2005 Bentley Continental Gt Coupe - Midnight Emerald on 2040-cars

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Bentley Continental GT commemorating Pikes Peak win is one green machine

Back in June, the Bentley Continental GT set a production-car record for the Pikes Peak hill climb, and now there's a limited edition to celebrate. Maybe the wait was so the brand's Mulliner division could work up a batch of the car's special green paint, which Bentley calls Radium. The green hue is taken from the hill climb car's livery, and it appears not only on the body, but also on the Pirelli P Zero tires and inside as contrast stitching, floor mat edging, and embroidery of Pikes Peak on the headrests. The not-quite-matching color on the brake calipers is Bentley's Acid Green. Besides Radium, the model also is offered in black. The special edition also features Pikes Peak graphics on the front fenders, a carbon fiber body kit, a black roof panel, black side mirrors, and 22-inch wheels also in black. Buyers can opt for Bentley's "100" grille (honoring the brand's centenary year), as pictured here. Besides the Radium green accents, the interior also comes with carbon fiber and gloss-black trim. A graphic showing one of five different sections of the track appears above the glove box, along with the record time of 10:18.488. Bentley's rotating center display also is included along with comfort-spec front seats and deep pile floor mats. All of the cars will be fitted with the 626-hp W12 engine. Pricing for the Pikes Peak limited edition depends on buyer specification, so there's no official MSRP. Nor is there a specific model name. But Bentley is saying that only 15 cars with this special set of extras will be built, and even without a name, it shouldn't be hard to distinguish them from other Continental GTs.

2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible

There are few things in this world I enjoy more than an enthusiastic drive down tree-lined backroads on a warm summer evening. If you're familiar with the geographic location of Detroit, you won't be shocked to learn that we don't have the sort of very-involving roads found all throughout California and other gorgeous parts of the country, but we still have some stretches of pavement that can be pretty darn fun when driven in the right car. The vast majority of our scenic roads, however, are of a more relaxed nature. And that's why, despite my tendency to prefer high-strung hot hatches above all, I will never say no to a big, fast convertible during the warm season.
As far as said big, fast convertibles go, perhaps none is more exquisite than the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S Convertible, pictured here in the striking shade of St. James Red. Not long after returning from my trip across the pond to drive Bentley's V8-powered Flying Spur sedan, I was given the chance to sample another one of its eight-cylinder wares, this one carrying less heft, offering a smidge more power, and, oh yeah, a roof that neatly stows behind the rear seats.
As luck would have it, the weather for my Conti weekend was the absolute definition of perfection. And so I took to those sweeping, tree-lined roads way outside of Detroit to see how this Bentley's "S" badge improves upon the lovely GT V8 Convertible I drove last year. Hard work, but somebody's gotta do it.

Matthias Muller officially named VW Group CEO

While the vast number of rumors made it seem like a foregone conclusion, Porsche boss Matthias Muller has officially been named Volkswagen Group CEO to replace the recently resigned Martin Winterkorn. His contract runs through the end of February 2020, and until a replacement is found, Muller also gets to hang onto his old job as chairman of Porsche. At the same time, the VW Group Supervisory Board is announcing a massive structural reorganization across the entire company, with the new management model in place by the beginning of 2016. Contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. The board wants a greater emphasis on brands and regions going forward, and the scale of this shift can be seen in the US. On November 1, VW Group business in the US, Mexico, and Canada is being combined under the leadership of current Skoda chairman Winfried Vahland. However contrary to previous rumors, Michael Horn remains as President and CEO of VW Group of America. Other brands are also seeing some significant changes mechanically. Porsche, Bentley, and Bugatti now fall under the Group's "sportscar and mid-engine toolkit." This means that the brands will start sharing standardized technical parts. A Chief Technical Officer across all of the company's brands will also start working toward future innovations. The new brand-centric view means the end of a group-wide production department. "Going forward, the brands and regions will also have greater independence with regard to production. So it follows that they should also hold the responsibility for these activities," Berthold Huber, interim Chairman of the Supervisory Board, said in the announcement. In a statement with the press release about his promotion, Muller promised to turn the company around after such an international crisis. He said: "My most urgent task is to win back trust for the Volkswagen Group – by leaving no stone unturned and with maximum transparency, as well as drawing the right conclusions from the current situation. Under my leadership, Volkswagen will do everything it can to develop and implement the most stringent compliance and governance standards in our industry." Matthias Muller appointed CEO of the Volkswagen Group Muller remains Chairman of Porsche AG until a successor has been found Matthias Muller (62) has been appointed CEO of Volkswagen AG with immediate effect.