2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 - Car news and review photo

Driving the big-daddy Bentley Mulsanne is like driving a very powerful, very deluxe English drawing room. Driving a twin-turbo 567-hp, 12-cylinder Continental GT is less so, even if the smaller car still does a fine impersonation of Ron Burgundy’s apartment—i.e., many leather-bound books, smells of rich mahogany. And it’s probably a safe bet that nobody who bought either one ever cared about what kind of mileage it got.

“But those days are over,” says Bentley marketing director Mark Tennant. “Today, Bentley customers are as much focused on environmentally friendly technology as on power.” In that spirit, the German-owned British luxury brand is soon to launch a new, smaller twin-turbo V-8 for its top-selling Continental models, starting with the coupe and convertible, followed by the Flying Spur sedan. The target is to reduce consumption by 40 percent compared with the existing W-12–powered cars. “We are expecting to sell 50 percent of the Continental range with the new V-8,” Tennant says. After driving the new car, we have ¬little doubt he’s right but probably not for the reason he thinks.

Our first access to the Continental GT V-8 coupe came at the Silverstone circuit in the U.K. and on English back roads. The V-8 GT—call it the entry-level entry-level Bentley—is powered by a version of the direct-injected 500-hp, 4.0-liter turbocharged V-8 that does duty in the Audi S8 (520 horsepower) and S7 (420). But it sounds different here than in the Audis and transforms the car into one that’s more aggressive yet ¬better balanced than its 6.0-liter, W-12–powered sister. That said, acceleration suffers from the loss of two liters and four cylinders: 0 to 60 mph comes in an estimated 4.6 seconds (we figure the W-12 GT at 4.2 seconds); top speed drops 13 or so mph to 185.

Under acceleration, the engine emits a strong burble—a less metallic, more couth version of the classic American V-8’s rumble. Between 3000 and 4500 rpm, the sound hardens to a growl. At 5000 rpm, it’s wailing like Hendrix at Monterey. If you ignore the turbos’ little gaps during load changes, this engine mimics a big-displacement, naturally aspirated V-8. It has cylinder deactivation to knock out four pots at opportune moments, but the system is so well managed that you never notice the dropout.

So: direct injection, cylinder shut-off, an alternator programmed to charge the battery mainly during deceleration, an eight-speed automatic transmission, and a tougher personality than the version fitted in the Audi S8. Not bad. Nor are these numbers, as if any potential buyer cares: 22 mpg on the European driving cycle, 8 mpg better than the W-12 GT. On our open-road tour of the U.K., we observed 13 mpg.

The new GT V-8 coupe offers 12 percent less power and 6 percent less torque than the 12-cylinder model, but it costs 10 percent less. That might sound like a fair bargain, but we wonder if that narrow pricing gap does enough to decisively define these two models for what they are: the fun one and the fancy one.

The V-8 GT’s agility is mainly the result of the 175-pound-lighter engine up front, which changes the car’s front-to-rear weight distribution from 56/44 percent to 51/49. Turning into corners, you can immediately feel that balance pay dividends in steering precision and turn-in sharpness. And once you breach the stability limit, the car exhibits less tendency to understeer than the front-heavier W-12 version. With the traction control off, the stability system allows the right amount of slip to push the car into an easily controlled drift. The eight-speed gearbox also enhances the car’s agility. It shifts faster than the regular ZF six-speed in the W12 GT, which is nice when you’re at part throttle and need to pass—now.

