All posts by dcaplan

Aerial view of the 2019 Monterey Car Week at Pebble Beach

Highlights from Monterey Car Week & Pebble Beach with Post Oak Motor Cars

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Posted in Bentley, Bugatti, Karma, Post Oak Motor Cars, Rolls-Royce

The team from Post Oak Motor Cars along with several clients recently returned from the 2019 Monterey Car Week and Pebble Beach Concours.

From exciting parties to intimate events, the week is a must for anyone that is a car enthusiast and wants to experience everything Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti and Karma have to offer.

It was an exciting year for all of our brands that we represent. Here are some of our favorite highlights.

BENTLEY – Celebrating 100 Years, New Flying Spur and Concept EXP 100 GT.

BUGATTI – Celebrating 110 Years, Unveiling of the  Centodieci, paying homage to the EB110, La Voiture Noire making its US debut.

  • Only 10 Centodieci’s will be produced, priced at nearly $9 million.

Karma Automotive – Showing off their SC1 Vision Concept, Karma GT designed by Pininfarina.

Rolls-Royce – Debuting their Pastel Collection, all-new Pop-Up Boutique

We look forward to hosting our clients next year. If you are a Post Oak Motor Cars client and are interested in joining us for 2020 Pebble Beach, please email us at events AT PostOakMotors.com

Front view of the 2020 Karma Revero GT

Karma Houston Unveils the All-New 2020 Karma Revero GT

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Posted in Karma

Karma Automotive recently came to town to unveil the all-new 2020 Karma Revero along with giving Houstonians a full day of driving opportunities. The new Revero will be arriving for availability in the 4th quarter and comes with a starting MSRP of $135,000.

“The 2020 Revero GT is pure Karma, a true reflection of our luxury electric vehicle design and engineering capabilities, ushering in a new era for the company,” says Karma’s Chief Revenue Officer John Maloney. “The Karma owner has a deep appreciation for design and love the exclusivity of driving a custom-designed car.”

The Revero GT is a luxury electric vehicle driven by two electric motors powered features a Twin Power Turbo three-cylinder in-line engine supplied by BMW AG to power an on-board electric generator and enhance overall vehicle performance. With an MPGe rating of 71 miles, the Revero GT offers an overall driving range of up to 360 miles, with 80 miles of emissions-free all electric driving powered by a 28kWh NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) lithium-ion battery featuring higher overall density, improved power output and enhanced safety features. The car also qualifies for HOV-lane single occupancy in various states.

“The 2020 Revero GT is the definitive luxury electric vehicle,” Maloney adds. “Our car offers the best of both worlds – extended EV capability without any range anxiety. We believe this is the optimal solution for the luxury markets of today.”

Karma engineers created a world-class electric drive system that alongside a series of other technological advancements enables the new 2020 Revero to be as fast as it looks. The car hits 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds with an electronically-limited top speed of 125 mph. Drivers can select from three different drive modes via the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters:

  • Stealth: pure-electric, emissions free driving
  • Sustain: turns on the range-extending generator to preserve the battery pack’s power for use when the driver chooses
  • Sport: combines the output from the battery pack and the generator for maximum driving performance

Revero GT highlights:

Performance:

  • Twin Electric Motors and all-electric powertrain deliver 536 Horsepower and 1100 lb-ft of torque
  • Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds, improved from 5.4 seconds
  • Launch Control as standard
  • New rear drive module and inverters
  • New generator set with BMW i8 engine
  • Upgraded HV battery for improved range – up to 80 miles of EV range – about 60% more than previous generation
  • Electric power steering enhancing steering feel

Technology:

  • Blind spot and cross traffic detection
  • Active Noise Cancellation
  • 3D haptic touch technology
  • New digital-audio architecture for enhanced audio performance
  • New touch screen and UI processor
  • Patented, exterior state-of-charge indication via Center brake light
  • Over-the-air software updates

Exterior:

  • New design, new body – including redesigned: hood, doors, deck lid, body sides, side mirrors, front and rear
  • Unique and beautifully proportioned design featuring iconic California Style
  • Largest wheels in the competitive set

Interior:

  • New front/rear seats, with front seat ventilation & heated steering wheel
  • New center console with improved storage
  • Incorporates the finest grade of interior leather available to the industry
  • Incorporated ecologically-friendly, reclaimed wood as interior trim

“Karma’s aim is to deliver uncompromised luxury and innovative technology for those who share our mindset and our California spirit,” Maloney says.

$1 Million Wine Package

$1 Million Wine Package including ‘His and Hers’ Bentleys available now from The Post Oak Hotel & Bentley Houston

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Posted in Bentley, Post Oak Motor Cars

The Post Oak at Uptown Houston, the city’s now iconic luxury destination and only AAA Five-Diamond hotel, announces today an unprecedented wine experience to its guests in conjunction with the opening of The Cellar at The Post Oak Hotel. The elegant, yet intimate new space is the perfect venue to enjoy the impressive 30,000 bottle, $3.5 million-dollar collection of rare, vintage and contemporary wines spanning three centuries and 24 countries, and has now unveiled an extraordinary luxury wine and automobile package valued at $1 million.

The once-in-a-lifetime package provides an opportunity to enjoy 43 vintages of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Magnums, “His & Hers” Bentleys, up to four gourmet dinners, along with overnight stays at The Post Oak Hotel.

“Chateau Mouton Rothschild is one of the most celebrated wineries in the world, and the mere thought of pairing these with world-class Bentley automobiles is nothing short of epic,” said Keith Goldston, Master Sommelier at The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston, recipient of the illustrious rug Cup trophy and curator of the awe-inspiring multi-million dollar collection. “Offering a collection of 43 vintages of Chateau Mouton Rothschild in Magnums is extremely rare and drinking them over the course of four intimate private dinners is even more extraordinary.”

Additional package highlights include:

  • “His & Hers” luxury Bentley vehicles: a 2020 Continental GT Convertible and a 2020 limited edition Bentagya Speed,
  • A series of customizable gourmet wine dinners held at The Post Oak Hotel, each featuring multiple vintages of Chateau Mouton Rothschild, created and prepared by Executive Chef Jean Luc Royere and hosted by Master Sommelier Keith Goldston
  • Overnight hotel accommodations will be provided for the Buyer’s guests at The PostOak Hotel at Uptown Houston

To book the $1 Million Wine Experience please contact us for details.

