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Motor 1
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
Low, Long, and Languid Make For Bentley at Its Best
Sure, Bentley flew me to Montana to see its headlining act, the new Bentayga Speed. But before an afternoon return flight on day two, there were some other Bentleys to consider, lined up in the horseshoe driveway of our Big Sky hotel. The big(ish) news here among the assembled non-Bentaygas is that hybrid V-8s now power the entirety of the Continental GT and Flying Spur ranges, tuned to varying horsepower and torque figures based on trim, but always with at least 670 horsepower and 685 pound-feet. Bentley insists this streamlining is a benefit, that its customers don't miss the hallowed W-12 engine which used to power the big bruisers in its portfolio. Proof is in the sales, they contend. W-12 purchases tailed off toward the end of the engine's production run, while these subsequent V-8 Hybrids have proven massively popular, contributing massively to Bentley's position as Volkswagen Group's cash cow. Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1 More importantly, the cars prove the point about hybrid V-8s themselves: This powertrain sounds great and drives beautifully. I'll call it perhaps the most-refined hybrid powertrain on earth. As an engineering curiosity and connection to Bentley history, the W-12 can't be replaced. From the driver's perspective, the V-8 hybrid ensures the outgoing W-12 won't be missed. In slow-moving residential areas surrounding the resort, the kick of hybrid torque eases each Bentley effortlessly up short, punchy climbs without a single extra iota of strain from the drivetrain. No kicking down two or three gears when you squeeze the gas pedal, interrupting the sensation you're rolling along on a breeze. Instead, there's simply silent, effortless, assured propulsion from the hybrid motor. So often, hybrids are masterful partners for economy cars but rarely improve sports or luxury cars. These Bentleys provide an exception to the rule. A hybrid lineup isn't much to write home (or to readers) about, but I was overcome by the overwhelming Bentley-ness of both cars I tested. After a 45-minute rip in the Continental GTC, I simply scribbled superlatives in my notebook. Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1 "This is a ****** Bentley, baby," I wrote. "Like putting on a diamond necklace." Now, I don't actually know what it feels like to don a diamond necklace, probably because I'm bound by the stolid shackles of masculinity. (Also I can't afford to browse at Tiffany, so let's go with the shackles). But if you're spending the cost of a nice Midwestern home on a form of transportation, maybe a diamond necklace on wheels is the sort of hyperbolic emotion worth wheeling out of your driveway. That's all to say: I can get my stealth wealth hit from the back seat of a Genesis G90 or an S-Class on 19s; We look to Crewe to deliver something of such sublime quality and style that it stirs us emotionally. So, first up, the Flying Spur Touring. Nice name to say. Green roof over striking silver body, the paint blends so seamlessly that your fingernail can't tell where one layer begins and another ends. Photo by: Bentley This is classic Bentley, long and low and made of boxy shapes that seem to be sanded down so perfectly at the edges, you imagine water dripping off the thing even when it's sat under Montana's cobalt sky. However you look at it, the Flying Spur is breathtaking. As much as I enjoyed the Bentayga Speed and its vast capabilities, the Flying Spur is simply the Bentley closest to my heart. I suppose it's impossible to explain—though I'll try—but with the Bentleys that ride closer to the ground instead of parading around like The Mayor of Monaco on 23-inch wheels—well, there's just something a bit more… Bentley about a Flying Spur. Some restraint. "A whiff of Gentry about this one," I scribbled into my notebook following that wafty little stint in the Flying Spur. Photo by: Bentley What does that actually mean? Well, the Flying Spur's drivetrain doesn't punch theatrically at your backside when its transmission shifts during a flat-foot quarter-mile blast, unlike the Bentayga's mill. The Spur's hybrid system simply smears the gear shifts together like a swipe of warm honey down your back while the engine note boils over gruffly on a swell of syrupy, easy mega-torque. And perhaps it's just how this Flying Spur was spec'd by Bentley, but there's a stateliness to the Flying Spur's interior that fits better with my own preconceptions of the Bentley namesake. The 'Cumbrian Green' leather is laid across the Spur's interior by the yard, swathing the interior in a shade of avocado-skin that feels at once rich, luxuriant, and assured in its stateliness. You imagine a new life from behind the wheel of a Flying Spur. This one is full of tartan-lined waxed cotton jackets and maybe a Labrador riding shotgun. The vast leather surfaces are broken only by white contrast stitching and a walnut veneer stretching across the lower dash and center console. This dash layout looks slightly outdated compared to the Bentayga, but it just fits the Flying Spur. Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1 Also of note: Bentley's new "Azure" trim. Azure is a styling package, essentially, sat above the base model in terms of cost and prestige. It's meant to evoke a more easygoing yet overtly luxurious tone compared to the 'Speed' trim we sampled in the Bentayga on day one. 'Azure' arrives with a not-insignificant bump in bling, converting the exterior trim to mirror-polish brightwork and slapping a pair of silver wheels on the whole thing. Bentley's GT/C Azure convertible cranks the luxury up another notch, but in a sort of fresh, new-age way. If the Spur is a musty sort of throwback to British coachmaking's golden age, the Azure is new luxury; It attends kombucha-ayahuasca wellness retreats in Sonoma with the other girlbosses and gets there by private chopper. Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1 You see that attitude throughout the interior of this blue-on-silver beauty. The leather quality and quantity match the Flying Spur's, but the Azure renders its interior in cooler shades, evoking a yacht's sleek ease. But then there's the diamond-pattern stitching holding each leather panel together, the visual depth of the beautifully painted trim pieces running along the dash, and in general, the way this interior looks like it's sitting inside a jeweler's glass display case. This is a beautiful interior, and I can't honestly say that about almost any modern car. Photo by: Kyle Kinard / Motor1 While more and more customers go to Bentley for their SUVs, I find that Bentley's cars offer a purer expression of the brand's traditional ideals. Even if you ultimately walk out of the showroom with a Bentayga's keys in your pocket, you owe it to yourself to consider the alternatives. Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Auto Blog
11-07-2025
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
2025 Bentley Continental GT Gallery: Get A Closer Look at the New Era of Grand Touring In Pictures
From its reworked front fascia to the hybrid-powered muscle under the hood, the 2025 Bentley Continental GT is all about refinement with an edge. In this gallery, we take a closer look at the details that make the latest model stand out. 1 Source: Kyle Edward Bentley gives the Continental GT a fresh look for 2025, dialing in style with sharper lines, a lower stance, and a front end that mixes elegance with raw muscle. 2 Source: Kyle Edward The GT's iconic Flying B badging has been a symbol of hand-built luxury and performance since 1919. 3 Source: Kyle Edward The 'Speed' script on the fender adds just the right amount of attitude to its otherwise polished look, hinting at the car's performance prowess. 4 Source: Kyle Edward Pop the hood on the Continental GT and you'll find a reworked 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 paired with a plug-in hybrid system, delivering a whopping 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft of torque. It's all tucked beneath a sculpted engine cover and reinforced with a sleek aluminum strut brace. 5 Source: Kyle Edward Those crystal-cut LED matrix headlights on the Continental GT are inspired by fine-cut gemstones. They feature a 'horizontal eyebrow' and 120 individual LEDs that adapt to traffic, letting you use full beams without blinding oncoming drivers. 6 Source: Kyle Edward The rear of the 2025 Continental GT features sharp LED taillights and oval quad exhaust tips that hint at the power under the hood. It's wide, low, and looks just as serious pulling away as it does coming at you. 7 Source: Kyle Edward The cabin of the 2025 Continental GT doesn't hold back. Its steering wheel alone mixes leather, Alcantara, contrast stitching, and a pop of orange that ties into the dash. 8 Source: Kyle Edward An elegant analog clock sits between chrome vents as part of the GT's signature display. The infotainment screen above switches from touchscreen to dials to wood veneer at the push of a button, blending timeless charm with modern tech. 9 Source: Kyle Edward The dash blends a sharp digital display with carbon fiber, contrast stitching, ambient lighting, and precision metalwork. It's 'loud' in the best way, without being over the top. 10 Source: Kyle Edward The GT's diamond-quilted leather seats bring serious craftsmanship, but it's the 'Speed' embroidery, contrast piping, and built-in neck warmers that remind you this cabin is built for open-air performance and all-season comfort. About the Author Michelle Nati View Profile
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Meet Bentley's All-Electric EXP 15 Concept, a Majestic and Menacing Vision of the Future
