Taking their first Le Mans victory in 1924, the Bentley Brothers and their powerful, heavy, rugged, and reliable Bentley Blower dominated motorsports in the 1920s, outclassing rival Bugatti and its more elegant, lightweight, but considerably more fragile machines.

Despite Volkswagen ownership and the passing of many decades, Bentley cars still retain this trait today. Since 2005, Bentley has provided customers an opportunity to experience the power of new Bentley vehicles in a controlled environment atop a frozen Finnish lake. Known as the “Power on Ice” driving experience program, this year, Bentley instructors will provide excitement and education as customers experience the maximum potential of the new 621-hp Continental Supersport and 567-hp Continental GT.

According to Bentley, the success of “Power on Ice” warranted expansion and for 2012, Bentley will be launching driver training programs in North America as well. No dates and locations have been released so far, Bentley has only said that the program will deliver an experience “like no other.” That statement is hard to refute when we’re considering a track day behind the wheel of 5,000+ lbs. luxury grand tourers with more than 600 horsepower at your disposal.

Check out the Bentley North American Driving Programme promo video; slow-motion action shots, dubstep and all.

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Bentley recently found an interesting way to prove the all-wheel drive capabilities of its Continental sports car, taking to the sport of skijoring out at the Switzerland Alpine passes.

Skijoring, a winter sport that usually involves a person on skis being pulled by a horse or dogs, can sometimes be seen with a motor vehicle, but not commonly. Especially not with a luxury car like a Bentley Continental. Nonetheless, the British automaker teamed up with 16-time skijoring world champion Franco Moro to show off what the 570-hp Continental GT out in the snow. And of course it was recorded for all of us to enjoy on Youtube.

The event took place at a joring track in Rougermont, Switzerland, and we reckon this was the fastest Moro has ever experienced skijoring – around 40-mph.

Just out the two videos after the break.

GALLERY: Bentley Continental Skijoring

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Race circuits crafted from Finland’s finest snow and ice await the one percent next month as Bentley announces its 2012 Power on Ice Adventure.

We strongly suggest attendance if you can get past the almost $11,275 dollar starting price without having an aneurysm. That said, it sure will be fun. It’s not every day you get to take your choice of a Bentley Continental GT coupe or Continental Supersports coupe on a track.

“The circuits are crafted from snow and ice and are unlike any other track or road you have seen before,” says Peter Barnes a senior instructor with Bentley Driving.

Should you decide to participate in some of the world’s most luxurious shenanigans, you’ll have somebody like Barnes in the passenger seat.

“Power on Ice mixes the pure exhilaration of slaloming a Bentley supercar on a purpose-built course or taking a spin around a ‘figure of eight’ track, with the opportunity to acquire advanced techniques from a personal instructor, that will enable drivers to handle their cars with confidence even in the harshest weather conditions,” Peter said.

Bentley says their cars are well suited for such driving. Their all-wheel drive system normally has a 40-60 rear-wheel bias to give a sporty feel but according to the company can instantly adjust to provide maximum grip. We’ll leave it up to someone else to test that in a hard corner.

Power on Ice was first established in 2005, and has been a chance for anyone to try their hand behind the Bentley wheel every year since, or at least that’s what the company says.

It’s true that anyone may participate, but whether they can is an entirely different matter. The starting price for the event would absorb 78 percent of a minimum wage worker’s salary, and that doesn’t include paying for a flight to Finland. The premium package costs just over $13,600, but at least we can still dream.

With Maybach being axed, again, Bentley is now looking to entice some of the brand’s top customers, including the likes of rapper J-Z, as well as the Sultan of Brunei and Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich.

Under its new corporate strategy, Daimler AG will focus high end marketing around its core S-Class sedan, adding new, more exclusive variants to help cater to existing Maybach customers,

Given that these cars will be less “unique” than Maybach’s own offerings, this approach could actually serve VW owned Bentley well, which will no doubt be able to capitalize on providing “Bespoke” services and vehicles to a discerning clientele.