PRESS COVERAGE:

Houston Chronicle

Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible driving down a road

All-New Bentley Continental GT V8 Convertible arrives for test drives at Bentley Houston

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Posted in Bentley

As Houston’s only authorized Bentley dealer, Bentley Houston is thrilled to announce the arrival of the all-new Continental GT V8 Convertible for test drive opportunities.

Thursday, July 25th – Truluck’s at Hughes Landing in The Woodlands

Friday & Saturday, July 26-27th at Bentley Houston

To schedule your test drive, please email us at events@postoakmotors.com for available times.

Side view of the Bentley EXP 100 GT Concept vehicle

Bentley Houston takes an extraordinary journey with the future of Bentley Motors and the EXP 100 GT

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Posted in Bentley

Bentley Motors celebrates its 100th birthday today by unveiling its vision of the future of luxury mobility at The Home of Bentley in Crewe. The Bentley EXP 100 GT is a physical embodiment of the future Bentley brand, reimagining Grand Touring for the future.

Beyond mere mobility, the Bentley EXP 100 GT concept car will enhance the owner’s Grand Touring experience, whether driving or being driven autonomously.

Bentley EXP 100 GT is borne from pure Bentley DNA and inspired by the company’s deep understanding of the desires of its intelligent, forward-thinking customers. Beautifully styled, it embraces Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a means to reassert the car as a place for creating, experiencing and capturing extraordinary human experiences and emotions.

Designed from the inside out and taking advantage of an all-electric platform, Bentley EXP 100 GT reimagines the Grand Tourer for the world of 2035. This is a world of shared luxury experiences where passenger and driver enjoy equal status in their enjoyment of their extraordinary journeys. The cars’ presence and impressive exterior proportions are reminiscent of many of Bentley’s historic Grand Tourers but take these luxury hallmarks into the future. The result is a future vision commensurate with Bentley’s status as the world’s most sought after luxury brand.

The meticulously sculpted cabin is luxuriously tactile, helping to create a harmonious environment designed around the well-being of its passengers. This is seamlessly integrated with the unique AI, known as the Bentley Personal Assistant, which helps the car’s occupants enhance and curate their Grand Tour experiences.

Sustainable innovation is also at the heart of the Bentley EXP 100 GT experience. The car is engineered to create a greater awareness of the world outside, with an intelligently-curated collection of materials including 5,000 year old Copper Infused Riverwood; Compass exterior paint made from recycled rice husks; 100% organic leather-like textile from wine making; British Farmed Wool carpets and embroidered cotton interior surfaces which all create sustainable future luxury, adding to the enhanced reality of the grand touring car of the future.

Adrian Hallmark, Bentley Chairman and CEO, said: “Today, on our Centenary, we demonstrate our vision of the future of our Marque, with the Bentley EXP 100 GT – a modern and definitive Grand Tourer designed to demonstrate that the future of luxury mobility is as inspirational and aspirational as the last 100 years.

Bentley has, and will continue to enhance and enrich every single journey and the lives of every single person who travels in, or has the honour to be a part of creating our extraordinary products.”

Stefan Sielaff, Director of Design said: “The Bentley EXP 100 GT represents the kind of cars we want to make in the future. Like those iconic Bentleys of the past, this car connects with its passengers’ emotions and helps them experience and safeguard the memories of the really extraordinary journeys they take.” 

An inspiring blend of performance, technology and craftsmanship, the Bentley EXP 100 GT is a beautiful, immersive and emotionally intelligent experience.

Luxury Beyond Mobility

The Bentley EXP 100 GT redefines the car as a space for extraordinary and emotional human experiences, ones that enrich and inspire. Bentley’s vision imagines the journeys of the future, drawing on 100 years of expertise in luxury design and craftsmanship that are currently being celebrated around the world in the company’s Centenary year.

The Bentley EXP 100 GT’s sleek and muscular exterior explores the brand’s future design direction. It incorporates the company’s unmistakable DNA, remaining instantly recognizable as a Bentley. The famous R-Type Continental haunch at the rear, the round headlights that overlap the grille in a nod to the famous Bentley Blower and a long graceful body hint at famous models of yesteryear.

However, this Bentley journeys into the future. Made from lightweight aluminum and carbon fibre, the Bentley EXP 100 GT measures 5.8 meters long and almost 2.4 meters wide, and makes a statement of true luxury. This is further enhanced by decorative features crafted from copper and aluminum, both natural sustainable materials, which evoke founder W.O Bentley’s choice of materials to create the alloy for his famous BR1 Aero engine piston that played a major role in securing the air theatre in World War 1.

The driver and passenger doors are two meters wide and pivot outwards and upwards for effortless access. Fully open, they rise to almost three meters, adding to the sense of occasion on arrival.

The new exterior paint color Compass is created using a special Colourstream pigment that reflects a beautiful spectrum of autumnal colors and is both sustainable and environmentally friendly. The pigment is synthetically made using rice husk ash, a harmful bi-product of the rice industry, remanufactured for the Bentley EXP 100 GT to reduce the amount that ends up in landfill waste.

The Bentley EXP 100 GT’s expressive exterior lighting is both dynamic and dramatic. A focal point is the smart, illuminated matrix grille and Flying B mascot which come to life as one approaches the car, light playing across the grille, through the mascot and along the bonnet central spine of the car and into the cabin itself. The car literally comes alive.

At the rear, a ‘horseshoe’ section of the boot is a 3D OLED screen on which lighting effects can blend in with the rear lamps.

Inside a luxurious cockpit, Bentley craftspeople have taken handcraftsmanship of materials to an as yet unseen level, setting the new benchmark for luxury interiors.

The finest natural materials such as wood, leather, and glass are seamlessly blended with light, creating a unique interior environment that boosts the physical and mental well-being of passengers.