Bentley just unveiled an all-electric concept, the EXP 15, and its outré appearance falls along the subjective spectrum between 'bold' and 'the designers have contracted brain worms.' It is, officially, a grand tourer (GT), but it doesn't look like any GT we've seen—or imagined. The EXP 15 doesn't sport two doors, four seats, and a trunk, like the marque's long-running, and highly successful, Continental GT. Instead, it has three doors, as well as a hatchback rear. Even more unconventional is the way these portals are arrayed and allotted. A single door provides access for both the driver and a rear seat occupant on one side. The other two open, like a side-by-side refrigerator, to reveal a single passenger seat on the other. More from Robb Report A Modern Home in Jackson Hole's Exclusive Snake River Sporting Club Lists for $10 Million Road Test: The New 1,025 HP Rivian R1S Is a Rock-Crawling Speed Demon A Zen-Like Hamptons Estate Inspired by Tadao Ando Lists for $19 Million This broad aperture and single-seated space allow one privileged rider the option to power their chair forward to ride alongside the person behind the wheel, slide it into the back for commodious leg room, or even lean back for a near-flat recline. To avoid the hassle of scrounging in the cargo hold to access their necessaries and furry companions, when in the rearmost position, special storage bins for hand luggage or pet carriers (all of these accessories presumably Bentley branded) emerge from the floor. And to make every departure and arrival a smooth, stumble-free, and social media–worthy occasion, this throne also swivels 45 degrees—like that of a 1960 Chrysler—to ease ingress and egress. The interior of the EXP 15 reflects a host of contemporary retro-modern décor trends—or perhaps all of them. It sports woolen textiles woven by Fox Brothers, a 250-year-old British mill, but dyed in a variegated ombre effect. It features silk jacquard created by 122-year-old British firm Gainsborough, long a fabric supplier to the Royal Family, but it places these in contrast with 3-D-printed titanium trim pieces, and finely woven metal mesh encapsulated in acrylic. It has beautifully complex, book-matched wood veneers on its dash, but these appear under expanses of LCD-impregnated glass—like a giant iPad—that also function as touch-sensitive gauges and infotainment screens. A horological ring of multifaceted digital/analog crystalline lights in the center console, known as the 'Mechanical Marvel,' can act as a clock, compass, charge meter, or, conceivably, some arcane nautical navigation implement, like a spherical astrolabe. Interior appointments even include a little LED table lamp—with fluted bronzed-glass shades—like one found next to the cigar ashtray in the supper club of a Streamline Moderne–styled ocean liner. The exterior is equally, if not more intensely, bonkers. The overall silhouette resembles a hefty, blunt-nosed, high-riding, fastback coupe, not unlike the all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre, which has been on sale for a couple of years. But, in addition to the distinctive doors and trunk, it has a number of other notable, differentiating features. Up front, its face is a far more rectilinear sneer. A pair of what seem to be vertical, crying robot goat eyes flank the edges, two intricately perforated square nostrils inhabit the center, and a terse black mouth—patterned with less-than (<) and greater-than (>) signs—appears to jeer mercilessly. This stern countenance is crested, like a tiny Monopoly Man top hat, by a newly falcon-winged Flying-B logo and stylized hood ornament. An oversized hood dwells beyond this, but because the EXP 15 is meant to be an electric vehicle, it doesn't house a profligate eight- or twelve-cylinder gas engine, as in other Bentleys. Instead, it contains a very lengthy 'frunk,' a dual piano-hinged front storage compartment—presumably for one's platinum rifles and rhodium golf clubs—like the rear of this eight-figure Rolls-Royce Boat Tail commission, or this outrageous Maybach convertible concept. Powerful rear fender 'haunches'—a Bentley signature—flare out above the back wheels, giving the grand car a menacing poised-to-pounce attitude, even when parked. A pair of active aerodynamic spoilers, mounted above the rear windshield, resemble the oxygen intakes on a post-apocalyptic super-villain's breather mask, which is a function Bentley should consider adding. And the hatch, when open, converts to luxurious picnic seating, with a padded bench and a power-operated Champagne fridge, perfect for tailgating, if this is the proper name for such a practice when attending a polo tourney or fox hunt. The rear taillights, unfortunately, look to be grafted from a Polestar model, perhaps the result of Bentley head designer Robin Page's Swedish sojourn with Volvo before his 2023 return to England. Overall, the impression the car imparts is decidedly futuristic, and the design idiom certainly aligns with other recent luxurious EV concepts, such as those unveiled by Jaguar, Mercedes, and Genesis, as well as production vehicles such as the Tesla Cybertruck. This style includes contemptuous and mistrustful visages; blockily bunkered and narrowly fenestrated exteriors; and ludicrously lavish and coddling interiors. This affect somehow suits our contemporary moment, in which many people are fearful of strangers, unwilling to invite others in, and tribally enthusiastic in their willingness to protect those most familiar. We're happy to see that Bentley is still imagining an electrified future. We only wish it greeted the world a bit more exuberantly. After all, we have to imagine the future we want to of Robb Report The 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette: Everything We Know About the Powerful Mid-Engine Beast The World's Best Superyacht Shipyards The ABCs of Chartering a Yacht Click here to read the full article.
