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Bentley show the new Continental GTC at Qatar Motor Show

Bentley show the new Continental GTC at Qatar Motor Show

By on 23/01/2012 in News

Bentley have today unveiled, for the first time in Doha, the new Continental GTC at the Qatar International Motor Show.

The all new Bentley Continental GTC Convertible features an even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. Now with a more powerful 575PS 6.0 litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine as well as a new QuickShift transmission, enabling faster gear changes than ever before for the Continental.

Alasdair Stewart, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing, Bentley Motors, said:

“We are delighted to be here in Qatar with the new GTC. It has always been the most emotional model in the Continental range and a showcase for Bentley design. With its tailored soft top, the GTC is a pure British convertible true to those classic Bentleys of the past. However, the technology, performance and overall design excellence invested in this model means that we are now writing a new chapter for the Bentley convertible driver.”

Taking cues from its GT coupe sibling launched last year, the new Continental GTC builds on the highly successful foundation of the previous cabriolet, which premiered in 2006. The Bentley design and engineering teams have improved virtually every aspect of the iconic convertible with an uncompromising focus on quality.

The other featured car at the Qatar Motor Show is the Bentley Mulsanne, which continues to do exceptionally well in the Middle East.

The new Mulsanne is a thoroughly modern flagship that captures the essence of the Bentley marque. Elegant yet distinctly sporting in character, it delivers effortless performance from the classic 6.75 litre V8 engine whilst within its sumptuous cabin advanced technology sits discreetly with handcrafted luxury. It represents the pinnacle of British luxury motoring which continues to attract substantial interest in the Middle East with the market now accounting for 15% of global sales.

The Qatar International Motor Show comes as Bentley bounces back to pre-recession levels of demand. Sales were up 37% globally in 2011 to 7003 cars with sales accelerating as the year progressed. December saw 1059 cars delivered to customers (up 69% on the same month in 2010), the best month since Bentley’s pre-recession record of 2007 and the second best month ever.

The Middle East region remained stable – a positive outcome considering the Arab Spring affected confidence at the beginning of the year. Sales recovered throughout the year, however, with record monthly sales from June through to October resulting in an annual increase of around 3% to 566 cars sold – the second highest year for Bentley sales in this region. Qatar retained its position as the third largest market in the Middle East with 70 cars sold during 2011.

This sales growth was led by strong demand for the new Continental GT and the Bentley Mulsanne – for which the Middle East remains one of the most important markets in the world.

Demand for these Bentley models is expected to continue in 2012 and, with the arrival of the new GTC, double digit growth should be maintained. Watch this space!

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Bentley sales beating recession

Bentley sales beating recession

By on 03/01/2012 in News

As the world continues to dip in and out of recession Bentley are proving that there is not only money but sales out there.

Bentley bounced back to pre-recession levels of demand during 2011, with strong growth in all major markets. Globally, sales were up 37% to 7003 for the calendar year with sales accelerating as the year progressed. December sales were 1059 (up 69% on the same month in 2010), the best month since Bentley’s pre-recession record of 2007 and the second best month ever.

  • Global sales up 37% with 7003 deliveries to customers
  • December sales (1059 cars) – best single month since recession and second highest ever
  • America still Bentley’s number one market with sales up by over a third to 2021
  • China confirms number two status with sales virtually doubling to a record 1839
  • All major markets increased with Europe up by over a half due mainly to high demand in Germany, up by nearly 90%
  • New Continental GT coupe and Mulsanne drive sales with new Continental GTC off to a flying start

The US continues to be Bentley’s number one market with 2021 cars sold in 2011, an increase of 32%. For the first time ever, however, China took second spot with sales for the region virtually doubling to 1839 and surpassing the previous year’s record before the end of July. This achievement is even more remarkable considering Bentley has been present in Mainland China for less than ten years.

Other regions have also performed very well. Continental European sales rebounded to 1187 (an increase of 53%) led by strong demand in Germany where sales have increased by a remarkable 88%.  The UK proved to be extremely challenging over the past months, but still saw an increase of over five per cent with 1031 cars sold.  Indeed, all major markets are up including the Middle East despite the political instability that has beset certain markets.

Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Wolfgang Dürheimer, said:

“It has been a tremendously good year for Bentley. The dramatic sales growth reflects a global strength to the Brand and a recognition of the quality, craftsmanship and engineering excellence of our cars. It is also testament to the work of the entire Bentley Team whose passion and daily commitment has delivered this outstanding result. It has been particularly pleasing to see renewed interest in Bentley in established as well as and new and emerging markets, all of which is contributing to a positive financial result for 2011.

“We want that success to continue and, with a new Continental V8 set to attract new customers in 2012, have ambitious but realistic plans which reflect global economic conditions as much as our new product line up.”

The strong performance was the result of strong demand across the range, with the new Continental GT unsurprisingly proving the most popular Bentley with 2404 GTs delivered – over a third of Bentley’s total sales volume. Sales were boosted significantly in December with the first deliveries of the new soft-top Continental GTC, a new model which has received positive reviews from media and customers alike. Together with the Bentley Mulsanne, which continues to maintain a healthy order bank constantly replenished as more customers get to drive the flagship Bentley, sales growth is expected to continue unabated during 2012.

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Bentley Continental GTC raises £240k for Children in Need

Bentley Continental GTC raises £240k for Children in Need

By on 21/11/2011 in News

This year’s Children in Need fundraising activities got off to a flying start when a 195mph Bentley Continental GTC went under the hammer for £240,000.