Exquisite materials graduate and flow throughout the handcrafted cabin of the Bentley EXP 100 GT. For example, the embroidery pattern of the sustainable textiles and leather complement the pattern of the grain in the naturally-felled wood veneer. These traditional, tactile materials reconnect passengers with the authentic, natural world around them.

Imperceptible joins between different materials such as wood, leather, and wool allow an overall design motif to flow across all these surfaces. The materials are brought together by design, a seamless blend of patterns and forms, textures and colors. Glass flows into metal, into the wood and into the leather.

Light is core to life and in the Bentley EXP 100 GT it is harvested from the surrounding environment via an innovative glass roof embedded with prisms that collect light and transfer it into the cabin using fiber optics. The use of harvested natural light and synthesized light offers a new approach to enhancing wellness on board.

The Bentley Personal Assistant is a center piece of the main console and visualized using illuminated crystal from Cumbria, England. Ambient lighting can also be modified to recreate a specific mood or exterior environment, while additional effects are delivered through projection mapping onto trim panels, such as door pads.

Intelligent, Adaptable Biometric Seating can be configured in three different ways, depending on whether the owner is driving or using autonomous mode. Biometric sensors monitor temperature, passenger position and environmental conditions to deliver the ultimate in comfort, whatever the conditions.

Bentley Personal Assistant pre-empts passenger needs and can even maximize comfort based on its knowledge of its owner. For example, reactive seat surfaces respond to passenger position during driving, automatically offering more support when the need is sensed.

In addition, biometrics are embedded throughout the Bentley EXP 100 GT to track eye and head movements, even blood pressure. It represents the future of customized, in-car comfort far beyond any seating experienced in a modern-day car.

An intelligent future for Grand Touring

Enhancing the occupant’s experience of their extraordinary journey in the Bentley EXP 100 GT is the Bentley Personal Assistant AI. This advanced, intelligent system defines the Grand Tourer of the future as it delivers a highly personalized experience to the passenger based on five distinct modes with individual characteristics: Enhance, Cocoon, Capture, Re-Live and Customise. Interaction with the AI is made through hand gestures made to the front or rear Cumbria Crystal interfaces that intuitively interpret the commands.

Enhance harvests inputs from the outside environment, such as light, sound, smell and air quality, offering a holistic grand tour, and a feeling of open-top motoring from under the glass canopy.

Cocoon creates a protective space, including air purification and glass areas that turn opaque for privacy; while Capture records experiences from both inside and outside the car which become part of your car’s unique history.

Re-Live replays highlights of your Grand Tour, while Customise combines elements of all the different modes and are individually selected by the driver or passenger.

Sustainable Innovation – The Future of Bentley

Bentley believes its approach to innovation is created through a balance: Preservation of the world and the self should be at the forefront, while purposeful and intuitive innovation remains essentially linked to sustainability.

The Bentley EXP 100 GT features air and sound curation that promotes self-care and well-being in the car. These create a physiological, health-enhancing environment for passengers, promoting increased mindfulness in the cabin.

For example, Capture mode on Bentley Personal Assistant brings the external environment into the cabin, creating an open-top driving experience without taking the roof down. It also cocoons passengers – blocking and filtering air pollution in cities.

The Bentley EXP 100 GT has passive and active air intakes in the front grille, cooling the drivetrain and batteries that drive the car’s powerful electric motors. Unwanted air is channeled out of the car at the rear to aid aerodynamics.

The Air Purification System is located in the boot space to purify air before it is supplied into the cabin, with deployable air vents on the rear passenger shelf and static vents on the front passenger panel. The air vents undulate giving the appearance that the car is breathing and alive. Meanwhile, CO2 levels in the cabin are constantly monitored to maintain air quality.

As well as capturing exterior scents, Bentley has developed a unique scent for the Bentley EXP 100 GT. Created in collaboration with ethically-aware fragrance house 12.29, it builds on the rich heritage of Bentley, incorporating sandalwood and fresh moss.

The Bentley EXP 100 GT also puts passengers in control of how they disconnect and reflect, enhancing mindfulness by allowing occupants to live in the present. As screen-time become ever more present, these disconnecting, relaxing experiences have gained luxury status.

Rotary switches fashioned from copper and aluminum add tactility in a digital world.

The in-car displays enhance the grand tour experience using augmented reality or can provide a relaxed cocoon on demand. All displays use a simple, intuitive interface that includes transparent OLED information displays in the doors, automatically darkening glass, and a front entertainment screen for displaying films, live video and other media when the Bentley EXP 100 GT is in autonomous driving mode.

Making a material difference to Sustainable Innovation

Bentley has collaborated with carefully selected industry experts to provide exceptional materials in the Bentley EXP 100 GT. All use sustainable and innovative techniques for customers who are environmentally-conscious and ethical in their brand choice.

Among them is the remarkable Copper Infused Riverwood, sustainable wood from naturally fallen trees that has been preserved for 5,000 years in peat bogs, lakes and rivers. The Riverwood features in the cabin and has been sourced from The Fenland Black Oak Project, a British organization set up to preserve this material for future generations.

Hand and Lock is the London-based embroidery company that employs exquisite, traditional techniques that date back to 1767 and are used on Royal and Military Dress uniforms. Their techniques are primarily used on the door panels of the Bentley EXP 100 GT, creating a seamless integration between different materials and a beautiful contemporary embroidery pattern.

Bridge of Weir Leather of Scotland works with specifically selected, locally sourced hides for Bentley to create a soft, natural leather enhanced by its environment. With the ultimate Super Natural finish, this will be Bentley’s benchmark for future luxury alternative materials.

Finally, in an exclusive collaboration, Bentley has used the by-products of wine-making to create the future of luxury eco-materials, creating a leather-like seating material which is 100 per cent bio-based.

Performance & Technology – Reimagining The Grand Tour

The Bentley EXP 100 GT is an extraordinary step on the road towards a carbon-free future.

Sustainable and intelligent, a battery electric powertrain, with intelligent power and charge management, will ensure that the Bentley EXP 100 GT is as powerful and exciting as its conventional predecessors.

