1989 Bentley Turbo R on 2040-cars

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What it's like to drive a brand-new, 92-year-old Bentley Blower

“Vivid” doesnÂ’t even begin to describe this; neither does “damn cold.” The throttle is pinned to the firewall, the needles behind the glass in the dashboardÂ’s 10 dials are twitching and dancing, the supercharger boost gauge is nailed to the lock stop, and the dark-green scuttle is shuddering with the ripples of the concrete banking. Think World War II airplane over the storm-tossed North Atlantic – I even slid a picture of my wife into my breast pocket this morning Â… IÂ’d be grinning, but the freezing blast over the leather-strapped bonnet gives me a rictus grimace. ThereÂ’s a lot to do in this 92-year-old supercharged Bentley as its fish-tail exhaust blares seal-honk indifference at a shoal of insignificant super cars fluttering in its wake; at 100 mph this is motoring at its zenith. They donÂ’t make ‘em like they used to and I used to think that was indubitably true of this car: Sir Henry ‘TimÂ’ BirkinÂ’s Blower Bentley. This was his favorite out of the five Blowers built at the Welwyn factory between 1929 and 1930. It was bankrolled by Dorothy Paget, the Whitney family heiress, and serial race-horse owner and gambler. How famous? This car, known as Number Two, was entered in the 1930 Le Mans 24-hour race. Birkin drove it like a bat out of hell in the initial stages of the race with the tacit approval of the Bentley factory, which had entered a team of "6 1/2 litre" naturally aspirated cars and was looking for its fourth-consecutive Le Mans victory and the marqueÂ’s fifth overall. They used Birkin and this lovely old machine as “the hare,” testing the potential and reliability of the astonishing Mercedes-Benz works supercharged, 7-liter SSK driven by Rudolf ‘RudiÂ’ Caracciola (ironically Paget also owned one of these rare and exotic beasts). The fast and courageous Birkin was sent out to poke a stick at the German ace – it was like poking a waspsÂ’ nest. Twice Birkin overtook Caracciola at over 120 mph at the end of the Mulsanne/Hunaudieres straight, with one wheel on the grass and the rear tire down to its canvas. By all accounts Caracciola was so startled simply because he couldnÂ’t believe that anyone would be actually overtaking him. Legend has it that in pursuing Birkin, Rudi Caracciola damaged the engine by over using the supercharger, which could be clutched in and out, but the truth is more nuanced. Birkin drove his car so hard he twice lost a tireÂ’s tread and had to pit early.

A faster Bentley Bentayga Speed is coming

With 600 horsepower on tap, the Bentley Bentayga already claims the mantle as the fastest, most powerful SUV on the market. The latest reports indicate that there's an even faster, more powerful version in the works. After speaking with Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer at the Beijing Motor Show this week, Auto Express reports that a Bentayga Speed is on the way. "If you're asking whether there would be Speed versions of the Bentayga eventually," said Durheimer, "then yes, you might expect that." Details, as you might have expected, remain unconfirmed at this point. However the latest Continental GT Speed packs 633 horsepower from its 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 – 66 horses more than the standard twelve-cylinder Continental GT. And the Mulsanne's 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 produces 505 hp in standard trim and 530 in Speed spec for a difference of 25 hp. If the Bentayga Speed follows a similar formula, we can expect a solid 650 hp or so. That ought to help push the SUV past 60 in less than its current 4.0 seconds, and on past its stated 187-mph top speed. The Speed version isn't the only variant of the Bentayga said to be in the works. We're also anticipating a diesel version as well as a hybrid. We wouldn't be surprised to see a lighter V8 model, too, as we have on the Continental. And a fastback model in the mold of the BMW X6 and company is also reportedly under consideration. Beyond the Bentayga, Bentley is said to be closely evaluating what to develop next. The choice is between the EXP 10 Speed 6 sports coupe concept on the one hand, and a smaller crossover on the other. The answer could depend heavily on how the Bentayga performs in the Chinese market. Related Video:

Bentley may develop 500-hp, all-electric sports car

At dinner during the recent press launch for the Bentley Bentayga, CEO Wolfgang Durheimer stood up to discuss potential directions for the Bentley brand. One of them could be an all-electric version of the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept first revealed at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, Top Gear reports. According to Durheimer, the Speed 6 concept has received incredible customer response, summed up as, "Stop talking about it and build it." Yet the CEO says Bentley would want to do something even more interesting with the coupe, so an electric powertrain with anywhere from 400 to 500 horsepower is being developed. That's not to say we'll ever see it for sale, but the best minds in the company are working on it. Top Gear says that such a car would probably share innovations developed for the rather lovely Porsche Mission E concept we saw at Frankfurt, resulting in a range of around 300 miles and fast charging capability. Traditional engines would also be developed for those that prefer their Bentleys to play four-stroke combustion notes. The other direction - and if we're wagering we think this one is much more likely - would use the Bentayga platform but be a sharper, edgier take on a crossover. At that same dinner, Durheimer said response to the Bentayga has urged Bentley to increase its sales projections. That makes an even stronger case for the smaller crossover already being considered in January this year and reaffirmed in June. Top Gear thinks that would be an "SUV-coupe" with four doors and more performance. Whichever one gets the nod, it's expected to hit the road in the next three years. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept: Geneva 2015 View 9 Photos News Source: Top GearImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Green Rumormill Bentley Coupe Concept Cars Electric Future Vehicles Luxury Performance bentley bentayga wolfgang durheimer porsche mission e concept bentley crossover bentley exp 10 speed 6