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Bentley mulling own spec series for gentlemen racers?

We began to salivate when we saw the Bentley Continental GT3 up close and personal at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The thought of a track-going Continental GT conjured up notions of the Bentley Boys, the original gentlemen racers, tearing down the Mulsanne straight. Well, according to AutoGuide, it appears our wistful ponderings will be realized in the form of an international spec racing series.
Similar to the Porsche Carrera Cup or the Ferrari Challenge, this will be a one-make series, and Bentley seeks to run races in Europe, North America and Asia. As for the latter, Bentley Board Member for Marketing Kevin Rose suggested that China will be the likely host of an Asian race. According to Rose, sportscar racing is of interest to Bentley's Chinese customers. He also says that there will be participation by dealers. "Our dealers are by definition car nuts," claims Rose.
While the Continental GT3 is being developed for pro-level use, Bentley is apparently working on a turn-key car for gentlemen racers. According to Rose, "We want to make it as easy as possible." While that doesn't sound like the devil-may-care Bentley Boys of yore, it's likely better to attract participation. The first trials are expected for 2013, and Bentley is even considering making vehicles available for privateer teams.

Bentley names new CEO for the Americas

Bentley has announced a shift in its upper ranks that will see Michael Winkler take the reins as head of its operations in the Americas. A longtime sales executive and regional manager, Winkler has worked for Porsche in locations around the world, and comes to Bentley from his previous position as director of Australian operations for Jaguar Land Rover. In his new capacity as president and CEO of Bentley Motors Inc. – the office responsible for handling the brand's operations across the Americas – Winkler will report to Kevin Rose, the Bentley board member for sales and marketing. Winkler succeeds Christophe Georges, who moves back to the head office as director of product and marketing. The British automaker has 53 dealerships across the Americas, accounting for 29 percent of its global sales last year. Its American operations are based at 2200 Ferdinand Porsche Drive in Herndon, VA. MICHAEL WINKLER NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO OF BENTLEY MOTORS INC. (Crewe/Herndon 26th January 2015) Bentley Motors today announced that Michael Winkler will become President and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors Inc., the regional office for Bentley Motors in the Americas, with effect from 1st April 2015. He succeeds Christophe Georges, who was recently appointed Director of Product and Marketing for Bentley's global organisation. Winkler will report directly to Kevin Rose, Bentley's Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales. Rose commented: "The Americas region plays a key part in Bentley's global success, our biggest market with more Bentley customers than anywhere else in the world. I am delighted to welcome Michael to Bentley, and look forward to working with him to drive our brand and network presence further." Winkler has more than 30 years of experience in the automotive industry, holding a number of international positions, working with Porsche in Germany, North America and Australia, and joins Bentley from Jaguar Land Rover, where he held the position of Managing Director of the company's Australian division. The Americas remained Bentley's number one market throughout 2014, closing the year delivering 3,186 cars, up from the 2013 number of 3,140. This accounted for 29% of total global deliveries. There are 53 Bentley dealerships throughout the Americas, with the corporate headquarters based in Herndon, Virginia.

2020 Bentley Continental GT V8 coupe and convertible – the frugal Bentleys

The Bentley Continental GT is getting its V8 option for the 2020 model year now. Released last year with the monster 6.0-liter W12, this will be the cheaper and less powerful version of the big Bentley coupe and convertible. That doesn't mean the Continental GT V8 will be a slouch, though. It's packing a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine that makes 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. A 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds is claimed by Bentley, with a top speed of 198 mph. For comparison, Bentley claims the W12 Continental goes 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and tops out at 207 mph. The V8 lags behind the W12 in brute force by 84 horsepower and 96 pound-feet of torque. Truly, the difference in driving these two engines will be minimal. There's nothing like the silky, effortless torque of a 12-cylinder engine, but this high-powered V8 is just half a step behind it. Bentley says you'll be able to audibly tell a difference between the two easily, because the V8 has a louder, burbling exhaust note. The quad exhaust tips look different on the V8, in addition to new 20-inch wheels. Subtle V8 badging is applied, but we're sure you can forego that for fear of advertising that you bought the cheap one. Another reason to take the V8 over the W12 is efficiency. Your wallet probably won't be hurting at the pump if you can afford either, but you'll be making less stops with the V8 due to its better gas mileage — Bentley says the V8's cylinder deactivation helps in that department to give the V8 better range with a full tank for those long European vacations. Bentley says customer deliveries begin in the U.S. in the third quarter. Prices for the V8 start at $203,825 for the coupe and $223,675 for the convertible. That ain't cheap, but it's cheaper than the $214,600 sticker on the W12. It's tough to say no to four more cylinders at that price point, especially when you'll then be able to brag about having all 12 of them.