Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Bentley Mulsanne Flagship Model Makes World Debut at Pebble Beach
What recession? Bentley Motors has taken the wraps off its latest flagship model, the Mulsanne, which replaces the Arnage. The worldwide debut was at the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance in Monterey, California, a showcase for fabulous and fabulously expensive cars.
The Bentley Mulsanne will cost in the neighborhood of $300,000, which is a pretty fancy neighborhood. But for that, you get a super-powerful 500hp engine with a street legal zeroto60 in a blistering 5.2 seconds, equal to sports cars half its size. The new Mulsanne can reach a top speed of 179 mph. Creature comforts include and individually reclining rear seats.Conceived, styled and engineered entirely at Bentley headquarters in Crewe, England, the Mulsanne goes into production in 2010 in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility within the Crewe factory.
The Mulsanne also returns a Bentley name that was retired in 1986, after nearly a decade of production. There was even a Mulsanne corner on the famous Le Mans circuit, which Bentley won six times.
Bentley owners include vintage car fan Jay Leno, whose garage includes a 1931 Speed Six Bentley; and HRH Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales. His mother, Queen Elizabeth, also has a Bentley, for state occasions. I saw it in the Mulliner custom shop section at the Crewe factory when I visited there recently. The Queen's Bentley is in a special deep claret color that only she may use. The rest of us can use any other of the 140 plus colors in the Bentley catalogue.
The new Bentley Mulsanne will be on display next at the all-important Frankfurt Auto Show in September. I will be there to report on luxury car introductions as well as the hybrid cars and electric cars that are what I write about most often.
Here's what top automotive journalists are saying about the new Bentley Mulsanne:
Britain's Sky News
The New York Times
Car and Driver
U. S. News and World Report
TheCarConnection.com
These days, Bentley is owned by Volkswagen, which just purchased Porsche, another legendary name in racing. Porsche also introduced a new model at the Pebble Beach Concours -- the new Porsche Panemera, a four-door sport sedan.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Moving Experience
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Top Gifts for Your Favorite Driver
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Ten Best Cars for 2009
Such as the BMW 3 Series, Honda Accord and Chevrolet Corvette being on the list again -- at least 15 times for each one in the 27 years the magazine has been issuing its 10Best list. Here they are, in alphabetical order --
- BMW 3-Series/M3
- Cadillac CTS (red car, top right)
- Chevrolet Corvette
- Honda Accord
- Honda Fit
- Infiniti G37
- Jaguar XF (white car, top left)
- Mazda MX-5
- Porsche Boxster/Cayman
- Volkswagen GTI
Despite the current headlines about potential bankruptcy, General Motors is the only American manufacturer to make the 10Best rankings, with two vehicles on the list -- the Cadillac CTS luxury sports sedan and the iconic Chevrolet Corvette, which continues its reign in the sports car category, selected for a 15th time.
First timers include the Infiniti G37 performance sports sedan, which underwent extensive changes to enhance its performance and handling, and the Jaguar XF, hailed by many for its modern styling and beautiful lines that distinguish it in its category. The Honda Fit that made the list this year is a redesigned version of the car that had been selected to the list twice before.
Other great drives which seem to have reserved parking on this list include the Honda Accord, recognized for a record 23rd time, and the BMW 3-Series, making its appearance on the Car and Driver list for a record 18 consecutive years. The Porsche Boxster roadster and its sibling Cayman coupe, and the Mazda MX-5 are on the 10Best list for the tenth year each. Rounding out the winners is the Volkswagen GTI, honored for the fourth time.
A winners are chosen by a panel of 19 Car and Driver editors who rate the cars on performance, driving satisfaction and value. The vehicles must be available in the United States and must cost less than $71,000. The list -- and more information about each model -- appears in the January 2009 issue, on newsstands in December.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Tips for Safe Driving During the Holiday Season
Here are five reasons you should not speed…
Save lives - Slowing down increases the likelihood you and your passengers will survive a crash. Each 1 percent decrease in travel speed reduces injury crashes by about 2%, serious injury crashes by about 3% and fatal crashes by about 4%.
Save money - Speeding reduces fuel efficiency, causing you to buy gas more often. The Department of Energy estimates that, as a rule of thumb, you can assume that each 5 mph above 60 mph you drive is like paying an additional $0.20 per gallon for gas.
Save the environment - According to Ford Motor Company, driving a vehicle at 65 mph consumes about 15% more fuel than driving the same vehicle at 55 mph. More fuel consumed means more CO2 released into the atmosphere.
Save yourself a ticket - Highway safety agencies and law enforcement crack down on speeders, especially during holidays. Obey the sign or pay the fine!
Save your license - A speeding ticket could lead to points on your driving record. Too many points and you could lose your license and your insurance premiums could go up.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Ford Introduces 2010 Fusion Hybrid
There also is an all-new 'regular' gas-powered Ford Fusion and its sibling Mercury Milan. Both offer Ford's all-new Duratec 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that is expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry.
All of the gas engine choices have six-speed transmissions, for up to a 10 percent fuel economy improvement.