bentley

Stonehenge has long been one of the world's most mysterious monuments. The massive rock circle has given up a few of its secrets to a digital scanning project led by historical-preservation organization English Heritage with an assist from the York Archaeological Trust. The 3D laser-scanning data collected last year has unveiled 72 hidden ax-head carvings in the surface of the stone.

Stonehenge was given a complete 3D-scanning treatment, generating 850 gigabytes of data. Archeologists put software from Bentley Systems to work to analyze the data. The resulting data crunching showed 72 carvings depicting Bronze Age tools that had been hiding from the naked eye for thousands of years. Almost all show ax heads, but one is likely a dagger.… Read more

Bentley's Continental GT Speed Convertible is so new that pricing has not yet been announced. So I was left to guess how much money I was putting in peril when Bentley dropped one off in the CNET garage for a short loan. Judging from Bentley's current lineup, I ballparked it at between two and three. Hundreds of thousands of dollars, that is.

People who buy Bentleys probably don't ask the first question that came to my mind: what makes this car worth that much money?

Working for a company that recently did a hands-on (eyes-on?) with a … Read more

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It's been a little heady around here lately: Right after the Lamborghini Gallardo, we get a Bentley -- and a Mulsanne to boot. I normally start our tours of high tech cars in the front seat, but this time we begin in the back where the tech takes off in ways you've never seen before.

If you want iPads in the back seat of your car without buying a Bentley, check out Wayne's how to that can make … Read more

With a cost starting close to $300,000, it is not likely you own a Bentley Mulsanne, or have even seen one out on the street. However, Bentley hopes to make this model slightly less rare with a new convertible version. Bentley revealed sketches today of its new convertible concept, which it says is aimed at new and emerging markets. That doesn't mean it will be generally affordable, though.

The sketches reveal a two-door car with four seats, covered by a soft top. The top looks low relative to the high beltline of the car. The rear fenders have … Read more

High-dollar cars tend to lean on the technology pretty hard -- and tend to do it pretty badly. The cabin tech in an Aston Martin or Maserati typically doesn't equal what's in a Camry. But the big boys make up for it with exotic technology in their power trains, audio output, and sybaritic creature comforts like champagne coolers.

I was rather pleasantly surprised to find the 2012 Bentley Conti GT doesn't go too far over the top in high-tech gimmickry. Its W12 engine is exotic, yes, but has been knocking around the Volkswagen group for almost a decade. … Read more

With a cabin that abounds in leather and metal, the Bentley Continental GT shows true luxury coachwork. Double-paned windows and excellent engineering insulate passengers from the outside world, making the cabin of this tourer a cozy room on wheels.

All this luxury makes this coupe weigh over 5,000 pounds, but the twin-turbocharged W-12 engine does not strain even when running uphill. A six-speed automatic runs smoothly, making for effortless driving. However, put the car in sport mode, and it suddenly changes from meandering bison to swift-footed cheetah. It seems almost miraculous how this car deals with winding roads, given … Read more

Bentley has come a long way from the 4 1/2 Liter Blower, by about 376 horsepower. The new GT Speed, announced today, generates 616 horsepower from its twin turbocharger W-12 engine. Bentley says that's good for a top speed of 205 mph.

Bentley engineers managed to coax an extra 24 horsepower over the previous GT Speed out of this engine, and got the torque up to 590 pound feet. The zero-to-60 mph rating is 4 seconds, not as fast as many other supercars, but the GT Speed should weigh in at more than 5,000 pounds, similar to … Read more

From the Infiniti Emerg-E to the rather hideous Toyota FT-Bh, we've got something to say about every high tech car CNET saw at the 2012 Geneva auto show.

LOS ANGELES--Bentley looks to provide the modern customer with connected information and entertainment.

It says something about the typical Bentley customer that the company's connected car concept would focus on rear-seat passengers. With the cost of the large Mulsanne sedan being about $350,000, most buyers can leave the driving to a chauffeur.

And at this level of luxury, there is nothing wrong with sitting in the back seat. But where past Bentley customers may have been content to listen to opera over the stereo system, the modern owner will have the smartphone and tablet out, buying low and selling high.

To oblige this type of customer, Bentley created its connected concept, fitting a Mac Mini and 4G-connected router in the trunk, and iPads in the rear-seat tray tables. The various computers in this system are integrated, so the iPads can control and call up media and files from the Mac Mini.… Read more