- NORTH AMERICAN DEBUT OF NEW 2016 CONTINENTAL GT
- HISTORIC BLOWER MAKES DYNAMIC APPEARANCE AT QUAIL RALLY
- EXP 10 SPEED 6 CONCEPT SHOWCASED AT TWO PRESTIGIOUS EVENTS ON THE PENINSULA
(Pebble Beach, 6 August 2015).- The new 16 MY Bentley Continental GT (upper photograph) makes its North American debut at this year’s Monterey Auto Week, alongside inspiring models from Bentley’s past and future.
In a nod to Bentley’s illustrious heritage and celebrating its 85th anniversary, the iconic 1930 Blower Bentley makes its dynamic appearance in the Quail Rally. The week will culminate with a look to Bentley’s future; the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept will be situated on the Concept Lawn at The Lodge on Sunday, a vision of iconic Bentley design cues fused with progressive craftsmanship techniques to showcase modern British luxury.
Michael Winkler, President and CEO, Bentley Motors, Inc. comments: “The future of Bentley is now, and Pebble Beach is the perfect backdrop to showcase the new Continental GT alongside gems from our past and concepts for our exciting future. The new Continental GT is a testament to Bentley trademarks of luxury and performance and we’re excited to share it with friends of Bentley during this gathering of fine automobiles.”
New 2016 Continental GT Highlights
The Continental GT (left) as been refreshed for 2016 with a complement of new exterior design features. Adjustments to the front bumper and radiator shell lend a more assertive and confident stance to the front of the car. At the rear the bumper has been reshaped and widened for an added sense of power, and now features full-width brightware. The revisions to the exterior aesthetic are completed with the addition of 20” and 21” wheels.
Visual upgrades continue inside the cabin, with a new and contemporary straight-fluting pattern adorning the four generous seats, while the Mulliner Driving Specification (standard on GT Speed) gains a tightened, “small-diamond” quilting pattern reminiscent of a tailored British jacket.
The mighty 6.0-litre twin turbo W12 powertrain has received a power and torque increase, from 575 PS (567 bhp / 423 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb.ft) to 590 PS (582 bhp / 434 kW) and 720 Nm (531 lb.ft), to maintain the model’s reputation of effortless performance. The power upgrade is accompanied by improvements to fuel economy of up to 5% and lower CO2 emissions of 329 g/km and combined fuel economy of 20 mpg (14.1 litres/100 km).
Bentley at Monterey Auto Week
Throughout the week, at the Quail Rally, the 1930 Bentley Blower (right) will be continuing its summer of prestigious motoring events with a dynamic appearance alongside the flagship Mulsanne Speed, 2016 Flying Spur and the new Continental GT.
On August 14, Bentley will also debut its entire 2016 model range alongside the EXP 10 Speed 6 to the illustrious crowd at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering.
On Saturday, Bentley will present the most extreme example of the Continental family, with the GT3 R, alongside its racing counterpart the GT3 at The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion held at the Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway paddock.
The highly lauded EXP 10 Speed 6 design concept will be presented on Concept Lawn Sunday at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance for the conclusion of Monterey Auto Week.
Auctions of Vintage and Classic Cars
Pebble Beach is renowned for its auctions of collectible classic and vintage automobiles. In 2015, five classic Bentleys are being auctioned by RM Auctions between Friday August 15th and Saturday August 16th.
- 1931 Bentley 4½-Litre Supercharged Two-Seater Sports in the style of Vanden Plas (presale estimate: $4,500,000 – $5,500,000) more information available here.
- 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback Sports Saloon by H.J. Mulliner (presale estimate: $1,000,000 – $1,200,000) more information available here.
- 1956 Bentley S1 Continental Drophead Coupe by Park Ward (presale estimate $900,000 – $1,200,000) more information available here.
- 1934 Bentley 3½-Litre Sports Saloon by Park Ward (presale estimate: $150,000 – $200,000) more information available here.
- 1931 Bentley 4-Litre Tourer by Vanden Plas (presale estimate: $500,000 – $).
Text and photographs by: Bentley
