A drop dead drophead
Bentley Motors unveiled their latest
offering at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, called
the Bentley Arnage Drophead Coupe.
This vehicle, which is destined for
production in 2006, is one which I believe has managed to
retain ‘traditional’ Bentley lines, and yet look modern at
the same time. However, Bentley Motors, a Volkswagen marque
these days, is being coy about production, claiming much will
depend upon customer reaction.
Bentley
Arnage Drophead Coupe
Unveiling the car in Los Angeles, the
chairman and CEO of Bentley Motors, Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen
said, “The 2005 Arnage range has been extensively
re-engineered at significant cost and is a very modern,
high-technology saloon. It is natural, therefore, that we
would use this base to further our reputation as the
pre-eminent builder of large, luxury convertibles in the
world. We had such amazing success with the Bentley Azure,
which has developed a cult following, although production
stopped in 2003. There’s no reason why this new Arnage
derivative couldn’t fill the gap left by the Azure. If
customer demand is there, it could go into production within a
very short space of time - as early as Spring 2006.”
Dirk van Braeckel, director of design at
Bentley Motors added, “The Arnage Drophead Coupe is the
latest in a long line of much-admired Bentley convertibles and
we wanted to reflect that heritage as directly as possible.
The key to a four-seater convertible is that its grace and
elegance is on display when the roof is down but it
shouldn’t lose any of that beauty when it is raised. We
think we have struck that balance with the beautiful lines of
the roof.”
Bentley’s
have been sporting chariots for gentlemen for more than 80
years, and the new coupe shares the current Arnage platform,
and the suspension from the Arnage R. The engine is also taken
straight from the Arnage and is a 6.75 litre twin-turbocharged
V8 producing 450 bhp (336 Kw) and 875 Nm (645 lb ft) torque,
which is enough to tow the Amari Watergate hotel through the
Pratunam markets.
The interiors of Bentleys have always
featured trees and dead animals, and the new drophead is no
different, with several planks of burr oak veneers with a
boxwood inlay along the dash and doors, while several herds of
cows donated their hides for the upholstery, while a wooden
steering wheel with inlayed chrome rim is unique to the car.
Robin Page, head of interior design
explained the use of the traditional materials saying, “The
Continental Drophead Coupe from 1955 had a wonderfully
understated but luxurious interior. For example, the doors had
simple armrests with a leather pad on them and we have
reflected that in this car’s hide-trimmed armrests that run
the length of the cabin sides and appear to be suspended away
from the door’s actual surface. Similarly, we admired the
fluted leather in earlier drophead (Bentley) Continentals and
echoed that with the vast amounts of warm and inviting leather
hide that extends past the seats and onto the parcel shelf,
thereby emphasising the impressive dimensions of the rear
compartment.”
Whatever, and forget the rhetoric, the Bentley as seen last
year at the Bangkok International Motor Show was a stunning
vehicle, retailing at around 21 million baht, from memory. The
new drophead will be even more so. Hopefully, it may even come
to this year’s Motor Show (March 25 - April 3, 2005).
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week, I asked how and when did the
terminology “the pits” come into common usage in motor
racing? The answer was the French Grand Prix of 1908 when a
divided trench with a counter just above ground level was
provided for team crews. The trench idea was never used again,
but the term “the pits” stuck.
And so to this week. While the subject of
pits and pit signalling is in my head, who “invented” pit
signals and why?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be
the first correct answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Schumi
assists tsunami victims
In a wonderful show of generosity, Michael Schumacher is
reported as having donated 10 million dollars towards the
tsunami appeal. It was also reported by some media that one of
his entourage perished while holidaying in Phuket. Whilst
there will no doubt be the detractors who will say, “he can
afford it,” there are many other sportsmen who can also
afford large sums, and golfers and soccer players immediately
spring to mind. Michael Schumacher has done the motorsport
fraternity a great favour, as well as the victims. Well done
Schumi!
Toyota takes
Hybrid Land Speed Record
In a publicity move that has left the other
hybrid engine manufacturers behind, Toyota took the new
category land speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats in the US
with its hybrid Toyota Prius.
The event was kept under wraps until it was
released by Car and Driver magazine who had secured an
exclusive from Toyota. Running on a 4.8 km course during the
land speed trials at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah last
August, the Prius reached 210 kph to set the mark for the
world’s first hybrid-engined vehicle land speed record.
Not
the LSR Prius!
