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First new Bentley Blower built since 1930 is now being tested

Just over a year after announcing the program, Bentley has finished building its first Blower car since 1930. It's called "Car Zero" since it's not one of the 12 customer cars. Instead, this first car is a prototype that will undergo testing before the customer cars begin production. Bentley says this car took 40,000 hours to complete. The company figured out how to build it based on existing tooling and blueprints, as well as laser scans of the components in the company's 1929 race car on which the continuation models will be based. The company collaborated with a variety of outside companies for help with the frame, radiator shroud and leaf springs. The frame was built by a company that builds and restores boilers for steam engines. Bentley itself also built a custom stand so it could hook up the recreated 4.5-liter supercharged four-cylinder to its modern-day engine dynamometers for break-in. Now that this prototype has been completed, Bentley will begin testing it for durability. The planned testing should recreate just under 22,000 miles of regular driving and nearly 5,000 miles of track driving. The company will also do a top speed run with it. Once testing is complete, Bentley will start building the 12 customer cars, all of which have been sold and specified. While many are likely excited about this new Bentley, there are a handful of car enthusiasts that probably don't share the excitement. Earlier this year, several of these wealthy enthusiasts, including fashion mogul Ralph Lauren, sent a letter to Bentley expressing concerns that these continuation cars will reduce the value, both monetary and intrinsic, of the original cars. The complaint obviously hasn't had an effect on Bentley's plans. Related Video:

5 unused, unregistered Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousines for sale

It's not unheard of for a car with extremely low miles to appear for sale years after it was built. In some unusual cases, they might not even be registered. But what's truly bizarre is for a whole group of five cars reappearing for sale having never been registered. And even more so when they're five unique examples of the Bentley Mulsanne Grand Limousine, a car that had to be specially ordered from the company. And yet, that's exactly what Bentley Emirates is offering. Bentley the company has said that the five stretched Mulsannes were delivered, but never used or registered. It's not completely clear whether they were ordered by one person, five individuals, or maybe even the dealer. We've reached out for details and will update when we have clarification. No matter what, it's unfathomable that such cars would be ordered and never used. Though pricing was never announced, they can't have been cheap. Can you imagine dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars on something and never using that thing? Anyway, here's a quick refresher on the Mulsanne Grand Limousine. Bentley said the first cars were built in 2015, and the model made its public debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Obviously, the most distinct part of the car was its length, just over three feet greater than a standard Mulsanne, itself a large machine. Overall height also increased by three inches. This made room for an additional set of rear-facing seats behind the fronts. The divider behind the front seats has electrochromic glass to provide privacy. A bottle cooler, champagne flutes, a soft-drink cabinet and tumblers are all included, and there are fold-out tables on which to rest said glasses. One of the five cars is pictured above in the same Silver Frost over Moroccan Blue paint scheme as the Geneva show car. The other four each have their own color schemes: Damson over Black Crystal, Onyx over Candy Red, Rubino Red over Light Gazelle and a single-tone Black Sapphire. So you have options. Pricing for these cars hasn't been announced. But you surely can't afford one if you have to ask. Also, while the cars are for sale in the United Arab Emirates, the dealer will ship to anywhere in the world. Related Video:

Bentley designer says electric Bentley coming ‘not so far in the future’

Bentley lead designer Stefan Sielaff told Auto Express, "A full electric Bentley is something I am extremely convinced we have to do." He essentially confirms a Bentley EV by saying, "It will happen not so far in the future." We can look at the designer's comments as a near-final declaration on an undertaking the English carmaker's been considering for the past few years. Don't look for a production run of the EXP 12 6e concept shown at last year's Geneva Motor Show, though. Based on Sielaff's comments and a process of elimination, AE expects an electric four-door coupe. Instead of the PPE electric architecture Porsche and Audi are developing, Bentley would use the J1 architecture beneath the Mission E. The most powerful Mission E trim should put out close to 700 horsepower, a proper figure to begin discussions concerning an offering from The Flying B. A report from two years ago said a larger, 115-kW battery supplying two 375-horsepower motors in back and a 186-motor in front would give 936 hp and a potential 500-mile range. Beyond that, insiders supposedly spoke of a 150-kW battery to come in 2022, which would bring with it astronomical numbers. When asked what kind of vehicle Sielaff had in mind, the designer said he envisioned "a completely fresh and new development" that is "not imitating another concept." The alternative propulsion, Sielaff said, would give him and his team "a great chance to establish a completely new design language for the company." His ideal chariot would have four or five seats, "the possibility to carry a little bit of luggage," "a certain coupe style or sportivity," and definitely not an SUV. Those are about all the words one would use to describe a four-door coupe without saying the words "four-door coupe." Before the recent executive shuffle, previous brand CEO Wolfgang Durheimer told AE he expected a company EV to get around 600 hp and travel up to 310 miles on a charge. Wireless charging would be a major consideration as well, since grubby charging plugs don't mix well with white gloves. New brand boss Adrian Hallmark was told to invest in the brand instead of focusing exclusively on the numbers, and the EV initiative is about recasting Bentley as a luxury and technology brand, and appealing to younger customers. The next-generation Continental GT will get a PHEV drivetrain, and the Crewe manufacturer plans to have its entire range electrified by 2025.