Next Generation Traction Drive will enable maximum control via torque vectoring, applying 50 per cent increased power and 35 per cent less mass for more effective cornering. The battery system will power four motors that offer a 0-100 km (0-60 mph) time of less than 2.5 seconds, a top speed of 300 kph (186 mph) and maximum torque of 1,500 Nm.

Future battery technology will offer five times the conventional energy density, and charging the Bentley EXP 100 GT to 80 per cent of capacity will take only 15 minutes. Charging is automatically taken care of by the Bentley Personal Assistant. Weight will remain at a remarkably trim 1,900 kg and a range of 700 km (435 miles) will be possible.

To celebrate the drive, the Bentley EXP 100 GT is optionally autonomous. It manages the driving experience based on the external environment and passenger well-being. This might include maximizing an exhilarating self-drive across mountain roads, or disengaging from a stressful, inner-city commute.

Bentley Personal Assistant can curate personal driving experiences, offering points of information along a route, journey suggestions, or available luxury experiences nearby.

Key to this are a range of features based on passenger well-being and comfort. These include Active Aero Wheels that dynamically adjust to deliver efficiency or maximum performance feel; Intelligent Pirelli Tyres that adapt their contact patches based on weather conditions or driver demand; Adaptable Biometric Seating that adapts to the driver mode, or swivels rearward with the steering wheel retracted away in autonomous mode.

The use of artificial intelligence with the Bentley Personal Assistant, combined with expert engineering in the Bentley EXP 100 GT, has redefined the future of Grand Touring. AI manifests itself in the cabin as a ‘feeling’ light and is controlled through gestures and touch.

An example of gesture control can be demonstrated by a child looking out of the Bentley EXP 100 GT cabin at clouds, then pulling down content inside the vehicle through a gesture that explains what they are seeing to them. AI thus creates a joint, meaningful learning experience that can also be shared.

AI is controlled via an illuminated Cumbria Crystal center piece and control center, set in three layers. Cumbria Crystal, the last producer of completely hand-blown and hand-cut crystal in England.

A cartridge system in the center of the Bentley EXP 100 GT delivers luxury items and services. The main features are a Purified Water Decanter and Crystal Glasses; a Cartridge Delivery System that can deliver items from an under the bonnet storage area into the cabin itself; and World Class Services, that could receive items requested by the car’s AI and delivered from luxury service partners.

Centenary Celebrations

July 10, 2019 marks Bentley’s 100th year – an extraordinary milestone achieved by only a few companies. A year-long series of special activities have been taking place, with celebrations at events around the world.

They showcase Bentley’s motoring evolution over the last 100 years, highlighting its global success today and the exciting future of innovation ahead.

Front passenger view of the Bentley Flying Spur

Bentley Houston Announces the All-New Flying Spur from Bentley Motors

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Posted in Bentley

Bentley Houston is proud to announce the all-new Bentley Flying and share with you all the details of this legendary luxury sedan.

ALL-NEW BENTLEY FLYING SPUR – SPORTS SEDAN MEETS LUXURY LIMOUSINE

Bentley Motors announced today the details of the world’s most advanced luxury Grand Touring sports sedan – the all-new Flying Spur.  Whether driving or being driven, the all-new Flying Spur offers a unique combination of limousine luxury and sports sedan performance, blending bold new road presence with world-leading interior quality and design, plus cutting-edge customer-focused technology.

“As with the launch of the Continental GT, the new Flying Spur is a ground up development that pushes the boundaries of both technology and craftsmanship to deliver segment-defining levels of performance and refinement,” comments Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors.

Designed, engineered and handcrafted at the Home of Bentley in Crewe, England, the new Flying Spur showcases Bentley’s unique application of cutting-edge & modern technology, seamlessly integrating the latest British craftsmanship with innovation features. The latest generation of Flying Spur pushes the existing boundaries of refinement and attention to detail to create the finest super-luxury sports sedan ever built.

The new Flying Spur showcases Bentley’s modern sculptural design language through elegant yet muscular proportions, the marque’s latest generation of unique, cut-crystal effect LED matrix headlamps – now enhanced by chrome sleeves – and new wrap-around rear lamps with ‘B’ motifs. New 22-inch wheel designs communicate the new Flying Spur’s unique personality and prowess.

Newly-designed for the next century, a ‘Flying B’ mascot adorns the nose of the new Flying Spur for the first time in modern memory, rising from beneath a beautifully modern Bentley badge to denote the precious quality of the model.

A technological tour de force, the new Flying Spur is the most advanced luxury Grand Touring sedan available today, offering a host of cutting-edge technologies thanks to its totally new and advanced aluminum and composite chassis and 48V electronic architecture.

It features Electronic All-Wheel Steering for the first time on a Bentley, coupled with Active All-Wheel Drive and Bentley Dynamic Ride, delivering phenomenal handling and ride. New three-chamber air springs allow a much greater range of suspension adjustment between limousine-style ride comfort and sporting levels of body control – a driving experience of extraordinary breadth and capability not seen in this segment before.

A host of new Driver Assistance Systems are fitted to the new Flying Spur as standard, including Traffic Assist, City Assist and Blind Spot Warning, while the ground-breaking Bentley uses state-of-the-art, multi-material body construction.

At the heart of the new Flying Spur is an enhanced version of Bentley’s renowned 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12, mated to a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission for faster, smoother gear changes. This new TSI engine delivers 635 PS (626 bhp) and 900 Nm (664 lb.ft.), 0-60mph in 3.7 seconds (0-100 km/h time of 3.8 seconds) and a top speed of 207mph (333 km/h).

A 130mm longer wheelbase means the new Flying Spur features a spacious and luxurious cabin that offers peerless comfort and refinement. As well as an extensive list of Single and Dual Veneer wood options, the sedan offers both Bentley’s new fluted leather seating and the unique Mulliner Driving Specification diamond quilting on the seats and an automotive world-first: three-dimensional diamond quilted leather door inserts.

Such modern handcraftsmanship is combined with a host of cutting-edge technologies selected to enhance the driver’s and passenger comfort and enjoyment of the new Flying Spur. For example, the HD digital instrument panel display, the unique rotating centre console with choice of 12.3 inch digital touchscreen, beautiful analogue dials or digital detoxifying veneer, and the remote control touch screen for rear passengers all combine to make the Flying Spur’s cabin the most modern, innovative and luxurious place to travel in.