The race-prepared Prius was driven by Car
and Driver editor Aaron Robinson, Prius executive chief
engineer Shigeyuki Hori and Fumiaki Kobayashi, the group
vice-president of technical and regulatory affairs of Toyota
North America.
The car ran a standard Hybrid Synergy Drive
power-train of an electric motor and the 1.5 litre,
four-cylinder petrol engine but the final drive gear ratio was
raised from the standard 4.23:1 to 3.2:1. The car’s inverter
voltage was increased from 500 volts to 550 volts and the
petrol engine’s electronic management system was altered to
allow it to rev higher.
To avoid aerodynamic problems, it was dropped by 12.7 cm so
that the body sat only 2.5 cm above the ground. It had
specially made Goodyear Landspeed Record tyres, 26 inch
diameter at the front and 25 inch at the rear. Extensive
bodywork modifications were made to fit the large wheels and
tyres, for the event. The interior was also stripped, so
owners of road Prius vehicles should not feel short-changed if
their one does not quite hit these speeds on the Thailand
superhighways!
Another ‘Retro’ hits the
US
Another “new” vehicle released at the
Los Angeles show was the Chevrolet HHR, designed by Bryan
Nesbitt, the 35 year old stylist responsible for the Chrysler
PT Cruiser.
According to GM, stimulus for the design of
the HHR come from the 1949 Chevrolet Suburban, built 21 years
before stylist Nesbitt was born!
The
new HHR gets its name from Heritage High Roof and will have a
2.2 litre engine with 104 kW of power, while the fancier 2.4
litre model will have 126kW. Transmission is a five-speed
manual and there will be a four-speed automatic option.
The reason GM have brought out this model
has been the success of the Chrysler PT Cruiser, so GM have
done a ‘me too’ exercise with this vehicle.
I don’t know about you, but this leaves
me fairly underwhelmed to say the least. Next they’ll bring
back the ‘woodies’! Remember them?
Porsche Infineon Cup
provisional Calendar
The Porsche Infineon Asia Cup is another of
the ‘level playing field’ competitions, and this one is
part of the world Porsche Cup competitions.
The category is divided into two very hotly
contested sections, with Class A being the professionals and
Class B being for amateur drivers.
Matthew
Marsh leading the field
The inaugural championship title in 2002
was won by Hong Kong’s Charles Kwan, one of the biggest
names in Asian motorsport, and in 2004 the battle for the
title went right down to the wire with Kwan, Thailand’s
Nattavud and UK’s Matthew Marsh all in a position to take
the Asian title. At the final round in Macau in November, it
was A-Ha Racing’s Matthew Marsh who finally took the top
position for the series.
Class B, specially designed for amateur
drivers and introduced at the start of last season, has proved
fantastically successful, creating a
‘field-within-a-field’ where the competition is just as
intense as amongst the professional drivers. Notable amongst
these was Thailand’s fastest pizza delivery man, the Pizza
Company’s Bill Heinecke.
Here is the proposed calendar, to add to
your pencilled in dates for the F1 series.
Date Circuit-Country Rounds
February 20 - 21 Sepang, Malaysia Official Test
March 19 - 20 Sepang, Malaysia Rd 1 (F1 GP)
May 14 - 15 Sepang, Malaysia Rd 2 & 3
June 11 - 12 Bira, Thailand Rd 4 & 5
July 16 - 17 Beijing Goldenport, Rd 6 & 7
China
August 6 - 7 Taebaek, Korea Rd 8 & 9
October 16 Shanghai, China Rd 10
(F1 GP)
November 19 - 20 Macau Guia, China Rd 11
(F3 races)
And for those who can’t locate the 2005 F1 calendar, here it
is again. Pencils sharpened and away you go!
06 Mar: Australia - Melbourne
20 Mar: Malaysia - Sepang
03 Apr: Bahrain - Bahrain International Circuit
24 Apr: San Marino - Imola
08 May: Spain - Barcelona
22 May: Monaco - Monaco
29 May: Europe - Nurburgring
12 June: Canada - Montreal
19 June: United States - Indianapolis
03 July: France - Magny-Cours
10 July: Great Britain - Silverstone
24 July: Germany - Hockenheim
31 July: Hungary - Hungaroring
21 Aug: Turkey - Istanbul
04 Sept: Italy - Monza
11 Sept: Belgium - Spa Francorchamps
25 Sept: Brazil - Interlagos
09 Oct: Japan - Suzuka
16 Oct: China - Shanghai
