 542 horsepower may not hold a candle to the W12Â’s 626, but it also has to contend with 200 fewer pounds. Combined with cylinder deactivation, the V8 manages a 16% improvement in fuel economy, eking out 15 mpg in the city, 20 on the highway and 17 combined. The base V8 model also lacks the W12Â’s standard all-wheel steering and electronically controlled anti-roll bars, but those are still available if youÂ’re willing to cough up some extra cash, and relatively little of it, all things considered.

2023 Bentley Bentayga Cupholder Mega Test: Will the Nalgene bottle fit?

The Bentley Bentayga is impressive in its extravagance, and the extended-wheelbase Azure First Edition is even more so. Unique styling, extremely high-quality materials, extra rear legroom and opulent seating make this expensive SUV a sublime place to spend time, whether behind the wheel or as a passenger. And while the Bentley might seem better suited to one of those water bottles with an energy-focusing crystal energy inside (yes, it's a thing), capaciousness holds a luxury all its own. So, can the Bentayga EWB accommodate what is truly the finest decanter for beverages on the go, the traditional 32-ounce Nalgene water bottle? Damned if I wasn't going to find out while the Bentley was in my driveway. The primest real estate is, of course, the front cupholders, so let's start there. It's hard to be disappointed, as something about sitting in the Bentayga's driver seat is a natural balm for the soul, but warm feelings won't make our Nalgene fit where we'd like it. Let's try the doors next. It fits there just fine, and we have to say, the azure color of my Nalgene's sturdy, BPA-free plastic looks quite nice against the car's gray and lavender leather. So how about the folks sitting in business class? As is often the case, the rear cupholders suffer the same constraints as the ones up front. The Nalgene won't fit there, but maybe the doors? These generous pockets again provide a place for these big bottles. But there's one more spot in this Bentley to stash a fifth Nalgene. Just in front of the rear cupholders is a cubby that opens up. It's big enough to fit a Nalgene, but not big enough to close the lid over it. It wouldn't be a terrible place to temporarily hold your bottle while actively hydrating, then place it back out of the way in the door pocket once your thirst is quenched. Have a closer look in the video below. If the Bentayga is a little rich for your taste, you can see how the Nalgene fares in the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Toyota 4Runner or the upcoming Volkswagen ID.7 electric sedan.