Bentley

Things are so bad in the auto industry that even ultraluxury automakers like Bentley, previously thought to be insulated from market swings, are retrenching. But as the Continental Supersports proves, the British company isn’t compromising its core value of producing engines that are among the most powerful on the planet just to save some fossil fuel.

 

The Continental Supersports, which debuted at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show and makes its North American debut here at the New York International Auto Show, is the fastest Bentley ever – going from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reaching a top speed of 204 mph  – as well as the first Bentley to run on biofuel.

 

Its 621-horsepower 6.0-liter W12 engine can operate on any mixture of gasoline and bioethanol, which is made from organic substances like corn, soybeans, sugar cane or plant waste. Bentley believes that "second-generation" bioethanol, made from nonfood plant fibers and agricultural waste, holds the most promise because it doesn’t affect food crops.

 

The company’s engineering philosophy is to rely on proven technology rather than innovation, and this -- coupled with its view that biofuels are a better alternative than electric propulsion in terms of so-called well-to-wheel impact on the environment -- has led the company to plan to make all of its vehicles biofuel-compatible by 2012. Well-to-wheel impact takes into account not just fuel economy, but fuel production and various other elements of manufacturing.

 

But fulfilling the biofuel directive is only half of the Continental Supersports’ story. The other part has to do with making it the fastest, sharpest-handling Bentley in the company’s history. To do so, engineers reduced the car’s weight by 243 pounds compared with the Continental GT Speed by removing the rear seats and replacing the front seats with ones that have frames made of ultralight carbon fiber. For example, simply getting rid of the electric motors that adjust the seat position saved about 46 pounds per seat.

 

The seats are trimmed in lightweight Alcantara, a faux suede used in race cars. Carbon-fiber panels replace traditional wood found on the dashes and doors of other Bentleys. A carbon-fiber brace spans the interior behind the front seats, adding structural rigidity.

 

The exterior has aerodynamic improvements in the bumpers and on the trunk lid in the form of a tiny "lip" spoiler. Special 20-inch wheels match unique, smoked-steel trim, which replaces the polished chrome — or "brightwork," as the British call it — typically used on Bentley exteriors.

 

A number of revisions to the chassis, suspension and steering reportedly make the Bentley Continental Supersports more agile than its predecessors. The transmission also shifts faster.

 

The Continental Supersports gets its name from the 1923 Bentley 3 Litre Supersports, a limited-edition model that was highly modified for maximum performance and speed.