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Bentley unveils Continental GT ice racer

Bentley has unveiled a new special edition of its Continental GT coupe with photos taken high in the Austrian Alps. On Monday, we were shown teasers of a Conti GT swathed in an eye-popping blue done up to look like an all-wheel-drive backcountry snow eater, and now all has been revealed. This particular Continental GT will be running in livery that pays homage to its fraternal twin, which won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2019 and shares the same factory-built, twin-turbocharged W12. The 6.0-liter engine offers 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Bentley says it'll do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 207 mph. Bentley says the the car’s three chamber air springs, 48V active anti-roll control system and iron brakes are entrusted with the cool running of the Continental GT on the purpose-built ice track — their pun, not ours.  Going further, a number of clues points toward an off-road-ish variant of the Continental GT. ThereÂ’s the more rugged-looking treatment of the lower front fascia, where the fog lights are now encased in black trim that also lines the wheel arches, and Pirelli tire logos are displayed prominently at each front quarter. ThereÂ’s also a ski rack on the roof, which may also feature front-illuminating LED lamps, and the coupe looks to have been lifted ever so slightly. Junior World Rally Championship driver Catie Munnings will take to the wheel of the Bentley Continental GT at the 2020 GP Ice Race in Zell am See. The FIA European Rally Championship Ladies Trophy winner will be the first woman to race a Bentley in the modern era, the automaker said.  Bentley teased the new racer Monday on twitter: Spotted today in Kitzbuhel, Austria...anyone want to guess what this is? WeÂ’ll reveal all on Tuesday...#Bentley #ContinentalGT pic.twitter.com/u3ltMdw4LI — Bentley Motors Comms (@BentleyComms) January 25, 2020 This is the latest fruit of BentleyÂ’s collaboration with Italian ski-maker Bomber Ski, with whom Bentley recently partnered to offer limited-edition co-branded $2,750 skis and a ski-and-drive experience in March in Telluride, Colorado and Park City, Utah, starting at a cool $17,950. Bomber Ski counts former U.S. skiing phenom and Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller as one of its principals. WeÂ’ve seen the No. 9 on a Bentley before, with the limited-edition Number 9 Edition by Mulliner unveiled last March as part of BentleyÂ’s centennial celebration. The number nods to the No.

2020 Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid spied undisguised

While at first, and even second glance, the Bentley Continental GT in the photos looks pretty unremarkable. In every sense, it's just a normal example of the latest Continental GT. On that third glance, though, you'll notice one extremely subtle detail that's off: it has a second fuel-filler door. That leads us to believe that Bentley has a plug-in hybrid version of the Continental GT on the way, and it's almost ready for production. And when we say this is a subtle change, we mean it. Unlike many PHEVs that have both filler doors on one side, this Bentley has one door per side. So from the side, there's nothing to tip you off to the strange addition. You can only notice the extra door from the rear, which shows both doors on the tops of the rear fenders. Either that, or you would have to know that the regular Continental GT's gasoline fuel door is on the right side of the car, not the left. As for what sort of hybrid powertrain is in this Continental GT, we would suspect it's the same as that in the Bentayga Hybrid revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. It uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor. Power and fuel economy haven't been announced for that powertrain, but Bentley says it is capable of driving the big SUV for 31 miles on a charge on the European cycle. We would expect the lighter, more aerodynamic Continental GT could probably eke out a few more mpg with the same setup. Considering that this test car was completely undisguised, and that it will likely use an existing powertrain, we expect this hybrid Bentley to be officially revealed soon. An announcement early next year with sales coming later that year seems plausible. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2020 Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid spy shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Green Spy Photos Bentley Coupe Hybrid Luxury Performance bentley hybrid

2019 Bentley Continental GT gets stunning new looks but keeps its W12 engine

The Continental GT is an incredibly important model for Bentley, having kicked off the British luxury brand's current resurgence. To wit, in 2003, the year the Continental GT was introduced, Bentley sold around a thousand vehicles. Just a decade later, Bentley was selling 10 times that many cars. You can be sure that the automaker doesn't want that explosive growth to slow down, and the new 2019 Continental GT you see here looks certain to keep customers flowing into Bentley dealerships for the foreseeable future. If you were expecting lots of technology in this new Continental, you'll find it front and center in the cockpit. There's a fully digital dash that mimics conventional gauges on either side of a configurable screen, but the real showstopper is the 12.3-inch Rotating Display. When the car is turned off, the infotainment screen spins to hide behind a wooden veneer – just a small part of the 107 square feet of wood inside – but that's not its only trick. In addition to the LCD screen, there's a third mode festooned with a temperature gauge, compass, and chronometer. The rest of the cabin is suitably opulent. There's diamond-stitched leather, a watch-like machined finish called Cotes de Geneve, diamond knurling, and bronze inserts in between the primary controls. 20-way power adjustable seats are heated, cooled, and massaging, and in-seat Active Bass Transducers are optional. A 6.0-liter W12 engine sends 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission. The run to 60 takes just 3.6 seconds, and the top speed is listed at 207 miles per hour. If you were expecting some sort of electrification, you'll have to look elsewhere. A 48-volt electronics system with actuators to help keep the big coupe planted during corners is borrowed from corporate cousins Audi, as do LED Matrix headlights. We'll see the 2019 Continental GT in person at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Pricing has yet to be announced, but we'd expect it to be slightly higher than the $200,000 asking price of the current model. Featured Gallery 2019 Bentley Continental GT View 28 Photos Frankfurt Motor Show Bentley Coupe Luxury Performance