Tailored specifically to the modern luxury customer, the interior can be further enhanced with a panoramic glass sunroof stretching the full length of the roof.

The new Flying Spur is available to order from this Autumn and customer deliveries will begin in early 2020.

Flying Spur – An All-New Design

The bold exterior design of the Flying Spur is based on a new and modern vision that is unmistakably Bentley. With a wheelbase lengthened by 130mm compared to the second generation model, the new Flying Spur now has an increased road presence and stronger, more muscular lines that sweep the full length of the car.

The new Flying Spur has been recreated from the ground up on a wholly new platform. Its sculpted surfaces and beautiful power lines are made possible by the use of aluminum superforming, a process first proven on the new Bentley Continental GT.

Bentley has utilized the latest technologies in aluminum extrusions and castings alongside high-strength steels for the new Flying Spur, offering best-in-class body stiffness to optimize handling and rigidity.

LED matrix headlights are standard on the Flying Spur, with unique cut-crystal effect detailing. A chrome sleeve has been added behind the cut element making them sparkle, even when not lit. At the rear, wrap-around lamps utilize the familiar ‘B’ graphic and echo the diamond knurling of the interior air vents. A choice of new 21-inch wheels is offered as standard, as well as the option of two unique 22-inch Mulliner Specifications.

A full size, glass-to-glass panoramic sunroof can be specified. The front panel tilts and slides rearwards over the top of the fixed back panel. Alcantara blinds deploy electrically and are color-matched to the 15 interior headlining colors.

The Flying B mascot that adorns the bonnet is available for the first time on a modern-day Flying Spur. In Bentley’s Centenary year, the mascot has been restyled for the next century and is an evolution of previous designs. Electronically-deployed and illuminated, it is linked to the welcome lighting sequence and keyless entry system as the driver approaches the car.

The new Flying Spur also features a gloss black radiator matrix, with bright chrome surround and vertical vanes that hark back to the iconic 1957 Bentley S1 Continental Flying Spur. The lower matrix can be specified in either black or bright chrome.

Standard paint options for the Flying Spur extend to a class-leading portfolio of 17 Bentley colors, carefully selected to complement the character and lines of the car.

The Finest Handcrafted Cabin

The interior of the all-new Flying Spur showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating a modern cabin of unrivaled luxury and innovation. Stylish and unique, it features new, supremely comfortable seats in 15 hide colors, with Bentley’s ‘Wing’ theme across the lower console and fascia.

Sweeping horizontal veneer flows across the dashboard and into the doors, emphasizing the spacious width of the cabin. An elegant, floating center console houses a customizable 12.3-inch HD touchscreen and new Bentley ‘sculptural’ center vents to the front and rear, housing stowage as well as inductive ‘wireless’ charging and two USB sockets for mobile phones.

The industry-first Bentley Rotating Display is also now available on the new Flying Spur. When the engine start button is pressed, the veneer section in the middle of the dashboard rotates to reveal a 12.3-inch touchscreen, displaying three, customizable digital tiles. The second side of the display reveals three elegant analog dials showing outside temperature, a compass, and a chronometer. A complete digital detox can be selected on the third side, to simply enjoy the seamless wood veneer fascia continuing around the cabin.

In another example of Bentley’s exacting attention to detail, the traditional round ‘bullseye’ vents have been replaced in the center of the dashboard with new shaped, precision detailed vents between which sits the Bentley clock. Fine bronze detailing around the clock and switches lift the switchgear to a new level of refinement.

Three-dimensional diamond quilted leather door inserts are used for the first time in a car, inspired by the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 design concept. New diamond knurling adorns the rotary switches and is also available on the air vents and clock. In order to produce the decorative detail, a new software algorithm had to be invented to work with the complex curves of the ducts.

Crown Cut Walnut is offered as a new wood veneer option, which uses a straight cut process to provide a more modern finish. As well as the popular Dark Fiddleback and Piano Black options, a range of five further veneers are available. Dual veneer finish can also be specified in all veneer types to add an even more bespoke feel to the cabin.

The wing-theme graphic continues around the interior of the cabin doors, creating an elegant color split and seamless link between the front and rear seats. Mood Lighting is newly available as an option, with the choice of seven colors and varying intensities.

The Flying Spur’s all-new seats feature a twin-flute design and increased functionality, including heating, ventilation, multi-mode massage, adjustable bolsters and top tilt. With the optional Mulliner Driving Specification, the new three-dimensional leather combines with traditional stitching and embroidery work.

The rear seats provide a luxurious, cosseting traveling environment, with a folding center armrest and manually deployed center headrest that stows away when not in use for maximum visibility.

Power & Agility Unleashed

The new Bentley Flying Spur is powered by a W12 twin-turbocharged TSI engine that sets a new benchmark in performance, agility, and dynamism. The engine is developed and hand-built in Crewe.

The most advanced 12-cylinder engine in the world, the unique ‘W’ configuration means that the engine is considerably shorter than an equivalent V12, benefitting weight distribution and maximizing cabin space.

The Flying Spur’s new powertrain uses the very latest engine management technology, delivering noticeably enhanced performance when compared to the previous generation model. It produces 635 PS (626 bhp) and 900 Nm (664 lb.ft) of torque, accelerating the car to 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds (100 km/h in 3.8 seconds), and on to a top speed of 207mph (333 km/h).

A more forward front axle position improves weight distribution in the new Flying Spur, enabling improved dynamic precision, handling and balance when coupled with active All-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Steering and Bentley Dynamic Ride.

The new Flying Spur uses the same 8-speed ZF dual-clutch transmission as the Continental GT, for smooth and refined acceleration, quicker gearshifts and improved fuel economy. Faster gearshifts are achieved by pre-selecting the next gear, shortening the interruption of torque to the wheels and so improving performance. Maximum speed is reached in sixth gear, with the overdrive gears (seventh and eighth) used for economic grand touring.