And yet, Bentley highlights this athleticism only barely, with minor trim changes such as red “B” badges, a black-gloss mesh grille, a new three-segment lower-front-bumper design, and double-oval exhaust tailpipes. This strikes us as more of a ¬German than British approach to product differentiation. Otherwise, we’re hardly complaining. We don’t even mind that it cruises 500 miles on a tank of gas. View Photo Gallery

by carmax

2013 Bentley Continental GT / GTC V8 - Car news and review photo

Old luxury brands tend to evolve at a snail’s pace, maybe because their (often old) buyers aren’t the most accepting of change. Nevertheless, survival of any carmaker depends on its appeal to varying generations, ultimately making change inevitable. Bentley took a gigantic step off the beaten path when it introduced its 12-cylinder “starter” Bentley, the Continental GT, in 2003. The swoopy coupe, which later spawned the GTC convertible and Flying Spur sedan, was hugely successful and is currently in its second generation (although it’s hard to tell by looking at it). Now, with world economies even closer to the brink of turmoil, Bentley is taking the next step in its evolution and introducing the entry-entry-level Bentley, the 2013 Continental GT and GTC V-8 models.

We reported a year ago during our first sampling of the second-generation 2012 Conti GT that a V-8–powered model with a lower price was in the works. While Bentley has yet to share what exactly that price will be (we figure on at least $10K less than the W-12 GT’s $195,495 base), the company has released most other details prior to the V-8’s debut at the 2012 Detroit auto show. Displacing 4.0 liters, the direct-injection, twin-turbo V-8 is a version of the mills found in Audi’s upcoming S6, S7, and S8. Here, the engine is tuned to produce 500 hp at 6000 rpm and 487 lb-ft of torque from 1700 to 5000 rpm. It will send power through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. The power numbers aren’t all that far from the 567 hp and 516 lb-ft produced by the twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W-12 currently in the Continental, and neither is Bentley’s prediction of a sub-five-second sprint to 60 mph and a top speed over 180 mph. Credit what we figure will be a slightly lower curb weight, which also will help improve fuel economy, but perhaps not as much as the new cylinder-deactivation system that transitions from eight- to four-cylinder mode under light loads.

A few subtle cues distinguish the V-8 car. In front, the most notable change is a mesh grille now rendered in black rather than chrome, plus a slightly revised lower fascia in which the three air inlets are now more evenly sized. In the rear, the chrome exhaust finishers resemble a figure eight and are connected by a black finishing panel. All of the Bentley “B” logos on the car front and back are surrounded by red paint rather than the traditional black.

A full list of options and standard equipment has yet to cross our desk, but we don’t expect a whole lot less on offer than what can be had in the existing Conti. We do know it’ll have an Eliade cloth headliner and a new Fiddleback Eucalyptus wood veneer, along with the option of two-tone leather seats. Twenty-inch wheels will be standard, with 21s an option.

With the V-8 Bentleys being so close in output to their 12-cylinder siblings, it’s entirely possible that the “lesser” (and lighter) model could become the sportier or even preferred one. We know it sounds pretty good and look forward to some time behind the wheel. View Photo Gallery.

carmax copy by caranddriver.com

2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage S - news and info photo

The S trailing the name of this Vantage stands for “sport”—hardly astonishing news—but the differences between sport and standard (one simply cannot employ so mundane a descriptor as “base” in connection with an Aston Martin) are a bit elusive. S means a little more motor, a little more brake, a little more rubber, a little less weight, some small trim distinctions, and, of course, a little more money.

Tweaking the Recipe

The engine is Aston’s familiar 4.7-liter aluminum V-8, with improved intake airflow, new mufflers, and new programming that keeps the exhaust system’s bypass valves open longer. The net is 430 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque, gains of 10 ponies and 15 lb-ft. Although it’s a small gain in output, the S’s new transmission (more on that in a moment) should help it whittle the Vantage’s 0-to-60-mph time down from the 4.3 of the last example we tested to about four flat. Beyond that, the menacing V-8 sounds that emerge when the bypass valves open up and the engine soars toward redline are almost worth the price premium on their own, with or without the extra thrust.

Engine output flows through a new single-clutch seven-speed Graziano automated manual to a limited-slip rear differential; the carbon fiber driveshaft spins in an aluminum torque tube. From there, power is applied to the pavement via a set of fat (285/35) Bridgestone Potenzas on 19-inch cast aluminum wheels. (The front tires measure 245/40-19.)

