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& Bentley Motor Cars Ltd. |
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Exhibition Overview
Tokyo Motor Show - Rools-Royce Motor Cars & Bentley Motors
stand design uses an elevated wing form to create a dominant
stage for EXP Speed 8, the class-winning racer from Le Mans
2001.
In contrast to this extrovert setting for the racer and its
two road going Bentley siblings, the wing's underside creates
a cocoon of calm for the craftsmanship and dicreet opulence
of the Rolls-Royce Park Ward Personal Commisioning.
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Rolls-Royce & Bentley Motor Cars Japan
ARK Mori Building 31F 1-12-32
Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-6031
TEL. 03-5575-7348
FAX. 03-5575-7341
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- Bentley Arnage Red Label Passion and
Grace
The name says it all. Bentley stands for unrivalled quality
and refinement, Arnage for one of the most challenging corners
at the Le Mans racetrack, and the red label is the badge
of passion. The Bentley Arnage Red Label is all about controlled
power combined with supreme handling ability.
Its looks say a lot, too. The Bentley Arnage is a motor
car of great presence, with lines that sweep smoothly along
its length, and an aerodynamic drag coefficient of only
0.37.
Small wonder that this exhilarating all-rounder is so much
in demand. Under that bonnet lies a powerplant that puts
out 405bhp and torque of no less than 835Nm - 58per cent
more than that of its nearest rival. Such output renders
the Arnage the fastest production saloon in the world.
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Its effortless, responsive performance,
particularly in mid-range, is astonishing in a four-door
motor car. The Arnage accelerates from 0-60mph in 5.9sec,
30-50mph in 2.2sec through the gears and 50-70mph in 3.3sec
through the gears, and its top speed is govermed at 155mph.
All that power and torque comes from Bentley's 6.75-litre
V8 engine, with single water-cooled turbocharger and engine-mounted
intercooler, driving throgh a four-speed automatic transmission
with electric gear actuation.
Its Adaptive Shift Control system allows the driver to suit
the gear chage to his or her driving style, while Shift
Energy Management serves to reduce torque during chages,
for ultra-smooth shifts.
The tall gearing, giving 40mph per 1000rpm in top, translates
into relaced cruising.
The monocoque steel bodyshell with its very high level of
torsional stiffness is combined with sophisticated independent
double-wishbone adaptive suspension mounted on steel subframes.
Each of the electro-hydraulic dampers is individually computer-controlled,
allowing the suspension to respond and adjust to road and
driver inputs automatically, within one-hundredth of a second.
Bentley ride-height control automatically adjusts the rear
dampers to compensate for load and provide dynamic balance
under all conditions. Weight distribution front to rear
is near perfectly balanced at 52:48. Speed-sensitive power-assisted
steering provides effortless low-speed manoeuvring and firm
control at high speeds.
Also power-assisted is the boost braking system, with four-channel
electronic ABS and ASC traction control and stability regulation.
Large-diameter, micro-alloy ventilated discs with single-fist
calipers front and rear provide excellent braking performance-60-0mph
in just 3 seconds, time for the car to cover only 42m. Speed
sensors to all four wheels can detect any tendency to aquaplane,
and give the driver the option of using traction assistance
if required. There is a pad and disc wear indication system
and a foot-operated parking brake with hand release.
Inside the Arnage, Passenger space has been increased since
its launch to provide significantly more leg and head room,
though this has been achieved with no weight penalty or
loss of luggage space whatsoever. The shouldered, bolstered
and heated seats provide anatomically correct levels of
support to shoulders, back, base of spine and thighs. The
front seats are adjustable in four planes, with the driver's
memory linked to the steering wheel and exterior mirrors.
The rear seats are independently electrically adjustable,
and automatically motor backwards when either rear door
is opened to ease entry or exit.
The emphasis throughout the interior of the Bentley Arnage
is on ergonomic efficiency, with a classic analogue instrument
and control layout, and sweep-through console. The sports
steering wheel has memory-linked electric rake adiust, cruise
control operation and aotomatic easy-entry/exit feature.
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- Bentley Continental T Mulliner High
Performance Coupe
The 6.75 litre Crewe-built engine which powers Bentley Continenatal
Mulloner develops 420bhp (313Kw) and 650 lb ft (875 Newton
metres) of torque. It makes this the most powerful production
Bentley ever, with a top speed of 170mph (270kph) and a
nought to 60mph time of 5.7 seconds (0-100kph in 5.9 seconds)
its performance puts it into the supercar league and, without
doubt, into a class of its own.
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Engineered specifically to deliver a
sporting drive, the Continentan T embodies all the racing
heritage fo Bentley Motors in a powerfully sculpted body
that is derved from the flowing elegance of the Continental
R and the convertible Azure. To emphasise the power implicit
in its genes, the Continental T's wheelbase has been reduced
by 3.94 inches (100mm) to 116.61 inches (2962mm) and the
wheel arches have been flared front and rear to accommodate
wider wheels and tyres. These changes, in conjunction with
the widened rear track of 62.24 inches (1581mm) not only
give the car a more aggressive look but also make it more
agile, more responsive and more involving to drive.
The heart of the car, its aluminium, turbocharged V8 engine,
uses a Zytek engine management system which was developed
in the high pressure world of Formula 1. The perfect primary
balance of the V8 block's structure is stiffened to resist
noise-generating vibrations and all rotating parts are dynamically
balanced. The hydraulic tappets are self-adjusting while
the blades on the fans are unequally spaced to suppress
noise and resonance.
