Car Throttle

This week saw spy shots of Mercedes’ new CLS with a bigger boot. Usually, any saloon or hatchback that comes with a bigger boot is classed in the UK as an estate and estate cars are never usually very cool. They were bought by anyone wanting to lug loads to the dump, collect tons of flat pack furniture from Ikea or for extra space so the dog can come along with the family. But the CLS is a four-door coupe officially which means the CLS seen here is a Shooting Brake. Here’s a little history lesson. ‘Shooting brake’ is a term to describe a two-box car body style that combined coupe features and estate features. The name ‘Brake’ in this case doesn’t mean the

While most of the mainstream car companies are designing smaller, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly products, Bentley has decided to do the complete opposite and introduce the most luxurious SUV on the market. The yet to be named SUV has a choice of two engines. You can get it with the next generation 6.0l W12 to be used in future Continental GT and GTC models but you also have the option of the same 6.0l V12 turbo diesel available in the top of the range Audi Q7. In an interview with Autocar, Bentley boss Wolfgang Dürheimer says “We will be first to use a 12-cylinder petrol engine in a luxury SUV. I like this idea; it makes clear whose car is the boss.” What I think

Keeping in line with the recently updated Bentley Continental GT coupe, the folks over in Crewe have decided to give the GTC a much needed refresh to make sure it doesn't remain outdated. On the outside, the GT Convertible has much better well-defined lines and the headlights are of noticeable difference. Although a bit froggy looking, the separate blinkers on the front give the GTC that Bentley feel. Bear in mind that the GTC has a cloth roof instead of the hard ones which have recently come into fashion on the 458 Spider and less exotic pieces of metal such as the Volvo C70. The GTC also gets a retuned suspension, a new 40:60 torque split and a widened track with sharpened steering to help prevent

Back in the 80's, 200 miles an hour was world-record territory for a road car. The F40 was the first stock production car to break the 200mph barrier, with others following after it.  Those early race-derived supercars were  raw, elemental thunderstorms of power and grip with little concession to human comfort. So it's a sign of great technical progress that a Finnish rally driver named Juha Kankkunen recently went 205mph in what is essentially a stock Bentley convertible, a leather-lined luxury rocket that's as far from an F40's rawness as one can possibly get.  What's so cool though?  It was 205mph on ice.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWvAUuvT5A

I have to say, if I was going to shoot for the world speed record on ice, I'd probably

Last September, Bentley lifted the lid on its redesigned Continental GT. The first generation of the car proved to be a huge success for Bentley, helping to significantly increase the luxury division's sales over the last decade. So it when it came to replace the existing model, introduced in 2003, Bentley played it understandably safe. One of the big changes was the announcement that a V-8 engine would be available this year. The V-8 is a 4.0-liter unit that will serve as the car's new base model. The Continental GT when it was introduced was all about being a more accessible vehicle than the Arnage (now the all-new Mulsanne). The V-8 model looks set to continue that, offering a lower price tag. Autocar reports that

I spend a lot of time driving around Raleigh, doing a variety of things. I've always got my phone with me, which has a 5MP digital camera integrated into it - it takes better pictures than my old Sony point and shoot!  So when I see something interesting parked around Raleigh, I whip out the phone and take a few shots.  Today, flipping through my pictures folder, I realize there's a big pile of interesting stuff in there - I'll share some of the better "spotted" shots with you all.  Good, bad, pretty, ugly, rare, or fast -  Let me know what you think! This was shot inside Crabtree Mall on US70 while doing some Christmas shopping.  Isn't it sad that the first place I

Bentley's Continental lineup has been an undisputed success. Bentley's resurgence was predicated primarily on the increases in sales that these two models brought, as the Arnage carried over from the pre-Volkswagen days. The GT coupe is no doubt the star of the lineup, but the Flying Spur came along after in 2005 to provide something for those looking for a four-door version. The Continental lineup is now about to enter its second-generation, with the evolutionary 2012 Continental GT introduced in September of this year. The redesigned Flying Spur has yet to be introduced, but it is on its way. Like with the Continental GT and GTC, Series 51 models are being introduced as a sendoff to the outgoing model. The packages mainly focus on individuality, adding 14 different

While the Mercedes-Benz CLS doesn't compete in the ultra-luxury range of $100,000 and above, it has spurred similar entries both above and below. The Aston Martin Rapide and Porsche Panamera compete above it, while models like the Volkswagen Passat CC aim to copy it. The CLS is finally getting some direct competition in the form of Audi's A7 Sportback, and even more could is coming with BMW's approval of its Gran Coupe Concept for production. Lamborghini is said to be seriously considering the prospect with the Evoque and Bentley's next model is likely to be the 16C Galibier. But what about Bentley? It could be considering a four-door coupe model of its own. The company has a history with segment-blending models like the shooting brake two-door wagon. Thankfully, it

Bentley recently closed a very successful chapter in its history, and began a new one with the introduction of the second-generation Continental GT. The Continental GT, first introduced in 2002 at the Paris Auto Show, has helped to drastically increase the brand's sales over the past decade. Since its introduction, over 46,000 Continentals (nearly half being the GT coupe) have been built. It doesn't come cheap though - for 2010 the Continental GT carried a price of $182,800. As expected, the new model gets that price tag increased even further. Not by much though, with the new price for the Continental GT coming in at $189,900. That is just $7,100 more, or about 4 percent. That figure is pocket change for those buying the car. For that price,

Ever since 2003, the Continental GT has been one of our favorite cars period. The big, luxurious GT is the perfect blend of Bentley's British attributes. Ironically, this has all come under Volkswagen's German ownership. Rival BMW has also seen Rolls-Royce flourish. With Bentley sales significantly increased due to the Continental GT and Flying Spur models, they are the most important models in Bentley's lineup. We think the brand did a fantastic job with the new-generation car. It takes one of our favorite vehicles and makes it better. If you think so too, you can visualize your dream Continental GT with what Bentley calls the "visualiser." With it you can pick from 100 different Bentley colors on the exterior and a mix of different combinations inside, along with different wheel