In addition, Bentley Chief Executive Wolfgang Durheimer also talked of creating a “specific welcome zone inside our brand,” which includes inviting clients for VIP tours of the brand’s production facilities in Crewe, Cheshire, United Kingdom.

At the other end of the spectrum, Bentley is also looking to cultivate Porsche Cayenne customers, who are looking to upgrade their existing Turbo SUVs. Durheimer believes that Bentley’s upcoming SUV model would be an ideal platform for bringing these customers into the Bentley fold.

[Source: Automotive News]

Car and Driver recently sat down with Bentley Chief Wolfgang Dürheimer to get some details on the British automaker’s plug-in hybrid and upcoming SUV. Dürheimer told the publication that we shouldn’t expect to see the plug-in hybrid until the next generation of Bentleys are unveiled and that a final decision on their SUV will be made in just a matter of a few weeks.

The interview also gives us some more details in both of the Bentley projects. The built-in hybrid will be using technology shared with other brands in the Volkswagen group and Bentley has no intentions of reinventing the hybrid system. “For us, differentiation is styling, appearance, prestige, craftsmanship, luxury. For us, hybrid tech is a ‘need-to-have’,” Dürheimer stated. The other brands will also be able to absorb the development costs into their larger budgets.

With that in mind, Dürheimer suggested that Audi‘s new 4.0L twin-turbo V8 could be the gasoline-powered component of the hybrid system, which will feature a motor-generator between the engine and transmission. Dürheimer also said that the W-12 powerplant could also be used since the electric motor fits behind that engine also. As for the electric-only range, Dürheimer said that 16- to 19-miles will be acceptable for a Bentley plug-in hybrid.

As for the SUV, Dürheimer is clearly excited about the upcoming model and has become very encouraged as he gets more and more feedback on it. He’s looking at markets in Russia, China and even the US with the SUV and stated that it won’t be a Hummer, but will be on the large side. “We think we will need to have a lot of space in the back; we need to have a comfort zone, good air conditioning in the back, and everything you need to be transported in the back.”

[Source: Car and Driver]

Very few car companies can lay claim to have a twin-turbo charged, 500-hp, V8 as their entry level vehicle, but Bentley can.

At the 2012 North American International Auto Show, the Bentley Continental GT V8 made its World premiere. While the original W12 version continues in production, this new V8 will be offered at a lower price point to combat the very best super-coupes from its German rivals.

The GT V8 looks very similar to any other Continental GT, both inside and out, so essentially this is a powertrain story. The power comes courtesy of a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo, V8. Maximum output is 500-hp and 487-lb/ft of torque. Like all previous Continental GT’s, the new V8 model also features all-wheel drive. The only transmission on offer is a close-ratio, 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

The performance numbers as you’d expect are pretty impressive. 0-60 mph sprint takes just 4.6 seconds, while top speed is a remarkable 188 mph.

Perhaps even more impressive is its fuel economy. On a highway cruise, this GT V8 can achieve 33-mpg. It can manage that because of its cylinder-deactivation system. So when you’re simply cruising, it will shut down four of its cylinders. So this Bentley can actually run for 500-miles on a single tank of petrol. Could this be a sensible Bentley!

2011 was a great year for this British manufacturer, recording their second-highest year of sales in its history, with 7003 cars delivered globally, of which 1876 units found homes in America.

With this new entry-level GT V8 (No prices given, but expect those to be over $150,000), and also the GTC V8 convertible going on sale this year, Bentley sales might surpass all their previous records.

GALLERY: 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8

Thanks to Bentley‘s strongest sales performance since 2008, the gentlemen of Crewe are looking to expand their line-up with the introduction of a new luxury SUV by 2014.

