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Bentley mulling own spec series for gentlemen racers?

We began to salivate when we saw the Bentley Continental GT3 up close and personal at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The thought of a track-going Continental GT conjured up notions of the Bentley Boys, the original gentlemen racers, tearing down the Mulsanne straight. Well, according to AutoGuide, it appears our wistful ponderings will be realized in the form of an international spec racing series.
Similar to the Porsche Carrera Cup or the Ferrari Challenge, this will be a one-make series, and Bentley seeks to run races in Europe, North America and Asia. As for the latter, Bentley Board Member for Marketing Kevin Rose suggested that China will be the likely host of an Asian race. According to Rose, sportscar racing is of interest to Bentley's Chinese customers. He also says that there will be participation by dealers. "Our dealers are by definition car nuts," claims Rose.
While the Continental GT3 is being developed for pro-level use, Bentley is apparently working on a turn-key car for gentlemen racers. According to Rose, "We want to make it as easy as possible." While that doesn't sound like the devil-may-care Bentley Boys of yore, it's likely better to attract participation. The first trials are expected for 2013, and Bentley is even considering making vehicles available for privateer teams.

Bentley shifting W12 engine production to UK

Who would you think would be the largest producer of 12-cylinder engines in the world? Mercedes? BMW? Ferrari? Think again: as you might have guessed from the headline, it's Bentley. The thing is that, while all Bentley automobiles are manufactured in the UK, its engines aren't: while the 6.75-liter V8 in the Mulsanne is made at home, the innovative 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine in Continental models so equipped (like the newer 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8) is shipped in from Germany. But that won't be the case any longer.
Bentley has just announced that production of the W12 engine is moving to its home base in Crewe by the end of this year. The shift in production (which follows the migration of the Flying Spur from Dresden to Crewe in 2007) will create 100 jobs in the UK - a country which employs some 142,000 workers in the automotive sector - and produce as many as 9,000 engines per year. That in and of itself would account for the vast majority of the 10,000-plus cars Bentley made last year, but will also make Bentley an exporter of engines for the first time in its history.
Right there at the factory, Bentley will fit the engines into twelve-cylinder versions of the Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur, and send some back to Germany for use in the Audi A8. Applications within the Volkswagen brand itself like the Phaeton and Touareg no longer use the W12 engine, but could conceivably use it again in the future - they'll just have to bring them in from England is all.

What's that smell? It's a Bentley Boy

The modern Bentley Boy finally has something fitting to wear underneath his scarf and ulster: the fragrance in the Lalique for Bentley Crystal Edition or the Bentley for Men and Bentley for Men Intense scents. French crystal house Lalique designed a limited edition flacon shaped like the Flying B company mascot that contains an eau de parfum created by the French perfume house Robertet. That fragrance is "fine woody notes and exquisite leather" enhanced by orris butter. Only 999 flacons will be made, going on sale in April for 3,000 pounds (3,500 euro, $4,572 US) for a 40-ml bottle.
The other two options were created by French perfume house Firmenich. They also start with "fine wood and leather notes," with Bentley for Men getting an addition of cedar and patchouli, the Intense version throwing in African geranium to "take these notes to another level."
If that won't be enough to fulfill your lust for vehicular aroma, the full line also includes after shave balm and hair and body shampoo. When they go on sale in April at select retailers, prices will start at 24 pounds (27 euro, $36 US) for the shampoo and top out at 69.50 pounds (87 euro, $106 US) for the Intense eau de parfum. You can read more about them in the press release below.