At a star-studded evening at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester, hosted by Gary Barlow and supported by Kelly Rowland, Chris Moyles, Sir Terry Wogan, Coleen Rooney and JLS, Bentley’s new convertible immediately caught the eye of several generous bidders. By the time the auctioneer had finished, the car had nearly hit the quarter of a million mark.  Gary Barlow added some extra drama to proceedings by putting his own bid in for the Bentley and promising to deliver the car in person to the new owners.

Jon Crossley, Managing Director of Bentley Manchester who made all the arrangements for their brand new luxury convertible to be put up for auction, commented:

“Nearly 400 people saw the auction unfold and, as the price kept on rising, the whole place fell silent.  To reach £240.000, even for the very latest Bentley which is still making its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show, just takes your breath away.”

As well as getting the keys to their new car hand-delivered to them by the X-Factor star, the winning bidders have been invited to the Bentley factory and will be able to select the woods and leathers for the interior of their car.

In a further personal touch, Bentley’s famous craftsmen and women will be adding the signatures of several of the celebrities who attended the event to the interior, creating a car unique in the world and a special memento of a generous evening.

“Above all this has been an incredibly good result for Children in Need. The fact that the new owners are Bentley enthusiasts and love these cars is a bonus for us.  We’re looking forward to welcoming them and their unique car to the dealership for many years to come.” added Jon Crossley.

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Bentley Continental GTC revealed in USA

Bentley Continental GTC revealed in USA

By on 17/11/2011 in News

Bentley will unfold its new Continental GTC at the Los Angeles Convention Center this week in its first public unveiling to the North American market.  The Bentley stand will also show the next generation of mobile connectivity with the Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept – a new multimedia experience designed for executives inside the luxurious, hand-crafted cabin of the company’s flagship Mulsanne.

“Los Angeles is the ideal location for Bentley to launch the luxurious and powerful GTC convertible,” said Alasdair Stewart, Bentley’s Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing.

“Southern California remains the most successful market for Bentley in the US, and the US remains the largest market in the world for the Company.  New model introductions, such as the GTC convertible – which will reach US customers later this year – and the new GT coupe – which went on sale in the spring – have helped Bentley global sales grow by a third in 2011.”

2012 Bentley Continental GTC

All eyes will be on the new Continental GTC. The Breeze-colored drophead GTC debuting at the LA Auto Show features a custom, coach-built appearance and crisper lines, thanks to aluminium superformed front wings, and, in the rear, the double-horseshoe design first seen on Bentley’s flagship Mulsanne.

Below the surface, the GTC rockets from 0-60 in 4.5 seconds thanks to a hand-built 567hp powerplant that boasts 516 lb-ft of torque, and a Quickshift transmission that improves acceleration response times and cuts shift times to only 200 milliseconds.  The GTC’s chassis, the stiffest of any convertible in the world, provides a firm foundation for suspension control, minimising scuttle shake and contributing to the GTC’s refined handling.

The GTC interior features luxurious wood and leather craftsmanship, for which Bentley is renowned, alongside class-leading technology, such as eight-inch touch-screen infotainment system, and zip-code entry navigation, all supported by a 30-gigabyte hard drive.  To ensure drivers and passengers alike enjoy an extended top-down driving season, the GTC now features neck warmers in the rear headrests of its cobra-head designed slim-line seats.  With the top up, acoustics have improved thanks to the addition of acoustically-sensitive undersheet, wheel liners, front and side glass and a three-layer roof with a rubber-film middle layer.

The new Bentley GTC convertible will enter the US market in late 2011, with an MSRP of $212,800.

Bentley Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept

The LA show will also show, for the first time outside Europe, Bentley’s cutting edge Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept. This multimedia connectivity concept offers an impressive array of bespoke business, comfort and entertainment features – designed to allow customers to conduct business on the move or just unwind between meetings – all beautifully integrated into the sumptuous and comfortable cabin which takes more than 170 hours to create.

Mulsanne rear passengers receive individual Apple iPad workstations with full internet access (integrated into retractable picnic tables) whilst a large, drop-down LED screen ensures that a wide selection of movies as well as television can also be enjoyed.

Renowned for its painstaking attention to detail, Bentley has added a range of finishing touches including a Tibaldi fountain pen from its specially commissioned Collection which is designed to mirror the Mulsanne’s knurled-metal rotary switchgear and which is discretely stowed in the center armrest.  The car also features – for the first time on a Bentley – a distinctive Yachting-style veneer, which blends light and dark contrasting tones, throughout the cabin.

Both the new Continental GTC and the Mulsanne Executive Interior Concept can be seen on the Bentley stand in the Concourse Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Centre.

Sales Growth

Bentley sales to the end of October increased 33% to 5,379 putting the Company on track to reach its target of 7000 cars sold this year.  US sales are in line with this increase, with the new Continental GT coupe accounting for 37% of all sales in the market – despite only reaching showrooms  in April.  The US market accounts for roughly half the world’s Bentley convertible sales making it the number one market for the new Continental GTC.  Bentley’s exciting new product line up, together with a dealer network now expanded to 48 with the opening of Bentley Nashville, means that there is a great deal of confidence for 2012.

This confidence is bolstered by the ongoing high demand for Bentleys in other markets. China has continued its unprecedented sales growth, up nearly 90% over 2010; Sales in Germany are up by around 60% and in the United Kingdom Bentley’s market share in the luxury segment is now more than 25%, making it the clear market leader.