New Bentley Continental GT Supersports

New Bentley Continental GT Supersports

2010 Bentley Continental GT Supersports The Continental GT Supersports is the fastest, most powerful Bentley ever built. It can also run on ethanol, for reduced carbon emissions. Bentley Motors Bentley’s comeback-kid Continental GT, introduced in 2004, was better known as a grand tourer than a jagged-edged racetrack scamp. Then came the GT Speed, which added more power and nimble road manners, and it became the first Bentley to reach over 200 miles per hour. Then, a 24-month skunkworks project yielded the Supersport, an even more powerful variant that’s also lighter and, set up to run on ethanol – large quantities of it - emits less CO2.

Of course, only the most passionate lovers of internal-combustion engines might cut Bentley slack for kicking off an environmental sensitivity project with a fuel-swilling, neck-snapping bruiser of a sports car. But the Volkswagen-owned company has committed to cutting carbon emissions, and you can't deny the Supersports is a conversation starter in that regard. Bentley says using biofuel in the Supersports sums to 70 percent less emissions "well to wheels," which takes into account all the CO2s emitted as fossil fuels go from primordial ooze to food for supercars.

Plus, since the average Bentley owner has six other cars in his garage to choose from, a typical model logs just 8,000 miles a year. It's possible one of those cars in heavier rotation might be a Prius, or a bicycle.

2010 Nissan's latest Micra supermini

Nissan reveals all-new Micra supermini at Geneva

British Built And Funky With It, Nissans Latest Micra 1.0 Is Sure To Be Popular. By Andy Enright

Stop for a moment and think about what buyers look for when shopping for a supermini car. Nissan did. They decided that because buyers wanted a small car, there was little point in making a large one. It seems obvious but its a lesson that has escaped many manufacturers.

Customers were interested in making a style statement but still wanted reliability, practicality and all those other boring things without appearing boring. The car that Nissan have produced redefines the way we look at the supermini class. The Micra 1.0 models bring affordability and style together in a neat package.

Build

Comfort

Depreciation

Economy

Equipment

Handling

Insurance

Performance

Styling

Value Manufacturers in this class have long had an obsession with maximising the amount of internal space. The Japanese have been some of the worst culprits in this instance. Who cares if theres enough room to seat Shaquille ONeal in the back seat if your car ends up looking about as attractive as a dumpster? Given that most of the time we use the rear seats of our superminis for the kids or to sling shopping or jackets onto, most buyers would sacrifice ultimate space for a stylish profile at least thats what Nissan is banking on. The asking price to get behind the wheel of one of the most distinctive supermini shapes for years isnt exorbitant.

The three-door 1.0 E model opens at £7,795 although youll need to fork out another £650 for the five-door version. This trim level is the only one available with the 1.0-litre engine, although the next variant up - the 1.

2-litre S - is, model for model, only £555 extra.

2012 1 Series M Coupe Specification

2012 1 Series M Coupe Specification 

The N54’s Last Stand?

   the 300-hp 135i has switched from the twin-turbo N54 to the single-turbo N55 engine, the 1-series M coupe—like other BMWs recently unveiled with high-powered inline-sixes—gets a more powerful version of the N54, upgraded to about 335 hp. It’s mated to a slick six-speed manual gearbox—no automatic or dual-clutch transmission will be offered.

Segler’s troops still might shave a few pounds off the 135i’s total of almost 3400, but there is no budget for expensive lightweight materials. Zero-to-60 times should be in the mid-four-second range, and top speed will be governed to 155 mph. As it does with other M cars, BMW might offer the option to raise the limit, but we doubt it would go much beyond 170.

We weren’t allowed to slip behind the wheel ourselves, but we were treated to a fast lap in the passenger seat as M chief engineer Albert Biermann whipped the coupe through the corners and down the straights of the Ascari racetrack. Getting the small M into a slight drift seemed as effortless as recovery, and the kick provided by the uprated engine represents a major step above that of the 135i. Turbo lag is slight and doesn’t significantly detract from the experience. Compared with the M3, you sit lower to the ground, the cabin is more compact, and thus you get a much better sense of speed than in the bigger car.

If we have one criticism, it would be the overly civilized conduct of this compact M. The silky straight-six is pleasing, but the turbos keep the volume down. There is none of the dramatic roar, bellow, and crackle of other M models. This exhaust system needs to be put on steroids. If M won’t do that before the car reaches production, the aftermarket will.

A Super Car, but Not a Supercar

The 1-series M coupe began life code-named Pyrat, and BMW thankfully refrained from calling it the M1. That nameplate, after all, is perpetually connected to the Giugiaro-styled and Lamborghini-developed supercar that BMW launched in the late 1970s. Perhaps one day the company will reenter that segment, and if only for that purpose, the nameplate must be left alone.

Meanwhile, look for the 1-series M coupe at your BMW dealership in the second quarter of 2011. We anticipate a price of about $45,000, which seems a bit steep for a suspension, some interior upgrades, and a chippable 35 more horsepower, but for now, it is the closest we’ll come to the original M3. And it will still be loads of fun.