The previous generation Flying Spur employed a permanent all-wheel-drive system with a fixed 60:40 power split to the rear/front axles. The all-new model has a clutched system which delivers two-wheel drive to the rear axle. Depending on the road conditions and wheel slip, it will then automatically send the drive to the front axle as required, as an active all-wheel-drive system. Turn-in response is also dramatically improved. The front end of the all-new Flying Spur feels much lighter and changes direction almost at the speed of thought. The understeer effect experienced with fixed all-wheel drive is virtually eliminated, making the car feel more balanced overall.

Torque distribution varies according to the selected Drive Dynamics Mode. In Comfort and Bentley modes, the system will send up to 480 Nm of torque to the front axle to offer greater grip and driveability. In Sport, the system limits the available torque to the front axle to 280 Nm, maintaining a higher torque level at the rear for a more dynamic feel. Torque is also managed across each axle by a torque-vectoring-by-brake system.

Electronic All-Wheel Steering is an all new technology feature, which enhances both stability at highway speeds and maneuverability around town. During low-speed maneuvers, the system steers the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front wheels. This has the effect of shortening the wheelbase, reducing the turning circle, increasing agility and making parking noticeably easier.

During high-speed maneuvers, the system steers the rear wheels in the same direction as the front wheels, increasing stability and making overtaking and lane-changes more assured. Electronic All-Wheel Steering means no compromise between high-speed confidence and low-speed convenience.

The new, third-generation Flying Spur uses three-chamber air springs which contain 60 percent more air volume compared to the previous model. This allows more scope to vary from sporting levels of spring stiffness to luxury limousine refinement depending upon which mode the driver has selected. The new car features CDC (Continuous Damping Control), which allows continuous regulation of the dampers.

Four ride height sensors constantly measure the distance between the axle and the body. If the system detects a difference compared with the normal height, the air volume in the springs is corrected accordingly to restore the normal height.

The Bentley Dynamic Ride System is designed to improve both handling and ride comfort. A 48-volt system controls an electronic actuator unit which manages the stiffness of the anti-roll bar, changing the stiffness on demand to combat cornering forces and keep the Flying Spur level.

The new Flying Spur shares the largest iron brakes in the world with the Continental GT, with 420 mm front discs. Both front and rear calipers carry Bentley branding. Standard fit is gloss black, with a gloss red finish optional.

The new Flying Spur also sounds as good as it looks, thanks to an adaptive tailpipe control valve with variable position settings. The way exhaust gases flow into the rear half of the system has been tuned to provide a more discreet exhaust note inside the cabin for chauffeur-driven occupants.

Intelligent Technology – The All New Flying Spur

The new Flying Spur incorporates a class-leading portfolio of intelligent and intuitive equipment tailored to the driver and passengers.

The main 12.3-inch display in the center dashboard features additional hard keys that complement the easy-to-use touchscreen functions. The HD display also has a proximity sensor to prime the screen for user inputs, offering a faster response to commands.

The screen can be configured in a number of different ways; as a single display, split 2:1 or showing three different functions at the same time on the self-configurable home screen.

The new Flying Spur offers a host of Driver Assistance Systems available, including Traffic Assist, City Assist, and Blind Spot Warning. Night Vision and Head-Up Display help the driver focus on the road ahead, while Top View Camera gives an eagle-eyed view of the car and its immediate surroundings, complemented by reverse traffic warning and self-parking features.

LED matrix headlamps allow the driver to maintain the main beam all the time, automatically cutting a hole in the beam around other vehicles to avoid dazzling other drivers.

In the rear, an all-new Touch Screen Remote is made from beautifully-crafted materials. It integrates almost invisibly into the console but is easily removed at the touch of a button for remote use. It allows access to a wide range of applications, including control of all blinds, rear seat massage function, and rear climate control, and can be used to pre-store configurations such as Mood Lighting.

A choice of three audio systems is offered in the new Flying Spur, with the standard system featuring 10 speakers and 650 Watts. A Bang & Olufsen 1,500W, 16-speaker system with illuminated grilles is aimed at lifestyle-orientated customers and benefits from the BeoSonic system – a new way for tone setting with a simple, intuitive one-touch user interface.

A unique, Naim for Bentley 2,200W, 19-speaker system with Active Bass Transducers built into the front seats is offered for the true audiophile, available with eight sound modes.

Bentley Mulliner Personalisation

Mulliner exists to respond to the requirements of Bentley’s most discerning customers. In the world of Mulliner, anything is possible. From requests as simple as monogrammed upholstery to the kind of elaborate tailored body modifications that can only be undertaken with the proven expertise of a truly established coachbuilder, the highly skilled and dedicated Mulliner craftsmen deliver luxury on a new level; a rarity on a different scale.

The new Flying Spur redefines personalization and bespoke luxury in its market. The range of paint colors, leather hides, wood veneers, and options offer a limitless spectrum of color to suit all tastes and preferences.

A number of hand-picked Mulliner-prepared features have been made available for the new Flying Spur. These include Lofted Diamond Leather Quilting upholstery for seats with unique Three-dimensional Diamond Leather door inserts; an exclusive Mulliner 22” wheel in two finishes; embroidered wings to all seats, sports pedals and jeweled-finish fuel filler and oil caps. Separately available, Mulliner has also developed a world-first, solid wood, three-dimensional diamond quilted door insert, exclusively available in open-pore walnut.

Contact our Bentley specialist today for ordering details or call 713-850-1530

Technical Specifications*

Engine
Configuration 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged W12 TSI
Capacity 5950 cc / 363 cubic inches
Induction 2x twin-scroll turbochargers, direct intercooling
Power 635 PS / 626 bhp / 467 kW
Torque 900 Nm / 664 lb.ft
Bore x stroke 84 mm x 89.5 mm / 3.3” x 3.52”
Top speed        207mph (333 kph)
0-60 mph 3.7 s
0-100 kph 3.8 s
General Data and Dimensions
Length 5316 mm
Width 1978 mm
Height 1484 mm
Wheel-base:         3194 mm
Vehicle Weight 2437 kg unladen
Front passenger side view of the Bentley Wraith Eagle VIII

Rolls-Royce Unveils its latest Collection Car, Wraith Eagle VIII

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Posted in Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil its latest Collection Car, Wraith Eagle VIII, on the shores of Lake Como at this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este, 24-26 May. Created by the Bespoke Collective at the House of Rolls-Royce, a Collection of just 50 Wraith Eagle VIII motor cars will tell the epic tale of one of the most pivotal moments of the 20th century.