There are no chassis rigidity distinctions between Vantage and Vantage S, and none was needed. The bonded aluminum tub is as stiff as a railroad trestle. But the elements attached to the tub—dampers, springs, and bushings—are a bit more stern than those in the, uh, everyday Vantage. Allied with a quicker steering rack, the sum of the upgrades is an exceptional level of response.

Brakes are always a key element in the process of elevating sporty to sportier still, and that’s true here. The front rotors grow slightly to 15 inches, and the rears carry over at 13. All corners are vented and grooved, with six-piston calipers grabbing the fronts and four-pot pincers in the rear. It’s worth noting that much of the foregoing is pretty conventional hardware—nonadjustable dampers, single-rate springs, cast-iron rotors—but it works. Very well. Stylistically, the S models its rockers, decklid, and front and rear fascias after the V-12 Vantage’s, but they are difficult to identify at a glance, even for a seasoned Aston aficionado.

At Speed

Neither are the dynamic distinctions between the two readily discernible. Fortunately, we had a racetrack at our disposal to help illustrate the improvements. The heart of the Ascari Race Resort near Ronda, Spain, is a 3.4-mile road course entailing several modest elevation changes, blind corners, and a couple of hold-your-breath, close-your-eyes high-speed curves that may or may not be taken flat-out in a Vantage S—further research is needed. It is a perfect venue for putting a luxury sports car through its paces without worrying that a herd of goats might be marching along just around the next turn (something we observed on public roads).

When the last checker was thrown, the Vantage S had established a mostly positive impression of its capabilities and limits, which are high, indeed. There’s plenty of grip, and at the limit, mild understeer is easily overcome with the throttle. A high intervention threshold for the stability control meant we could leave that safety net in place without feeling like our experience was dulled.

The speed-sensitive steering is a little quicker than that of the standard V-8 Vantage and utterly devoid of secrets—the driver’s sense of connection with the front wheels approaches race-car tactile. Although the S’s 3600-pound curb weight is less than 100 pounds lighter than the Vantage’s, its combination of tightly controlled body motions, right-now reflexes, and substantial grip make it feel almost sprightly. Powerful, fade-free brakes and supportive seats contribute greatly to driver confidence.

There’s just one asterisk. The single-clutch gearbox, chosen for packaging and weight-saving reasons, doesn’t quite measure up to the car’s other mechanical elements. Nor does it match the performance of the dual-clutch boxes found in many of the Aston’s peers. It offers two modes, sport and normal, but upshifts in the base setting are a little slow and convulsive, reminiscent of BMW’s unlamented SMG tranny. In sport, there’s more urgency, particularly when shifts are tucked close to redline, but even then the responses are a bit deliberate compared with something like the whap-whap shifting of, say, a Ferrari 458 Italia.

Fast Elegance

Like other members of the Aston Martin lineup—we’re not counting the Cygnethere—the V-8 Vantage S is handsome and beautifully crafted inside and out. The seats may not quite match the snug race-car embrace of Porsche or Ferrari’s best, but they are sufficient and comfortable. Interior leather, enhanced by handsome stitchery, seems to have been contributed by leisure-class cows, and the level of fit and finish measures up to anything in this class. The Vantage S might look traditional compared with a car like the 458 Italia, but traditional doesn’t mean the Aston is a wallflower. It still attracts attention wherever it goes, drawing admiring glances and provoking fights among valets.

Compared with other cars that have this much curb appeal, even the S model Vantage looks like something of a bargain. The standard V-8 Vantage with Sportshift starts at $126,365, and another $13,250 puts you at the threshold of the S coupe. A Vantage S roadster also is available, its $152,615 price representing the same premium over a non-S cabrio. Whether or not the S is worth its premium is a question of priorities. If all you want is performance, V-8 Vantage S money will get you into a speed-freak Porsche 911 Turbo. But if exclusivity is high on your list of priorities, the S does trump the base Vantage, and no 911—except maybe the limited-production GT2 RS—enters into Aston Martin’s realm.

  by carmax.blogspot.com