German Car Zone

Those Veyron seats are a true tragic

NEW YORK — At the 2009 New York Auto Show, Bentley on Wednesday said its first flex-fuel vehicle, the 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports, will start at $273,295 when it launches in the U.S. this October. The price includes a $2,595 destination charge and a $3,700 federal gas-guzzler tax, thus making the biofuel car the most expensive Continental Series vehicle.

However, this is not the most expensive Bentley in the British marque's lineup. A Bentley Azure costs $340,000, while a Bentley Arnage with Mulliner/bespoke content can "run upward of $1 million," said Bentley's U.S. spokesman David P. Reuter in an e-mail exchange with Inside Line. But the biofuel Supersports' price is a significant leap over the cost of the Continental GT Speed, which starts at $203,600.

Reuter said there will be about "a half-dozen options" available on the Continental Supersports, but said pricing and details on those will be announced later.

Carbon-ceramic brakes, which are normally a $16,500 option on all other Continental models, are standard on the Supersports.

While the Continental Supersports will be available here in the fall, the flex-fuel capability will not reach North America until summer 2010, Reuter said.

The 4,939-pound Continental Supersports is estimated to return 13 miles per gallon in city driving and 24 mpg on the highway, according to Bentley. It is equipped with a 6.0-liter W12 twin-turbocharged engine that delivers 621 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. The two-seater is described as the fastest Bentley ever.

Inside Line says: It won't be cheap to go green with the Bentley Continental Supersports. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent


2010 Bentley Continental Supersports Pricing Announced - 2009 New York Auto Show


M

I use to like this car, but now I'm tired of seeing it. I hope they don't bubble up the next Arnage. The Old Bentleys looked some much more cleaner and more sophisticated. Of course the car is still an outstanding performer and the engineering is breathtaking.