Captain John Alcock and Lieutenant Arthur Brown braved uncharted skies to make the first non-stop transatlantic flight in June, 1919. Contemporaries of Sir Henry Royce, Alcock and Brown flew non-stop from St. John’s, Newfoundland to Clifden, Ireland in a modified First World War Vickers Vimy bomber aircraft. The bi-plane was powered by twin 20.3 liter, 350 bhp, Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines. It is from this remarkable engine that this Collection takes its name. Rolls-Royce marks the 100 year anniversary of this feat with a highly contemporary Collection that speaks to today’s adventurers, whilst honoring those who changed the course of history.

“I do not know what we should most admire – their audacity, determination, skill, science, their airplane, their Rolls-Royce engines – or their good fortune”, commented Sir Winston Churchill, following the perilous journey that brought unfathomable advancement to 20th century society.

Alcock and Brown established a legend and gained a place alongside Donald Campbell, CBE in the most select club in the world; those who push beyond previous conceptions of human endeavor to achieve seemingly impossible records on land, water and now, air. Their one binding characteristic? Rolls-Royce power.

The duo suffered every conceivable challenge an aviator could face. The Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engines were the only components that proved indestructible. The engines propelled the aerial voyage at previously unimagined speeds, averaging 115 mph. Their peril cannot be underestimated. Their radio and navigation instruments failed almost immediately, leaving the pilots flying unaided at night through dense cloud and freezing fog for many hours, sometimes upside down. Eventually, they emerged from the cloud and using Brown’s extraordinary skill as a navigator, flew by the stars to the coast of Ireland.

Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, commented, “Wraith Eagle VIII is at once an object of desire; an homage to heroes and a protagonist to today’s visionaries. This Rolls-Royce Collection demonstrates the extraordinary skill of our Bespoke Collective at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex. Bespoke remains the jewel in the crown of the marque, creating luxury items that defy the trend of mass luxury manufacturers using ‘tick-box’ options to answer customer demand.”

The exterior of the Wraith Eagle VIII Collection Car is evocative of Alcock and Brown’s compelling nighttime adventure. Swathed in Gunmetal with a Selby Grey upper two-tone, the colors are separated by a brass feature line, a hint at the detailing that lies within. The black grille vanes draw immediate reference to the Rolls-Royce Eagle VIII engine cowling on the Vickers Vimy aircraft, the wheels are part polished with a translucent shadow finish.

Within, the finely executed interior mirrors the exterior hue. Selby Grey and black leather are accented by brass, redolent of the brass sextant so integral to the success of the transatlantic journey. Executed in a contemporary fashion, the material populates key areas throughout the cockpit of the Collection. Brass speaker covers depict the estimated flight distance of 1,880 miles and ‘RR’ monograms are embroidered in brass colored thread onto headrests. A flash of brass complements the navigator door paniers, whilst the door of the driver includes a brass plaque with Churchill’s quote commending the duo’s remarkable achievements.

Inspired by the nighttime flight of our intrepid heroes, the fascia represents a modern-day abstract interpretation of the view the pair would have enjoyed as finally, their craft cleared the thick fog and cloud. In a fusion of contemporary and traditional practices, Smoked Eucalyptus wood is vacuum metalized in gold before being inlaid with silver and copper, to depict the rich detail seen in night time images of the Earth from above. The scene extends to the center console providing both an emotive and immersive experience for today’s occupants – the cockpit is in perspective with the headliner. Below, the brass-stitched quilted sides of the center tunnel provide a direct nod to the V12 engined Vickers Vimy.

The clock of a Rolls-Royce is frequently viewed as jewelry, with many patrons choosing this canvas to tell the story of their motor car in miniature. Wraith Eagle VIII is no exception. Our intrepid pioneers recounted that their instrument panel was frozen from the high altitude and the poor conditions, referring to the only illumination coming from the green glow of the control panel lighting and the burst of flame from the starboard engine. In homage to this, the Rolls-Royce Bespoke Collective has masterfully fabricated a clock with an iced background effect which glows a faint green in night time driving conditions. The red hour hand sits atop compass inspired lines on the clock’s fascia, whilst the landing location coordinates are engraved below.

Perhaps the most alluring feature of the Collection is the extraordinary unique starlight headliner. 1,183 starlight fibers show the celestial arrangement at the time of the flight in 1919, the flight path and constellations are embroidered in brass thread, whilst the exact moment the pair left the cloud to navigate by the stars is indicated by a red fiber optic light. Clouds are embroidered and a plaque reading, “The celestial arrangement at the halfway point 00:17am June 15th 1919, 50” 07’ Latitude North – 31” Longitude West” shows the half-way point of the momentous journey.

Just 50 of these highly collectible motor cars will be created for discerning collectors at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood, West Sussex – a Centre of Global Luxury Manufacturing Excellence.

Front passenger side view of the Bentley Continental GT Convertible

All-New Bentley Continental GT Convertible Touring Event at Bentley Houston

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Posted in Bentley

May 3-4th, Bentley Houston showcased the all-new Bentley Continental GT Convertible. Set to arrive later this summer, the new Continental will launch first with the new V8 engine and then following with the W12 engine.

V8 Convertible Highlights;

  • 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine develops 542 bhp
    and 568 lb.ft  of torque
  • 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds; top speed of 198 mph
  • Starting MSRP $218,350

W12 Convertible Specs;

  • 6.0-litre Bentley W12 engine and responsive driving experience from 626 HP and 664 lb.ft. of torque
  • 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds; top speed of 207 mph
  • Starting MSRP $236,100

Popular options:

  • First Edition Specification
  • Bentley Rotating Display
  • Mood Lighting
  • Mulliner Driving Specification

Interested in placing your order? Contact our sales department to arrange for your commissioning appointment.

