2024 Bentley Flying Spur Speed on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Rough seas delay salvage operation for burning ship carrying luxury cars

LISBON — Rough waters forced authorities on Wednesday to postpone a salvage operation for a ship packed with luxury cars that have been on fire for a week in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a port official said. With teams unable to board the Felicity Ace, heavy tug boats sprayed water to cool the vessel, which is carrying around 4,000 vehicles, including Porsches, Audis, Lamborghinis and Bentleys. Lamborghini of America CEO Andrea Baldi told Automotive News that there were dozens of pre-sold Lamborghinis aboard, mostly the Urus SUV. But also some Huracans and Aventadors, the latter of which have ceased production. The ship's 22 crew members were evacuated last Wednesday, the day the fire began. Some of the vehicles are electric, and their lithium-ion batteries have made the fire very difficult to extinguish, port officials have said. Joao Mendes Cabecas, the captain of the nearest port on the Azorean island of Faial, said the blaze had lost its intensity — probably because there was little left to burn. Salvage teams hoped to board the ship, which is is adrift around 170 km southwest of the Azores near Portugal, to assess its condition and start preparing it for towing, the Portuguese navy said in a statement on Tuesday. The navy took photos of the ship that showed a gaping hole at least four decks high, with burn marks running the length of the ship. It is unclear if the vessel will be towed to the Bahamas or Europe. Cabecas told Reuters bad weather prevented the team from boarding the ship. Waves as high as 2.5 meters battered the coast of Faial on Wednesday, Portugal's weather agency IPMA said. The salvage team was expected to be flown to the ship on a helicopter belonging to the Portuguese air force, which will decide on Thursday if the operation can proceed, Cabecas said. Ship manager Mitsui O.S.K. Lines Ltd (MOL) said in a statement on Tuesday the vessel was still on fire but stable, and that no oil leak had been reported so far. It did not respond to a Reuters request for comment on the cause of the fire. Insurance experts said the incident could result in losses of $155 million.   Weird Car News Audi Bentley Lamborghini Porsche

Bentley resumes restoration of the first T-Series sedan

Bentley has shifted one of its on-going restoration projects into high gear. Found after spending decades undriven, the first T-Series sedan built is being brought back to life by the British company's apprentices and specialists and it should be back on the road by the end of 2023. Manufactured on September 28, 1965, about a week before the model's official unveiling at that year's Paris auto show, the oldest T-Series was finished in Shell Gray with a blue interior. Bentley initially kept the car and used it as a test mule around the world. The big sedan later ended up in private hands with a blue California plate and a "Beverly Hills Motor Cars" plate frame attached to its rear end. It was last registered in 2015, according to the sticker on the plate, though Bentley notes that it has spent decades off the road and in storage. Bentley bought the car and shipped it back to its headquarters in England. It started tearing down the sedan in October 2016: A group of apprentices removed the exterior trim and began preparing the body for new paint, but the project stalled. See, this happens even to luxury carmakers — don't feel bad about the Fox-generation Mustang lingering in the back of your garage. For collectors, projects tend to get delayed when, for better or worse, life happens. Bentley ran into different hurdles: It put the T-Series on the backburner to launch its current range of models, including the Flying Spur and the Continental GT. Nearly six year later, the firm is returning to the garage to wrap things up. It sounds like the T-Series was stored indoors, and being out of the elements might be its saving grace. Mechanics managed to fire up the 6.2-liter, 225-horsepower V8 engine, and they gave it a clean bill of health; the automatic transmission is in good condition as well. There is still some body work that needs to be completed and the interior is almost completely taken apart. Bentley estimates that the project will take approximately 18 months, so it should be finished by late 2023, and it plans to add the car to its Heritage Collection when it's done.  While it's a relatively obscure classic in 2022, the T-Series remains a hugely important part of Bentley's heritage.

You can ice the Bentley Bentayga for $13 grand

Want to drive the new Bentley Bentayga? You'll be able to place your order soon enough, assuming you've got the scratch. And then you'll be able to drive it pretty much anywhere. But if you want to drive it on ice, and don't want to wait for delivery, then check out Bentley's Power on Ice program. The British automaker has been hosting ice-driving events for years now. But this winter, it's adding the new Bentayga to the mix. Participants will be invited to drive it on 10 ice tracks created atop frozen lakes in Finland. The tracks were designed by four-time World Rally Champion and ice-speed record-setter Juha Kankkunen, who also serves as lead instructor for the program. Of course, while the Bentayga may have the most advanced traction system on board, it's not the only all-wheel-drive Bentley lined up for the program. As you can see from the video above - in which the Bentayga appears only in parts starting around the halfway mark - there'll be Continentals, Flying Spurs, and even the GT3-R on hand as well. The event is based at the Chalet Ruka Peak in northern Finland. It also includes fine Scandinavian cuisine, saunas, and a nighttime dog-sled expedition to an old reindeer farm. Of course none of that comes cheap, with prices depending on the level of accommodation specified. But the experience starts off at ˆ11,900 per person – or about $13k at current exchange rates. BENTAYGA MAKES POWER ON ICE DEBUT Oct 29, 2015 - Bentley's extraordinary ice-driving event returns for 2016 - Bentayga to demonstrate prowess on frozen lakes of Finland - Former World Rally Champion, Juha Kankkunen, leads tuition team (Crewe, 29 October 2015) The most powerful, most luxurious, most exclusive and fastest SUV in the world, the Bentley Bentayga, makes its ice-driving debut in 2016 at Bentley's flagship customer event, Power on Ice. Power on Ice is an unforgettable four-day experience that provides the opportunity to push a full range of Bentley cars to their limits. Running throughout February next year, guests will be among the first to explore the Bentayga's extraordinary capabilities in one of the most beautiful and challenging environments in the world. Two days of exhilarating ice driving training are provided by the vastly experienced Bentley Ice Driving Team. Leading the tuition will be four-time World Rally Champion and two-time ice-speed record holder, Juha Kankkunen – who personally designs each of the ten ice tracks.