2009 Arnage T Final Series 10,000 Miles Diamond Interior 1 Of 150 Produced on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bentley's next continuation car is its 1929-30 Le Mans winner

Bentley's Mulliner division will resurrect the Speed Six as its second continuation project. Announced on the sidelines of the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed, the born-again classic will be nearly identical to the cars that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1929 and 1930. Continuation cars remain a significant source of controversy among enthusiasts; Ralph Lauren is one of the high-profile collectors who wrote an angry letter to Bentley after the firm announced plans to make 12 replicas of the four 1929 Team Blower models. The criticism didn't dent the model's popularity; all 12 units were spoken for in record time, and this success encouraged Bentley to bring the Speed Six back to life. Why the Speed Six? It's one of the most important models in Bentley's history, according to the company's archives department, largely due to its success at Le Mans. It was an evolution of the 6 1/2 -Litre model whose 6.5-liter straight-six engine was tuned to develop about 180 horsepower, a huge number in the 1920s. It was offered with three different wheelbases, and 182 examples were made between 1928 and 1930. Only a small handful of those were modified for racing; they were built on a 132-inch wheelbase and fitted with a 200-horsepower six. Bentley started the continuation project by sourcing two of the original cars. One is the third of three units that raced at Le Mans in 1930, and it's been nicknamed Old Number Three. It's in private hands. The second is a 1929 model that's part of the carmaker's collection and that has previously received a full restoration. Mulliner has completed a 3D CAD model of the Speed Six using those cars and period documents. Pricing for the Speed Six continuation car starts at GBP1.5 million, a sum that represents about $1.8 million at the current conversion rate. Production is limited to 12 units, and collectors scooped up the entire batch before the project was announced to the public. Bentley will begin building the first car, which is not part of the 12 and which will be used as a testing and engineering mule, in the second half of 2022.   Featured Gallery Bentley Speed Six View 12 Photos Bentley Automotive History Convertible Luxury Racing Vehicles Performance Classics Goodwood Goodwood Festival of Speed

BMW makes the M4 extra special with a huge wing

BMW has all of the bases covered in its lineup, especially when it comes to its 4 Series models. Don't like going to the track? There's the BMW 430i and 440i, which are available as a coupe and gran coupe. Drivers looking for a track-friendly car that can also be used on the road will be steered toward the M4. BMW even built the hardcore M4 GTS for drivers that spend all of their time on a track. Now, it looks like BMW is trying to bridge the gap between the M4 and the M4 GTS with a special-edition model. Our photographers caught BMW testing an M4 with some extreme aerodynamic components around the Nurburgring. With its aggressive front end, massive wing, and sporty rear diffuser, the prototype M4 appears to be similar to the special-edition M4 Competition Sport that BMW released in Spain. The Spain-only special edition was marketed as a softer version of the M4 GTS with less power and usable rear seats. With a similar look and visible rear seats, this prototype indicates a similar track-focused special edition model. Since the M4 is only a few years old, it's unlikely that BMW is testing a new model, but the automaker could be testing aerodynamic components for a refreshed model down the road. A cheaper, more usable M4 GTS, though, would be the perfect car to round out BMW's current lineup. Related Video:

Bentley and Italdesign tease Geneva reveals

With five weeks to go until the Geneva Motor Show on March 5, automakers have begun the tease campaign. But because there are still five weeks to go, the teases are a little stingy. Bentley and Italdesign, two brands owned by the Volkswagen Group - Audi, specifically, owns Italdesign - break the seal with what look like two sports cars, the segment Geneva's best known for. Bentley, surprise, surprise, will celebrate its centenary year at Geneva with something inspired by its Le Mans history. The English carmaker's teaser video contains a number of historical elements that we don't know how to line up with the grille of the modern Bentley featuring a "9" graphic. The narrator detailing the early Le Mans race mentions 60 entries, but Le Mans never fielded exactly sixty entries during Bentley's fame-making days. The closest we could get was the 1925 race, the year after Bentley's first win, which saw 55 cars line up. But in 1925, the No. 9 Bentley had to retire after 13 hours when it caught on fire during a fuel stop. Instead, Bentley could be referring to the next evolution of its race cars. The brand won Le Mans with the Speed 6, and used the Speed 8 to win the 2003 race. Italdesign has gone even more cryptic with its teaser. The styling house most recently known for the Lamborghini Huracan-based Zerouno in 2017, and the Zerouno Duerte and Nissan GT-R50 in 2018, is promoting something else with serious wing. We'll guess it isn't another Zerouno derivative because of the wing stanchion. Freezing a few of the frames reveals background lines that make whatever's coming look highly racy. We'll get answers in the city by the lake. And most likely, a few more teasers before then. Related Video: