2022 Bentley Continental Gt V8 on 2040-cars

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EVs still burning aboard ship carrying luxury cars near Azores

LISBON — Heavy tug boats on Tuesday sprayed water on a burning ship carrying thousands of Porsches and Bentleys adrift off the coast of Portugal's Azores islands, the ship's manager said in a statement. The Felicity Ace, carrying around 4,000 vehicles including Porsches, Audis and Bentleys, some with lithium-ion batteries, caught fire on Wednesday last week. The 22 crew members on board were evacuated the same day. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far. It also said the ship was drifting further from the Azores islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Two large tug boats equipped with firefighting gear arrived from Gibraltar on Monday, and were working with another patrol boat to spray water at the Felicity Ace and cool it down, MOL said. The arrival of two other tug boats with more firefighting equipment is scheduled for Feb. 23 and Feb. 26. "Together with the all relevant parties, MOL is making every effort to contain the damage and resolve the situation as soon as possible," MOL said. Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the Azorean island of Faial, said on Sunday the fire had lost its intensity, probably because there was little left to burn. Cabecas said as the fire subsides and the structure cools down, firefighting teams and technicians might be able to board the vessel to prepare to tow it either to Europe or the Bahamas. "When conditions are safe the salvage team will board the Felicity Ace for an initial assessment," MOL added. Cabecas told Reuters over the weekend the lithium-ion batteries in the electric vehicles were "keeping the fire alive." It was not clear whether the batteries had caused the fire. MOL did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment on the cause of the fire. Volkswagen, which owns the car brands, said on Monday it did not have any further information to share. Green Bentley Porsche Volkswagen Electric Luxury ev fire

Ultra-luxury automakers like Bentley and Rolls-Royce need to hurry up with EVs

In the five years that I've worked at Autoblog, I've read a lot of press releases. They're all pretty flowery and self-serving, but the ones that go the extra distance with lavish words and pompous phrasing tend to come from the most luxurious brands, Bentley and Rolls-Royce. And something that they both love talking about is sustainably sourced materials for their vehicles. The descriptions read like they've seen the light about using resources responsibly. That would be great, except for one thing: There's nothing sustainable about multi-ton land yachts with eight or more cylinders. Only one of Bentley's models can be had with fuel economy better than 20 mpg combined when running on gasoline, and guess what, it's not one of the brand's two plug-in hybrids (which are to be commended, but still seem half-hearted when we're talking serious sustainability). And Rolls-Royce is even worse without a single model even hitting 15 mpg combined. These automakers should have at least one EV model apiece. Apparently, there are some coming, but they're still years away, and that frankly shocks and frustrates me for a number of reasons. One of the big ones is that these brands couldn't be better suited to electric propulsion. What makes these cars impressive is their refinement and performance. You can't get much better in either of those categories than with beefy electric motors, which provide nearly silent operation with no gear changes and enormous power and torque ratings. And it's all achievable with a lot less effort than making an 8- or 12-cylinder internal combustion engine quiet and smooth. Sure, battery technology is complicated, and it's expensive and heavy, but all of that is covered by these brand's typical products. They can command prices that would easily absorb the cost of batteries. And the size and weight of current cars mean that loading them up with batteries to achieve range comparable to their gas models wouldn't be a problem, either. Heck, that's the exact strategy being used by GM and Ford to get huge range in their electric trucks. 2020 Porsche Taycan Turbo S View 41 Photos And the cost of the EV technology shouldn't even be that great for Bentley or Rolls-Royce, since they're both owned by companies that are leaders in electric car development with existing technology and the ability to spread costs out over various brands.

2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible puts 208 mph of wind in your hair

The Bentley Continental GT is once again merging the higher-performance capabilities of its Speed trim level with the open-top convertible body style in the new 2022 Bentley Continental GT Speed convertible. The GT Speed convertible's upgrades largely mirror those of the recently unveiled 2022 GT Speed coupe. They start with increased output from Bentley's W12 engine, which has been turned up to 650 horsepower from 626 horsepower in the non-Speed W12 (torque remains unchanged at 664 lb-ft) and given a more characterful exhaust note. The W12 here again pairs with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel drive, although both have been recalibrated for Speed duty. The transmission spends more time in lower gears, while the all-wheel-drive system has a more rearward torque bias in the various drive modes. The combination is good for a factory-stated 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph. That's 0.1 second and quicker than the standard W12 convertible and 1 mph faster, thus earning the Speed its name. The Speed's chassis also has been upgraded, with four-wheel steering, an electronic limited-slip rear differential, and optional carbon-ceramic disc brakes with 10-piston front and four-piston rear calipers. They join existing Continental GT chassis technologies that include active air suspension, adaptive dampers, and active anti-roll bars powered by a specific 48-volt electric system. Speed-specific 22-inch wheels are offered in a dark-tint finish to match the mesh grille or, alternately, bright silver or gloss black. Special side gills and discrete "Speed" badging complete the modest exterior makeover. The convertible top is offered in a choice of seven colors including an oh-so-British tweed, and there are eight headliner colors. The fully automated roof can be stowed or raised in 19 seconds. The cabin features Alcantara microsuede accents and two-tone leather and Alcantara seating surfaces with diamond-in-diamond pattern stitching and "Speed" logos stitched into the headrests. Piano black trim is standard, but numerous wood veneers can be specced. There are also metal-trimmed pedals. Heated and ventilated seats are on hand, along with a heated steering wheel and heated armrests to maximize the top-down driving season. There's also a standard neck-warmer that is said to be more powerful and also quieter than before.