What makes a bentley special

Bentley himself knew that his company was just bought by Rolls Royce. The two companies worked together until the late s when Volkswagen and BMW engaged in a bidding war to buy the brands. During the s, Rolls Royces and Bentleys were not that different from each other. Today, the cars have very distinct focuses even though both are categorized as luxury vehicles.

Rolls Royces are built with nothing but comfort in mind. Bentleys are also built to be incredibly comfortable but not at the expense of driving enjoyment, an essential ingredient given the marque's motorsports pedigree.

When you drive a Bentley, you get the impression that you are driving something capable. We doubt that any Bentley owner will ever take their car to the track, but it's nice to know that your car won't roll around like a porpoise if you ever decide to drive aggressively.

Rolls Royces are best enjoyed from the back seat, Bentleys are meant to be driven. Bentley's secret ingredient is the ability to create incredibly comfortable cars that somehow maintain sporty characteristics.

The modern Bentley was created when Volkswagen first revealed the Continental GT: the first Bentley model that was truly built for the 21st century. This car was so successful that it is still in production more than a decade later, and it helped show that Bentley wasn't just a stuffy old British brand that couldn't build interesting cars.

The Continental GT was based on the Volkswagen Phaeton, which despite some branding problems was arguably one of the greatest cars ever made. This meant that the Continental was exquisitely engineered. The company didn't just abandon its "old fashion" cars. The company replaced the Azure with the Mulsanne, which is a very different beast.

The Mulsanne, on the other hand, comes with a 6. What must be millions of dollars worth of exotic timbers nine species are available in a Bentley thrills the senses with its perfumed scent.

Wood—supposedly from sustainable sources, Bentley claims—is a hallmark of the brand, the new Continental GT3-R being the first Bentley ever produced without at least some of the stuff. Hence, the woodshop at Crewe is huge. The cutting, forming, and finishing of the wood is a technical process involving laser cutters, computer-controlled milling machines, and robotic sprayers, but eventually workers with large sanding and polishing belts do the final finish.

Of course, good leather is expensive, but the Mulsanne uses a prodigious amount and wastes a lot of it. The standard Mulsanne consumes 16 South American cattle hides, but only about half of the material can actually be used for upholstery owing to natural defects in the leather. Every hide is scanned by a computer, which marks each one for cutting differently so that only the defect-free panels are employed in the stitching. The mostly female upholstery crew feeds the panels through machines by hand.

Even a diamond-pleat pattern is stitched manually. It was headed to China. One car serving two completely different cultural preferences by means of a broad options sheet. And all it takes is money. New Cars. Buyer's Guide. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. To make this disappearing act happen, there are 40 moving parts, including two electric motors with their own gearboxes, that control the screen's rotation. Ultra high-end sound component maker Naim contributes its expertise to the Continental GT.

The system consists of 18 speakers. Two Active Bass Transducers make your music really thump. Plus, the whole setup runs through a 2,watt amplifier. To keep all of this tech going, there are 4. The electronics include 2, circuits and 92 ECUs to run them. The Bentley Continental GT is the dictionary definition of the grand tourer by combining an opulent interior and powerful, cylinder engine into a single, luxurious package. It's quite a technological showcase, too, with features like a new mild hybrid system.