Known for its generous application of wood and leather, Bentley does not intend to compete against the likes of Cayenne or Range Rover. Instead, Bentley aims to position its SUV above any other SUV currently on the market. Expect prices to begin at $140,000 plus.

Volkswagen, Bentley’s German owner, also plans to carry this project over to its Lamborghini operation as well. A new Lamborghini SUV would become the third model in the brand’s exotic line-up and would also mark the return of the Lamborghini SUV after the LM002 “Rambo Lambo” was built from 1986 to 1993.

In 2008, Lamborghini first unveiled the 4-door Lamborghini Estoque concept car. Although the sedan was well received by both the press and public, a strong demand for sporty soft-roaders from emerging markets like China, Russia, and India suggest that a high-performance SUV for Lamborghini may be better going forward.

An official Lamborghini address on the matter is expected by the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.

[Source: MotorAuthority]

The recession has not been kind to most luxury car manufacturer’s. After all, with the economy on a downturn, even those who can still afford luxuries shy away from frivolous spending.

While the recession was the final nail in Maybach‘s coffin, Bentley has soldiered on and managed to survive the tough economic climate. Not only did Bentley survive, they have bounced back strongly in 2011.

Global sales for Bentley rose by 37% in 2011, totaling 7003 deliveries to customers. In December, they moved 1059 cars, which is not only their best month since the recession, but also the second best month in the history of the company.

The two big reason’s the brand was so successful in 2011 are the U.S. and Chinese markets. The U.S. market retains the top spot, as the biggest market for this British brand. 2021 new Bentley’s were sold to American homes in 2011, while 1839 units were delivered in China.

In Germany, demand for Bentley’s increased by 88%, while the rest of Europe also saw an increase. On this occasion, Bentley’s Chairman Wolfgang Durheimer said: “It has been a tremendously good year for Bentley. The dramatic sales growth reflects a global strength to the Brand and a recognition of the quality, craftsmanship and engineering excellence of our cars. It is also testament to the work of the entire Bentley Team whose passion and daily commitment has delivered this outstanding result. It has been particularly pleasing to see renewed interest in Bentley in established as well as new and emerging markets, all of which is contributing to a positive financial result for 2011.”

The most popular model in 2011 was the Continental GT coupe, and with the launch of the V8 version of this model starting shortly, it will probably help propel Bentley’s sales to even greater heights.

The Volkswagen Group, which consists of Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Porsche brands in America, are looking to become the number one seller of vehicles in the world by 2018. That’s a bold proclamation as they’re currently sitting in the number three position behind Toyota and General Motors.

As of last year, the VW Group was at 7.14-million vehicles sold while Toyota was at 8.42-million and GM was at 8.39-million. They’re currently aiming to be moving 10-million vehicles a year by 2018 and CEO Martin Winterkorn anticipates it’ll even happen before then.

Their plan will be to target the global market obviously, having already secured the European market. Their new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee currently has the capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles a year, but VW is working on expanding it to 500,000, the majority of which will remain within the US market.

Even though VW has taken over European automotive sales with 2.9 vehicles sold in 2010, they still look to increase their market share with their new Up! model. But key to VW becoming the global leader in sales will be how they perform in other markets including Brazil, Russia, India and most importantly, China.

[Source: Car and Driver]

An insane nine car accident occurred out in Kiev, Ukraine, caused by a speeding Bentley Continental Flying Spur. And while this isn’t as painful to see as the Ferrari accident out in Japan, this Bentley did cause some real havoc.

Reports came in that the Bentley was just going way too fast at a junction, starting the accident that even involved a poor police officer that was controlling the junction. Fortunately he only suffered a fractured leg but the Mercedes-Benz CL500 that the Flying Spur hit can’t say the same. From the photos, the collision with the CL500 was so strong that most of the front end is missing and the engine is well, not quite where it’s supposed to be.

Check out the news report video after the break.

GALLERY: Bentley Continental Flying Spur Nine Car Accident

[Source: GT Spirit]

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