2007 Bentley Flying Spur on 2040-cars

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How'd we miss this incredible 24-hour enduro in prewar cars?

Even in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans, not all of the racecars finish the event. Factors like like mechanical failures, crashes and poor weather that can be the doom of any race team. Now, imagine going to a track today and competing around the clock in vehicles built before World War II. That was exactly what the Benjafield's 24 did at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal in October. Somehow, we missed this spectacular event, and so did most of you, judging by the lack of media coverage it received. The event was named after Dudley Benjafield, one of the famous Bentley Boy racers and a winner of the French race in 1927. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, 21 prewar cars entered, and astonishingly, 20 finished. Teams of three or four drivers did two-hour shifts, and more than just old Bentley racers competed. Robbert Alblas, who also made the awesome video above, told Autoblog via email, "The organization is not a allowed to call it a race because of insurance reasons." Therefore, there were no official rankings of where the competitors actually finished. That's a pity, but it doesn't take away from how awesome an undertaking this was. While you can see cars from this period briefly racing at events like the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, witnessing them go for 24 hours is almost an impossibility today. Check out Alblas' fantastic short film of the Benjafield's 24, above, and get a taste of the on-track action. News Source: Goodwood Road and Racing, Robbert Alblas via YouTube Motorsports Bentley Racing Vehicles Classics Videos portugal portimao

Bentley Bentayga Hybrid First Drive Review | Mass without substance

The new Bentley Bentayga Plug-In Hybrid is the venerable British brand's cheapest vehicle. Certainly, with a base price of $158,000, it is not inexpensive by any stretch. In fact, it costs more than four times the average price of a new vehicle purchased in America this year. But after driving an advance version of the marque's first plug-in through the horror-scape that is Silicon Valley, we were reminded of the old saying: You get what you pay for. We will preface this review by stating something that should be obvious: The Bentley Bentayga is our least favorite Bentley. Its proportions are inelegant, its shape nondescript. Though we know it is hand-built in Crewe alongside the rest of the marque's wondrous new lineup, it lacks the specialness, a sense of occasion that should be endemic. This isn't just because it's a sport utility vehicle, and thus ostensibly utilitarian. The contemporary Range Rover, the Mercedes G-Class, and even the Rolls-Royce Cullinan all have the kind of gracious charisma that the Bentayga lacks, even if they deliver it in a manner that is louche and imperious. The Bentayga looks like a Bentley knockoff, a crossover tarted up with all of the relevant if superficial brand cues, but without the necessary substance. The plug-in hybrid only enhances this perception. Whereas other Bentaygas at least arrive with potent twin-turbocharged motors in V8 (542 horsepower ) and W12 (600 or 626 hp) configurations, the Bentayga Hybrid is granted only a 335-horsepower VW parts bin 3.0-liter, single-turbo V6, paired with 13 kWh of batteries in the trunk and a 126-hp electric motor. It accelerates to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, well off the pace of its non-hybrid siblings and in the realm of its lesser platform-mate, the $70,000 Audi Q8 V6. This is not special. Even less special is the way in which the Bentayga Hybrid comports itself when accomplishing its tasks. A Bentley, by definition, is meant to be extraordinary, and this extraordinariness is meant to be effortless. Being in a Bentley should make everyday events special, and special events grand or even grandiose. Driving the Bentayga Hybrid feels like engaging with functional transportation. This is not because we are hostile to electric vehicles. We love electric vehicles, and their intrinsic and luxurious benefits in terms of silent operation and instant-on torque.

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.