Motor 1
08-07-2025
- Automotive
- Motor 1
This Is What the Future of Bentley Will Look Like
Bentley's first all-electric car arrives next year. Today, we get a preview in the form of the EXP 15, which is one of the strangest things we've ever seen from the British automaker. It's a tall, three-seat electric car with two doors on the left side, and one door on the right side. Bentley designers took inspiration from a 1930 Speed Six three-seater named "Blue Train" after a famous race owner Woolf Barnato ran against a French train. Bentley calls the EXP 15 a "sedan," though it has a coupe profile more like a Continental GT, and indeed, the 1930 Speed Six. There's a seat behind the (right-hand) driver's seat, and one on the left rear of the car. In renderings, Bentley even shows a bespoke dog bed that sits ahead of the left-side passenger seat. There's also a tailgate at the back, with in-built picnic chairs, presumably for watching polo from. As EVs don't need a big grille to cool an engine, Bentley instead opted for a decorative lighting element its head exterior designer, Robin Page, calls a piece of "digital art." Like previous combustion-powered Bentleys, there's an extremely long hood, but without an engine, Bentley had room to create two storage panels, accessed by center hinging doors. Photo by: Bentley Photo by: Bentley Photo by: Bentley Inside, there are the requisite screens across the dashboard, but Bentley is quick to point out a lot of more old-school elements. There's physical climate and steering-wheel controls and textiles from a 250-year-old English company. Bentley says this concept sort of exists in a space between its current models, the Continental GT coupe, the Flying Spur sedan, and the Bentayga SUV. "The beauty of a concept car is not just to position our new design language, but to test where the market's going. It's clear that SUVs are a growing segment and we understand the GT market—through four generations of the Continental GT—but the trickiest segment is the sedan because it's changing," said Page in a statement. "Some customers want a classic 'three-box' sedan shape, others a 'one-box' design, and others again something more elevated. So this was a chance for us to talk to people and get a feeling." At first, it feels like something of a departure for Bentley, but the EXP 15 fits in well with its past and present. Ettore Bugatti once apparently described Bentley's 3-Litre as the "fastest lorry in the world." Compared to Bugatti's cars, Bentleys were hulking beasts, but they were successful in racing and beloved by enthusiasts. This big, asymmetrical concept car might be an EV, but there is no doubt it is a Bentley. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . Gallery: Bentley EXP 15 Design Vision Concept 54 Source: Bentley Photo by: Nissan Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Time of India
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Time of India
Skoda VW India to handle Bentley along with Porsche, Lambo
Starting July 2025, Skoda Auto Volkswagen India will officially take over the import, sales, and after-sales operations of Bentley cars in the country. With this move, Bentley becomes the sixth brand under the Volkswagen Group 's India umbrella, joining Skoda, Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, and Lamborghini. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now To handle operations exclusively for the luxury British marque, a new entity named Bentley India has been set up under the SAVWIPL group. Leading this division will be Abbey Thomas, who has been appointed as Brand Director. Bentley's India lineup remains unchanged and continues to include the Bentayga SUV, the Continental GT coupe, and the Flying Spur luxury sedan. In a bid to strengthen the brand's presence across major metros, SAVWIPL confirmed three dealership locations: starting with Mumbai and Bengaluru, followed by New Delhi. These new showrooms will serve as the face of Bentley in India. Piyush Arora, Managing Director and CEO of Skoda Auto Volkswagen India, said, 'Welcoming Bentley into the SAVWIPL family is a proud milestone that completes our portfolio. India's appetite for uncompromising luxury is growing rapidly. Additionally, Abbey's deep understanding of the Indian market makes him the ideal leader to steer Bentley India toward new milestones.' Bentley Bentayga EWB Review: Longer but better? | TOI Auto Recently, Bentley has revealed a fresh version of its famous winged logo, which will be seen for the first time on an upcoming concept car set to be unveiled very soon. This is the fifth time in Bentley's 106-year journey that the emblem has been redesigned. Stay tuned to TOI Auto for latest updates on the automotive sector and do follow us on our social media handles on Facebook, Instagram and X. Discover everything about the automotive world at Times of India.
