At Last
by Alison Cavatore and Rachel Morgan
Bentley Motors Unveils its first 4×4 vehicle, the long-awaited EXP 9 F 4×4
Luxury automaker Bentley Motors unveiled the EXP 9 F 4×4 concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. Boasting a top speed of 185 MPH and a price tag of £140,000, it arrives on the heels of 4×4 vehicles released from rival luxury automakers Range Rover and Porsche.
Crewe-based Bentley Motors, owned by Volkswagen since 1998, has been producing luxury vehicles for nearly a century. It is amidst much anticipation that the luxury automaker has finally produced a larger version of its haute fleet of cars. Initial production of the EXP 9 F will be an estimated 3,500 models a year. The United States, China and Germany will be the key markets outside of the United Kingdom. The company is hoping the off-road vehicle will be hit amongst Premiership footballers and even the Royal Family, who have a bespoke collection of Bentleys already.
The EXP 9 F 4×4 model features a twin-turbo six-liter W12 engine, an eight-speed transmission and the ability to go from 0-60 MPH in less than five seconds. Bentley has indicated that a less expensive four-liter V8 or a more eco-friendly hybrid engine could eventually power the vehicle as well. The EXP 9 F 4×4 also features diamond-quilted soft-touch leather interior, an armrest divider on the rear seat with a cooling compartment for champagne glasses, business mode options in the rear seats with a folddown keyboard and full internet connection, drink tables, entertainment and information screens, bespoke picnic hampers stowed in the rear of the vehicle and a split tailgate covered in saddle leather that can be used as a bench or a picnic table.
The new Bentley will be available for purchase in 2015 and there is also talk of a furniture line created for customers who wish to have their home match their car. We couldn’t think of anything hauter.
With a redesigned hood, the F12 is more than twice as aerodynamically efficient as its predecessor and it is also shorter, lighter and more low riding.
Street Smarts
by Alison Cavatore
The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta makes its first appearance at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.
The most powerful street-legal Ferrari to date was unleashed at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The Ferrari F12 Berlinetta, designed by Iacoski Design, has a top speed of 340km/h and can go from 0 to 100km/h in 3.1 seconds.
The Ferrari Berlinetta is reportedly the most powerful road-legal Ferrari available, featuring a 6.3-liter V12 engine with 730 horsepower. Able to go up to 340km/h, the supercar can reach 200km/h in just 8.5 seconds.
Ferrari is reporting that the F12 Berlinetta can lap the Fiorano test circuit in 1 minute and 23 seconds, which is 3.5 seconds faster than its predecessor the 599 GTB. The F12 employs a new chassis design, with various aluminum materials and aeronautics industry technologies to decrease weight and improve structural rigidity. With a redesigned hood, the F12 is more than twice as aerodynamically efficient as its predecessor and it is also shorter, lighter and more low riding.
Due to the combined effect of the F12’s lighter weight and improved aerodynamics, the car reduces fuel consumption by 30 percent and produces relatively low carbon dioxide emissions.
