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Bentley reveals One-of-One Continental GT Speed at The Quail

Monterey Car Week is the place and time to debut super-rare, exclusive vehicles, and the Bentley Continental One-of-One GT Speed is precisely that. This single Continental GT Speed was made to celebrate 20 years of the Continental GT, which started production in 2003. The very first one off the line (pictured alongside the new car here) was painted in Cypress Green paint, had Saddle leather upholstery and Burr Walnut wood trim. So of course, this 2023 GT Speed is finished in Cypress Green paint, features Saddle leather upholstery and Burr Walnut trim. However, Bentley enhanced the new one to make it appear even more special. The Saddle leather is broken up with “Special Green” accent hides, and contrast stitching is done in the same green throughout. Plus, there is both glossy and open-pore wood trim instead of the single type to jazz things up further. To call this out as an especially unique Continental GT Speed, it also gets sill plates that read “20 years of the Continental GT by Bentley Mulliner.” YouÂ’ll also see outlines of the 2003 and 2023 Continental GTs on the center console, dash trim and outer door sill. And lastly, “One of One by Bentley Mulliner” is etched into the cupholder cover alongside a wheel. As youÂ’d expect, this particular car has pretty much every package and option one can spec for the Continental GT Speed. And because itÂ’s the Speed, it has the W12 engine and all the other performance goodies that go along with it. Bentley says the car was handed over to its owner at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. Related video:

2014 Bentley Flying Spur

Redefining Super Luxury On A Shrinking Planet
Anyone on Earth with access to the Internet, a television or radio for the last 20 years knows that China is no longer the poor stronghold for strict Communist ideals that it was for much of the 20th Century. (Well, at least not in some places.) Traveling to China twice in less than a month - first to Shanghai for a very international auto show and now to Beijing to drive and review the 2014 Bentley Flying Spur - I've learned that there's no lack of personal wealth, at least in two of the world's largest cities.
And yet, even I think the scene before me is a little bit ridiculous. Here I am, slowly climbing up a hillside to reach a fortification at something called Zhuanduo Pass, where roughly a dozen pristine examples of Western decadence sit idling their hand-built 12-cylinder engines in the shadow of China's revered and awesome Great Wall. Not five kilometers south of here, I'd passed an old man in traditional all-black garb, literally carrying a bundle of sticks on his back from one side of a village to the other. Now as I look through the snug-fitting and silent side glass of the my $200,000+ palace on wheels, I'm more apt to see fat German tourists crisping in the hot Chinese sun while blowing the equivalent of an average Chinese monthly paycheck on lunch and a few Great Wall souvenirs.

Bentley EXP 100 GT is an electric vision of luxury in 2035

Bentley has just pulled the wraps off its latest concept car, and it's predictably opulent and indulgent. It's called the Bentley EXP 100 GT, which is a nod to the company's 100th anniversary this year, and it's a look at where Bentley wants to be in the year 2035. It's fully electric, has full autonomous capability, and is draped in high-end materials and outrageous design. The design really is striking. Its carbon fiber and aluminum body is enormous at 19 feet long, yet it's just a two-door coupe. The front overhang is nearly nonexistent, but the tail stretches way behind the back wheels. Signature round headlights blend into a fully illuminated grille. Even the hood ornament and center trim piece on the hood light up. The doors open in a scissor fashion just like a Lamborghini. At the back, the car features OLED taillights. The wheels even have active aerodynamic panels, and apparently the Pirelli tires can, at least conceptually, change their pattern and contact patch for various driving conditions. Under the sizable yet slinky skin is a fully electric powertrain. It features four motors, one for each wheel, to provide full torque vectoring. They deliver a lot of torque, too, at 1,106 pound-feet. Bentley says the EXP 100 GT should hit 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds and have a top speed of 186 mph. The battery pack can provide up to 435 miles of range, and can be charged to 80% capacity in 15 minutes. The car can be driven fully autonomously or manually. The EXP 100 GT naturally has an over-the-top interior to match the exterior and powertrain. It can be configured to seat two to four people. It's trimmed with 5,000-year-old wood salvaged from peat bogs, and copper has been infused with it. Fabric trim features fiber optics woven in for illuminated patterns. The leather is not from animals, but rather created from byproducts of wine making. Crystal is featured heavily, too, and it is used for getting information about the onboard AI. The AI system works to keep you comfortable, and to do so, it monitors your mood with biometrics, even detecting your blood pressure. It can alter the amount of light in the cabin, the temperature and other settings. A unique feature of the car is the ability to simulate lighting conditions from past drives if the current weather is dreary. The car even has a unique scent that can be applied to the cabin that's a mix of sandalwood and moss. Will we see a Bentley like this reach production in 2035? Time will tell.