Here in southern California Bentley’s are somewhat common depending on the neighborhood you’re in but for some reason we can’t help but be attracted to them.  Maybe its their British-ness, although internally they are as German as you can get.  Either way the Bentley continues to exude British class which is why we’re hyped to see the new Bentley Continental GTC.  Yes, its a convertible but its a Bentley convertible!  That B word in front of convertible makes it worlds apart from any other convertible that you may feel inclined to rip on.  First off the GTC has a beefy twin-turbo V12 that makes just under 570hp!  That fact is enough to make me want it no matter what the configuration is.  Throw in all of the luxury that Bentley is known for and we’re beyond sold.  It’s just too bad that we couldn’t afford one anyway…  Maybe you can if you happen to have a spare $212k laying around and if you do….are you hiring?  Ok joking aside if you want to get a better look then just scroll below for pics and video.

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Press Release:

THE NEW BENTLEY CONTINENTAL GTC

• Bold, contemporary, sculpted design employing advanced production technology.
• Sensuous, luxurious, hand-crafted cabin with class-leading infotainment.
• Coupe-like refinement with unrivalled comfort and practicality.
• More powerful 6.0-litre W12 engine with FlexFuel capability, delivering exhilarating performance.
• Uprated chassis for a more dynamic and engaging open-top driving experience.

(Crewe, England. 24 August 2011). The second generation of Bentley’s iconic Continental GTC convertible will debut at next month’s International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt.

Taking cues from its GT coupe sibling launched last year, the new Continental GTC builds on the highly successful foundation of the previous cabriolet, which premiered in 2006. Bentley’s design and engineering teams have improved virtually every aspect of the iconic convertible with an uncompromising focus on quality.

While the first Continental GTC was elegant and understated, the sharper radii and assertive stance of the new model delivers a more contemporary and muscular presence. Advanced manufacturing techniques produce aluminium front wings without the need for seams or welds creating the look and feel of a coach-built car. Twenty-inch wheels are now standard with three styles of 21-inch wheel, a first for GTC, available as an option, reinforcing the distinctive, sporting stance of the new Bentley.

The four-seater luxury convertible features a new, even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. There are 17 standard soft-touch leather hide colours with six colour split combinations, complemented by a range of seven veneers, all produced by Bentley’s talented craftsmen and women.

The GTC’s renowned coupe-like refinement is also enhanced. The tailored, multi-layered fabric hood is complemented by acoustic glass and under-body panels, for optimum noise isolation.

Superb everyday practicality for a luxury convertible was a hallmark of the original GTC and much valued by its customers. The cabin of the new GTC is now even more practical, with additional rear legroom, new storage solutions and innovative features such as touch-screen infotainment, automatic seat-belt presenters and a Bentley-designed Neck Warmer for comfortable roof-down motoring whatever the temperature.

A wider track, front and rear, sharper steering and retuned suspension provides a more exhilarating and class-leading drive. Bentley’s advanced all-wheel drive system features a new 40:60 rear torque bias (compared with 50:50 of the original GTC) minimising understeer during hard cornering and allowing the spirited driver to manage the car’s line and balance via precise throttle control.

This compelling dynamic package is combined with a more powerful 6.0-litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine as well as a new QuickShift transmission enabling faster gear changes than ever before. Power output is raised from 560PS to 575PS (567bhp/423kW) and the famed Bentley ‘wave of torque’ has been increased by a further 50Nm to 700Nm (516lb ft).

“The GTC has always been the most emotional model in the Continental range and a showcase for Bentley design. With its tailored soft top, the GTC is a pure British convertible true to those classic Bentleys of the past. However, the technology, performance and overall design excellence invested in this model means that we are now writing a new chapter for the Bentley convertible driver.”

Wolfgang Dürheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive, Bentley Motors.

The Bentley Continental GTC is now available to order and first customer deliveries will begin in late 2011.

Pricing Information

POUNDS STERLING	£149,350
US DOLLAR	$212,800 MSRP
EURO	€170,060
RENMINBI	RMB 3,838,000
YEN	¥26,400,000

• Pounds Sterling inclusive of 20% VAT.
• Euro price does not include individual market taxation rates.
• US Dollar pricing is exclusive of individual state taxes.

THE NEW CONTINENTAL GTC – AT A GLANCE

Sculpted exterior design

• Advanced production techniques such as aluminium Super Forming (front wings) allow for a more sculpted body and sharp ‘power lines.’
• Unique jewelled headlamps with LED daytime-running lights.
• More upright matrix radiator grille and new ‘double horseshoe’ rear profile first shown on the flagship Bentley Mulsanne.

Luxurious, practical, hand-crafted cabin with class-leading infotainment

• New interior with a bold, sweeping dashboard and instrument panel finished in premium soft-touch leather.
• Choice of 17 hide colours, six colour split combinations and seven veneers.
• Distinctive ‘cobra style’ seats for added comfort and enhanced rear cabin space.
• A new touchscreen, 30GB infotainment system introduces advanced satellite navigation with dynamic route guidance, seven-digit postcode entry and Google Map compatibility (market specific).
• Audio systems feature the latest wide-frequency Balance Mode Radiator speakers as standard.
• Revolutionary Dirac Dimensions™ DSP for exceptional sound reproduction (Naim for Bentley premium audio).