The Zytek engine management system ensures instant response
to full throttlc commands and automatically reduces boost
by 30 percent after three seconds to aid smooth power delivery
and assist the four-speed automatic transmission to make
changes in ratios as imperceptible as possible. This system
is aided by a further refinement whereby the ignition is
momentarily retarded as soon as a change in ratio is required,
to provide almost seamless shifting, especially in the lower
ratios.
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- Rolls-Royce Park Ward Personal Commisioning
The new Rolls-Royce Park Ward follows a long tradition of
low volume, highly exclusive coachbuilt cars under the Park
Ward name. Park Ward is based upon the Silver Seraph, and
enjoys an extra 10" (250mm) of rear compartment space
to create the ultimate comfort for rear passengers.
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Unlike many long wheel based models of standard saloons, the
Park Ward is true to its traditional values of achieving this
result, through an integrated and elegant coachbuilt desigh,
negating the need for tell tale inserts between front and
rear doors.
The new Rolls-Royce Park Ward exemplifies the bespoke nature
of motor cars produced at Crewe. It is the ultimate Rolls-Royce
of motoring experiences in every sense, able to convey four
people and luggage over large distances in the ultimate state
of comfort and relaxation. But we know form our experience
with such customers over the years, that some will see the
Park Ward as a appointments which our skilled designers, craftsmen
and women are both able and delighted to provide.
Personal Commisioning
- Every customer has an open invitation to visit
- Expert advice on trim and equipment is offered in the
Personal Commissioning area
- Customers with unusual requests can discuss their ideas
with stylists, designers, engineers and coachbuilders
in the Studio
- If engines are to be highly tuned, the chassis can be
set up to deliver corresponding levels of road-holding
- Colours can be created to individual requirements and
paintwork has even been matched to a single sequin or
lipstick
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Bentley Back on the Podium at
Le Mans After 71 Years
Tokyo, 24th October, 2001... Team Bentley arrives at the Tokyo
Motor Show still on a high from returning the marque to the
podium at Le Mans for the first time in 71 years, but also now
keenly focused on the challenges ahead.
Few who were there will ever forget the scenes at Le Mans when,
at 4.08pm on Sunday 17th June, Andy Wallace drove the Number
8 Bentley EXP Speed 8 across the line to start a new chapter
in the history of the works Bentley racing team. In the pits,
the grandstands and on countless thousands of televisions around
the world, Bentley fans watched the dream no-one had dared contemplate
come true. It was the culmination of perhaps the most gruelling
24-hours in the 78-year history of the race.
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Throughout the test programme, the
EXP Speed 8s had run without major failure but, worryingly,
in almost unrelentingly dry conditions. By the time the two
cars lined up in seventh and ninth places after qualifying,
the number of wet weather laps all the cars had experienced
between them totalled less than 20.
Yet the race itself was one of the wettest on record and within
half an hour of the start rain of monsoon ferocity was drowning
the circuit. Just 30 minutes into the race quick thinking and
quicker actions by Team Bentley's pit crew, combined with some
brilliant laps by Brundle resulted in a Bentley leading Le Mans
for the first time in 71 years.
It was not to last. By the time Martin had handed over to Guy
Smith the car was already experiencing gear selection difficulties
as water seeped into its electronics. Eventually it refused
to change down from sixth gear, leaving Guy with the impossible
task of rounding the second gear Arnage corner in top gear.
Despite his best efforts, the car stalled and though Guy continued
to try to get the car back to the pits by using the starter
motor, eventually a small fire from the overheated clutch forced
him to abandon the struggle at the Porsche curves, just before
9.00pm.
This was the low point of the race. One car was out, the second
was experiencing similar problems and there were over 17 hours
left to go. At 10.00pm the Number 8 car, now driven by Butch
Leitzinger, also refused all further gear changes.
This time however Butch was in fourth and not sixth gear and
it was this critical difference that made it possible for him
to get the Bentley back to the pits.
There the electronic gearbox actuator was changed in 20 minutes,
and the water's path into the engine bay blocked with the top
of a bottle of mineral water.
Butch rejoined in fifth place and at 1.00am the surviving Bentley
took the third position it would hold to the flag. The dramas
were not quite over however. In the final stint of the race,
Andy Wallace was called into the pits for a four-minute stop/go
penalty for allegedly overtaking under a yellow flag caution.
Happily, the team had built up an eight-lap advantage over its
nearest rival and Andy was able to resume the race unthreatened.
The final drama came on the last lap when the two works Audis
led the surviving cars around the track in formation, coming
to a halt 100 yards from the finish so they could form up side
by side to cross the line.
Little did they know that the Bentley's clutch was finished
and as the cars all stopped so the EXP Speed 8 stalled. The
only hope was to hit the starter with the car still in first
gear and hope the engine caught. Miraculously the engine fired
again and Andy was able to take his place as the cars crossed
the line, second only to the works Audis.
For thousands it was a moment to savour, but for Tony Gott,
chief executive of Bentley Motors, it vindicated entirely his
determination to return Bentley to the track. "It is utterly
overwhelming," he said, "I am lost in admiration for
what the team has achieved."I am relieved it is all over
and proud beyond expression for the team and the company."
No one could have anticipated the extraordinary conditions in
which that information would be acquired, but the job was completed
against the odds and a place on the podium was the reward. After
a short break to recover from over a week of huge stress and
very little sleep, Team Bentley is now back hard at work preparing
for Le Mans in 2002. The car that will be raced then will be
a highly evolved version of this year's EXP Speed 8 and further
details about it, driver line-ups and other Team Bentley activities
in 2002 will be announced in due course.
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