Charles Rolls and Henry Royce

May 4th 1904, a day that would change the course of automotive history.

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Posted in Rolls-Royce

On 4 May 1904, Charles Rolls and Henry Royce met for the first time at The Midland Hotel, Manchester; an encounter that would change the course of automotive history. Exactly 115 years later, the marque they agreed to form that day continues to set global standards for innovation and excellence, and uphold their legacy as the originators of ‘the best car in the world’.

Rolls and Royce would doubtless be astonished at the cars produced under their names in 2019. The century (and more) that has elapsed since their first 10hp machine made its debut at the Paris Salon has seen materials, technology and manufacturing methods utterly transformed. Yet in several key areas, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars retains unbroken links to those pioneering days; and in its approach, instincts, and values, it would be immediately – and pleasingly – recognizable to its founding fathers.

A return to coachbuilding

The lines and styling of the first Rolls-Royce cars are clearly influenced by the horse-drawn carriages they replaced. This is no coincidence since they were handcrafted by the same master coachbuilders, who effortlessly transferred their skills and artistry from the outgoing tradition to the new technology. Coachbuilding at Rolls-Royce ended in the 1960s, but in 2017, the craft made a triumphant return in the form of ‘Sweptail’ – a fully bespoke, coachbuilt commission for a customer seeking ‘the ultimate grand tourer’.

‘Sweptail’ is a truly unique creation, with a never-to-be-repeated silhouette and individual interior touches, including a champagne cooler specifically proportioned to hold only a bottle of Dom Pérignon ’73. Nevertheless, with its Pantheon grille and rear overhang, it remains absolutely true to the Rolls-Royce brand and design language.

The Architecture of Luxury

Henry Royce began his automotive career by building an improved version of the 10hp two-cylinder French Decauville – the first car he bought when his eponymous electrical company became successful. When Rolls saw and drove Royce’s machine, he knew he had found a British car that could outshine the continental competition and agreed to sell all the cars Royce could build. In its first two years, Rolls-Royce produced a mere 10 cars: in 2018, it delivered 4,107 – the highest annual total in its history – to customers in over 50 countries.

To satisfy global demand for its products, the company has developed a common platform that underpins all new models. Known as The Architecture of Luxury, it comprises an aluminum spaceframe that can be scaled to fit different applications by using different-sized floor pans and cross members: new production processes ensure stiffness and integrity, as well as delivering the company’s signature Magic Carpet Ride.

Black Badge

Black Badge is Rolls-Royce’s response to a small and select group of clients who have asked the marque for motor cars with specific, focused characteristics that reflect their different take on life, success and the luxury they consume. These people choose to define themselves differently from their wider social group; a subset within a subset.

For over a century such individuals, possessed of a dark and restless spirit, have been drawn to Rolls-Royce’s unique allure. Luminaries including Sir Malcolm Campbell, Howard Hughes and Muhammad Ali have all shared the marque’s founding philosophy; an uncompromising refusal to accept the status quo and a constant yearn to innovate, create and advance.

Their restless spirit was also shared by the marque’s co-founder; himself one of the great disrupters of his day. The Honourable C.S. Rolls was a man in a hurry. Not satisfied with fundamentally altering the road-car landscape, he sought more and pursued his appetite for advancement and adventure in the air; a passion that would ultimately lead to his untimely demise aged just 33.

It is this indomitable spirit that, since the launch of Black Badge, has captivated so many of today’s young owners, who are drawn to Rolls-Royce in the knowledge that no other luxury house is possessed of the vision and flexibility to meet their demands both in design and engineering terms. Indeed, Black Badge serves to amplify the inherent characteristics that have driven so many new, younger patrons of luxury to the marque.

In conceiving Black Badge versions of Wraith, Ghost and Dawn, the marque’s Bespoke designers and engineers drew upon their instinctive understanding of the unique lives of these extraordinary men and women to create both design and engineering treatments that perfectly amplify the inherent values of these great Rolls-Royces.

Black Badge models are the ‘alter egos’ of the standard models: darker, edgier, with more power and torque and enhanced driving dynamics to open up the Rolls-Royce brand to new audiences.

Styling details include a dark-chrome Spirit of Ecstasy, wheels and carbon-fiber interior components, plus the ‘inverted’ black-on-silver ‘RR’ logo: as with every other Rolls-Royce, however, customers can add whatever Bespoke elements they wish, so even a Black Badge car can be any color you desire.

Effortless, everywhere

In July 1917, a British diplomat, Hugh Lloyd-Thomas, was dining in a Cairo club with his wife, Aileen, when a man in flowing robes swept in and demanded: “Whose Rolls-Royce is this outside?” When Aileen said it was hers, the man announced that he was commandeering it “in the name of His Majesty’s armed forces” and drove away. He was, of course, T. E. Lawrence, more familiar to millions as Lawrence of Arabia; both he and the car would be immortalized in one of the most famous photographs of the First World War.

A century after Lawrence’s exploits, Rolls-Royce once again produced a car capable of conquering the most hostile environments on Earth. The Cullinan super-luxury SUV caused an international sensation on its launch in 2018, and set the new global standard in luxury off-road motoring. Cullinan was engineered from scratch to enable customers to go anywhere, see anything and do everything they desire with total confidence, while cocooned in the comfort and splendor embodied in the Rolls-Royce name. To prove its all-terrain credentials, the car completed a 12,000-mile odyssey through some of the world’s most challenging terrain, in partnership with National Geographic. As well as the Scottish Highlands, the Austrian Alps and the American West, Cullinan’s itinerary included the arid wastes of the Middle East, where it effortlessly confirmed Lawrence’s assertion that ‘a Rolls in the desert is above rubies.’

“We are deeply conscious of our heritage: it is a tremendous privilege to be continuing and building on work that began 115 years ago,” says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Chief Executive, Rolls‑Royce Motor Cars. “But we also understand that our founders were visionaries, always looking to do things in new and different ways. It’s that spirit of excellence and innovation that Rolls-Royce Motor Cars embodies and celebrates today.”