More powerful 6-litre W12 engine with FlexFuel capability

• 6-litre W12 engine twin-turbocharged engine produces 575PS
  (567bhp/423kW) and 700Nm (516lb ft) of torque.
• FlexFuel capability – runs on E85 biofuel, petrol or any combination of the two.
• 0 – 60mph 4.5 secs (0-100 km/h 4.8 secs).
• 0 – 100mph 10.9 secs (0 – 160km/h 10.9 secs).
• Top speed 195 mph (314 km/h).

Dynamic Bentley driving experience

• ZF 6HP28 transmission with ‘Quickshift’ system that cuts shift times by up to 50% and enables double downshifts.
• New 40:60 rear-biased torque split for the all-wheel drive system reduces understeer when powering out of bends and provides for better modulation of line and attitude by ‘throttle steering.’
• Increased front and rear track improves grip and stability.
• Advanced ESC system fully exploits the potential of the more powerful W12 engine and improved chassis.

20” ‘Five Spoke’ alloy wheels with optional 21” wheels in ‘Five Spoke Two-Piece’, ‘Seven Spoke Elegant’ and ‘Ten Spoke Propeller’ designs.

The British sports car legend Aston Martin has added a new steed to its stable.  The new Virage is meant to sit between the DBS and the DB9 on the production positioning line by providing a cushy luxurious interior (so cushy that it takes 70 man hours to complete by hand) but providing the performance of a 6.0 liter hand-built 480HP V12 engine.  You also get a carbon fiber drift shaft, six-speed paddle shift transmission, and carbon ceramic brakes standard.  That’s a serious bit of Shepard’s pie isn’t it?!  The other serious part is the price tag as the Virage will set you back about $210,000.  And that price is for the coupe!  Expect a few grand extra for the opportunity to drop the top.  However, for a car that looks this good and offers the performance numbers it does that price is more of a bargain than a burden.  Scroll down for pics and some video of the Virage.

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Alicia Keys’ new baby-daddy Swizz Beatz recently collab’d with Aston Martin to do a series of commercials for the Rapide called “Time Is Power“.  I think it is pretty cool that such a well known luxury brand like Aston Martin would team up with a hip-hop artist without it coming off as ghetto.  Below is part 1 of the series and part 2 should be in the related videos.  So far I am digging it but watch it for yourself below and let us know what you think in the comments.

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[Source: Billionaire Boys Club/Ice Cream Blog]

The Rolls Royce exhibit is always one of my favorite places to visit during the LA Auto Show press days. Since they let you open the doors and sit in the cars visiting their exhibit is the closest I’ll ever come to owning one! The other thing I love about Rolls Royce is that they keep their exhibit minimal but classy.  They tend not to have more than three cars on display at once and they don’t put a lot of stage dressing around the cars.  They also stayed away from the ”iPad as an info sheet” trend that was catching on this year.

Right in the middle of the exhibit was the new Rolls Royce Ghost AKA “the baby Rolls”.  The Ghost is slightly smaller than the full sized Phantom but still has more presence than other luxury sedans like a Mercedes Benz S Class or BMW 7 Series.  The Rolls Royce Ghost is definitely the Rolls that you drive even though it is still very extravagant on the inside.  Yet despite its luxury it is over $100k less than a Phantom or a Drophead Coupe.  After spending some quality time sitting in the driver’s seat of the Rolls Royce Ghost I decided to get all the critical info on smaller, yet equally luxurious British sedan.  Check that out below.

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Bentley sent out this teaser shot of their new “Extreme Bentley“.  Not much is known about this car yet other than Bentley claims it will be their most powerful Bentley ever and is their first flex-fuel vehicle.  You read correctly, this winged “B” will run on gasoline, bio-diesel, or a combination of the two.  I’m sure there are many more juicy details to this beast and will bring them to you as things develop.

I was on the fence about the new Ferrari 599.  Then, German tuner Hamann officially took me from “on the fence” to “I will sell my mother to get one.”  Hamann’s tuning package for the 599 includes a carbon fiber lip kit, 21″ forged mesh wheels, and finishes off with headers and exhaust that add 53HP.

NOVITEC ROSSO offers full tuning packages for the F430 and the F430 Scuderia. Simply beautiful and a dream to drive. This F430 Scuderia is a drool machine.

Tuning Options from NOVITEC Rosso for the 430 include a front lip spoiler or front bumper, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear wing; offered in reinforced fiber glass or carbon fiber. Also serving to heighten performance are a 380mm brake system, 2-way adjustable coil over suspension with electronic feed back, stainless steel exhaust, and exclusive 3-piece, center locking or 5-lug alloy wheels. For the engine, carbon fiber engine coverings, a bi-compressor exhancement increases the F430′s hp to 636hp or 717hp, and an optional carbon fiber airbox optimizes the air intake. NOVITEC Rosso’s interior trappings include seats and a sport steering wheel specifically designed for taller drivers, aluminum pedal set and footrest.

NOVITEC Rosso is exclusively available in the US at CEC and select Ferrari dealers.

When it comes to Brittish and German Luxury/Exotic cars Mansory is top shelf.  Here in So Cal Bentley Continental GT’s are almost as common as Honda Accords.  As such I was never all that attracted to them but seeing what Mansory did with it makes me wish I could run out to Newport Beach and buy one right now!