New Bentley Continental V8 Range Revealed, will Debut at the Detroit Motor Show

Bentley today unveiled its new Continental V8 range powered by the VW Group's new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine. The new powerplant will power both the Continental GT coupe and its GTC convertible sibling, which will receive their world debut at the Detroit Motor Show on January 9.

This is the first time Bentley has put a V8 engine under the hood of the Continental: since 2003, when the first generation of the grand touring coupe entered production, the sole engine choice was the twin turbocharged 6.0-liter W12, which remains the flagship of the Continental engine range.

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Bentley Teases the Sounds of its New 4.0-liter Turbocharged V8

It's been known for over a year now that Bentley is planning to supplement the range of its Continental series with a brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 engine sourced, of course, from the Volkswagen Group's vast parts bin.

While Bentley remains tight lipped on the details, today, the British carmaker released the first teaser video of a Continental GT coupe fitted with the base V8 powerplant that is currently shared with the Audi S6, S7 and S8 models.

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Saudi Edition: Bentley Continental Flying Spur Grounded in Sand

As it turns out, despite their advanced all-wheel drive system, Bentley's luxury limousines and coupes aren't very good when it comes to off-road activities. Who would have known!

We saw it last year when a blissfully unaware owner of a Continental GT Coupe got bogged down in tons of mud in Russia (see the epic video clip here), and we're seeing it now with this Saudi Arabian owner of a Continental Flying Spur sedan who had some troubles conquering the desert sands. Wonder why...

For some amusing footage, follow the break to watch the videos for yourself.

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Buy a Bentley Continental Convertible ISR, Get a Breitling Limited Edition Chronograph for Free

Many people that are into premium cars are also into expensive watches, which is only natural since the finest examples of both serve more than just a utilitarian role.

A Bentley and a Lada can both take you from point A to point B. In much the same way, a 10 dollar watch can tell you the time in exactly the same way as a Rolex or a Breitling.

So if you’re looking just for transportation and knowing what time it is, pass on the Bentley and the Breitling and save yourself enough money to buy a house.

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SPIED: 2012 Bentley Continental GTC Speed

The upcoming 2012 Bentley Continental GTC Speed continues its…European tour as the British firm’s engineers have left the Alps and headed down to the Nurburgring racetrack for some high-speed tests.

2009 Bentley Continental GT Pop Art

For his exhibition "Come to my World" in Berlin, the famous artist Romero Britto chose a Bentley Continental GT as a canvas for his cheerful and vivid signature motifs.

This is probably one of the most unusual Bentleys ever seen: a large, happy flower, little stars, squiggles and signs dance on the elegant hood and colourful, comic-like figures adorn the doors. The Continental GT - a static prototype built in 2003 - has become a truly unique work of art created by the world-renowned Brazilian artist Romero Britto. Bentley Motors donated the Coupe on the occasion of Britto´s Berlin exhibition "Come to my World" in the Automobil Forum Unter den Linden.

Britto, one of the most admired and popular artists currently working within Pop Art, creates pieces specifically to put a smile on people´s faces. Having grown up in poverty in Recife, Brazil, his work belies his background by creating a fantasy world inhabited by child-like creatures and optimistic, strong colours. "Since everything in life moves toward an end", says Romero Britto, "we should fill our life with colour and hope." His paintings, graphics and sculptures can be admired in many of the world's leading art galleries including the Museum of Modern Art and Guggenheim in New York. He counts the Kennedys, Rothchilds, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steffi Graf and Elton John among his friends and collectors.

Romero was delighted to be given the chance to turn a Bentley into a Pop Art sculpture: "It is the most beautiful and elegant car in the world. The lines of the new design are perfect to paint as a clean canvas. What a way to start a fascinating and colourful journey."

Raul Pires, Head of Exterior Design at Bentley Motors and like Romero Britto, a Brazilian was central to the creation of the Continental GT. He thoroughly agrees with his countryman: "A Bentley holds the unique combination of exhilaration and relaxation in one package. An automotive sculpture with elegant powerful surfaces. The ultimate in craftsmanship."

The Romero Britto exhibition, hosted by the Automobil Forum Unter den Linden in cooperation with the Mensing Gallery, will take place from 10 July until 6 September 2009. In keeping with Britto's wider ideals, at the conclusion of the show, the "Britto-Bentley" will be put up for auction in aid of the Nathalie Todenhöfer Foundation for multiple sclerosis as well as Best Buddies, an organization dedicated to improving the integration of the mentally disabled within society.