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Bentley recaps its 100 years in a $250k book

Bentley's 100th anniversary might be remembered more for the book that celebrates the milestone more than the cars. The carmaker worked with Opus, a "luxury publisher" with the tagline "Greatness immortalized greatly," on a tome that tells the story of the last 100 years. The limited-edition result of their work weighs roughly 66.5 pounds, is filled with exclusives, can be customized like a Bentley, and can cost more than a Bentley. There will be three versions, in Centenary printed in a run of 500, the Mulliner printed in a run of 100, and 100 Carat with just seven examples, representing the seven continents. All come wrapped in hand-bound leather from the same herds that provide hides to Bentley cars, buyers able to choose what color leather they prefer. The cover is adorned with nothing other than the same special Bentley badge that gets affixed to cars during this anniversary year. The content begins with a foreword penned by well known collector Ralph Lauren. Then the book spends nine chapters and more than 800 pages telling the story of W.O. Bentley and his Le Mans racers before lavishing time on the decades of brand-defining grand tourers, the limited editions, the one-offs, the designers, the craftsmanship, and the sports cars that have brought us to today's GTs and limousines. In the last chapter, called "The Future," current brand CEO Adrian Hallmark expands on what the next century will bring. Never-before-seen content in every edition includes historical photos, new photography shot by Opus, and gatefold pages with artwork that spreads nearly 6.5 feet when fully opened. The "entry-level" Centenary edition costs GBP3,000, or $3,800 in green money. The Mulliner edition adds extras like 20-inch by 24-inch Polaroid photos highlighting ten of Bentley's landmark cars, and 56 watercolors painted on silk paper. A piece of the left front Michelin tire from the Bentley Speed 8 that won Le Mans in 2003 will grace the inside cover of the Mulliner's clamshell case. Owners can go further with customization, having their own Bentley photographs included in their copies, or having their cars photographed by Opus to be included. More equipment means more money, the Mulliner edition costing GBP12,500, or almost $16,000. Beyond the Mulliner's bespoke options, the 100 Carat edition encrusts the book with 100 carats of diamonds and a wings badge set in either white gold or platinum.

Bentley says Conti Supersports 'isn't on the horizon'

For the longest time, Bentley made a name for itself making ever-faster versions of its core Continental range. These days, however, the British automaker has other things on which to focus. And that means there's little time to spend on developing a new high-performance Conti. After refreshing the Continental GT, GTC, and Flying Spur in 2011, Bentley came out with a new Continental GT Speed in 2012, boasting 616 horsepower. Last year it updated the range again, bumping the GT Speed up to 626 hp and releasing the GT3-R as a road-going version of the racing model, with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 pumping out 572 hp. (A further refresh was rolled out just months ago, but was more cosmetic in orientation.) It even slotted the Speed's engine into the Flying Spur, and did a Speed version of the Mulsanne as well. What it hasn't done, however, is develop a successor to the previous Supersports model. "...A future Supersports model isn't on the horizon at the moment." – Mike Sayer, Bentley The Supersports was the performance flagship of the previous Continental range, boasting 621 horsepower, a 0-62 time of 3.7 seconds, and a top speed in excess of 204 miles per hour. But the current GT Speed is even faster, quoted at 206 mph. And with 626 hp, it's marginally more powerful too. The question, then, is whether an even more potent Supersports is in the works. And the answer is: not just yet. "While we're always looking at ways of extending our unique combination of luxury and performance even further, we're currently focused on delivering the all-new Bentley Bentayga SUV," spokesman Mike Sayer revealed in correspondence with Autoblog. "The Continental family has just received a suite of styling and usability upgrades for 16MY, and a future Supersports model isn't on the horizon at the moment." So while a new Continental Supersports could arrive at some point down the line, it's apparently not a priority right now. And what about the prospect of an even more hardcore version of the Continental GT3-R? Rumors have been circulating of an even lighter version in the works, unburdened by the bulk of the Conti's all-wheel drive system – but we're told that's not in the cards at the moment, either. "The Continental GT3-R has been very well-received around the world. Some regions (including the UK) have sold-out their allocation. A very limited number of cars remain in a small number of overseas markets," says Sayer.

2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible

There are few things in this world I enjoy more than an enthusiastic drive down tree-lined backroads on a warm summer evening. If you're familiar with the geographic location of Detroit, you won't be shocked to learn that we don't have the sort of very-involving roads found all throughout California and other gorgeous parts of the country, but we still have some stretches of pavement that can be pretty darn fun when driven in the right car. The vast majority of our scenic roads, however, are of a more relaxed nature. And that's why, despite my tendency to prefer high-strung hot hatches above all, I will never say no to a big, fast convertible during the warm season.
As far as said big, fast convertibles go, perhaps none is more exquisite than the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible, pictured here in the striking shade of St. James Red. Not long after returning from my trip across the pond to drive Bentley's V8-powered Flying Spur sedan, I was given the chance to sample another one of its eight-cylinder wares, this one carrying less heft, offering a smidge more power, and, oh yeah, a roof that neatly stows behind the rear seats.
As luck would have it, the weather for my Conti weekend was the absolute definition of perfection. And so I took to those sweeping, tree-lined roads way outside of Detroit to see how this Bentley's "S" badge improves upon the lovely GT V8 Convertible I drove last year. Hard work, but somebody's gotta do it.