New Bentley Continental GT Speed

The name says it all. And from your first glimpse of the fastest, most powerful two-door coupé that Bentley makes, you know it’s the perfect description. With 21" wheels and lowered suspension, darkened grille and front bumper intakes glinting in the light, the Continental GT Speed makes no secret of its intent. If you love to drive far and fast, if the exhilaration of a 625PS, 800Nm engine and eight-speed close-ratio transmission makes your heart race, this is your car.

And yet this exceptional sports coupé, the newest, most powerful addition to the Continental stable still displays the refinement that makes a Bentley unique. Its all-wheel-drive transmission, biased 60:40 in favour of the rear, offers reassuring stability all year-round, come rain or shine. Its hand-crafted interior, which can be trimmed in a variety of materials from Burr Walnut to Dark Tint Aluminium, is supremely comfortable over long distances.

Bentley’s new Continental GT Speed coupé is capable of fast lap times, but it’s a real-world supercar, not a track special. Distinctive it may be, but it’s also the latest in a long line of devastatingly fast, smooth and rewarding Bentley grand tourers.

With peak power of 625PS, the new Continental GT Speed is the most powerful model in the current two-door Bentley Continental family. A full throttle standing start sees 60mph flash past in just 4.0 seconds. Top speed, should you have the opportunity to explore it, is 205 miles an hour.

Yet Bentley’s engineering team has ensured that the new GT Speed W12 engine and powertrain is just as fuel-efficient as the new Continental GT. The latest engine management system, a new eight-speed transmission and careful refinement of the turbocharger settings have seen an overall improvement of 13% in fuel economy, with a commensurate increase in tank range.

A revised Electronic Stability Programme calibration gives the driver free rein to explore the limits with safety, while the new chassis tune and lowered suspension accentuates the glued-to-the-road sensation during high-speed cornering.

ENGINE
Engine Capacity    5998cc
Max Power    616bhp / 460kW / 625PS @6000rpm
Max Torque    800Nm, 590 lb-ft @1700rpm
Fuel    98 (95) RON

DRIVETRAIN AND TRANSMISSION
8 speed ZF transmission with steering column mounted gearshift paddles
Permanent all-wheel drive with 40:60 front to rear torque split
Ratios 1st 4.71, 2nd 3.14, 3rd 2.1, 4th 1.67, 5th 1.29, 6th 1.00, 7th 0.839, 8th 0.667 Reverse 3.317

PERFORMANCE
Max. Speed    205mph / 330km/h
Acceleration    0 - 60mph    4 seconds
Acceleration    0 - 100km/h    4.2 seconds
* Power rating based on 98 RON fuel

WEIGHTS AND VOLUMES
Kerb Weight    2320kg    5115lb
Gross Vehicle Weight    2750kg    6063lb
Boot Volume    358L    12.6cu-ft
Fuel tank capacity    90L    20 Gallons / 24 US Gallons

DIMENSIONS
Overall Length    4806mm    189.2in
Width across mirrors    2227mm    87.7in
Width with Mirrors Folded    1943mm    76.5in
Overall Height    1394mm    54.8in
Wheel Base    2746mm    108.1in
Track Front / Rear    1667mm / 1663mm    65.6 / 65.5in

 

www.bentleymotors.com

McLaren P1

The McLaren P1 has one simple goal: to be the best driver’s car in the world on road and track.
At the Paris Motor Show, Mondial de l'Automobile 2012, the McLaren P1 is previewed as a design study. Next year a production version, which the company aims to put on sale within 12 months, will be revealed.

‘The McLaren P1 will be the result of 50 years of racing and road car heritage,’ says McLaren Automotive Executive Chairman Ron Dennis. ‘Twenty years ago we raised the supercar performance bar with the McLaren F1 and our goal with the McLaren P1 is to redefine it once again.’

‘Our aim is not necessarily to be the fastest in absolute top speed but to be the quickest and most rewarding series production road car on a circuit’, says McLaren Automotive Managing Director Antony Sheriff. ‘It is the true test of a supercar’s all round ability and a much more important technical statement. Our goal is to make the McLaren P1 the most exciting, most capable, most technologically advanced and most dynamically accomplished supercar ever made.’

When the McLaren P1 goes into production later next year, it will sit above the 12C and 12C Spider, in terms of both price and performance.

www.mclarenautomotive.com

Ferrari F12berlinetta

The F12berlinetta not only ushers in a whole new generation of Prancing Horse 12-cylinders but is also the most powerful and high performance Ferrari ever built.

The F12berlinetta’s 200-bar, direct-injection 6262 cc 65° V12 delivers absolutely unprecedented performance for a naturally aspirated 12-cylinder engine in terms of both power and revs. It has a maximum power output of 740 CV at 8250 rpm, while its specific power output is 118 CV/l, a record for this kind of engine. Responsiveness and strong pick-up are assured by maximum torque of 690 Nm, 80 per cent of which is already on tap at 2500 rpm.

Exceptional strides have also been made with regard to fuel consumption and emissions both of which have been slashed by 30% to 15l/100 km and 350 g/km of CO2, making the F12berlinetta a benchmark for its reference segment.

Its wheelbase is also shorter, the engine and driver seat have been lowered and the rear in more compact thanks to the new suspension and gearbox layout. It is a shorter, lower and narrower car than the previous V12 coupé. Weight distribution is ideal too (54% at the rear) while the centre of gravity is lower and has been moved rearwards in the chassis.

Engine
Type: 65° V12
Bore/stroke: 3.7 x 2.96 in
Total capacity: 382.13 cu in
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Maximum power **: 545 kW (740 CV) at 8250 rpm
Specific power output: 88 KW/ cu in
Maximum torque: 690 Nm at 6000 rpm
Maximum revs: 8700 rpm

Dimensions
Length: 181,8 in
Width: 76,5 in
Height: 50,1 in
Wheelbase: 107,1 in
Front track: 65,6 in
Rear track: 63,7 in
Dry weight*: 3362,0 lb
Kerb weight*: 3593,5 lb
Weight distribution: 46% front, 54% rear
Fuel tank: 24.3 US gal (20.2 UK/gal)
Front Tyres and rims: 255/35 ZR 20 9.5J
Rear Tyres and rims: 315/35 ZR 20 11.5J
CCM 3 brakes Front: 15,7 x 8,8 x 1,5 inch
CCM 3 brakes Rear: 14,2 x 9,2 x 1,3 inch
Gearbox: F1 dual-clutch 7-speed

Performances
Maximum speed: over 211 mph
0-100 km/h: 3.1 sec
0-200 km/h: 8.5 sec
Fuel consumption: Combined 15l/100 km
CO2 emissions: Combined 350 g/km

Note
* With lightweight options
** Engine power is expressed in kW, in accordance with
the International System of Units (SI) and in CV (1KW= 1.3596216 CV). With dynamic overboost

http://www.ferrari.com