http://jalopnik.com/the-bentley-desi...tin-1709110291

Loved his designs.....hopefully his departure does not result in more scoops, fins and spoilers added to the CGT.

 

Hmmm... seems like the VW Group is having some instability. Recently another person very high up the food chain left the VW Group.

www.cnbc.com/id/102620154


I think the GT/GTC design is done. Very long in the tooth and is in dire need of a replacement model at this point to at least stay even with current modern Rolls Royce, Tesla, Mercedes, BWM... and even Chevrolet (don't laugh, please). The tech inside the new Corvette is light years ahead of Bentley, and the performance for the dollar is pretty darn impressive too. The interior work on the new Vette is also much-improved over past designs. You really should check out the new Corvette and see what I mean.

Don't get me wrong, the old GT/GTC is fine for a 2004 design, yet this is 2015 and things have improved tremendously with price/performance ratios and in-car technology. Bentley still lags behind dramatically even within their 2015 models.

The wife and I were in SoCal this past weekend and we looked at the Tesla. Use their in-car tech (not the battery power part) as a starting point. Same goes for the Mercedes upper models. For the price Bentley is asking today, they are simply highly uncompetitive within today's market for current in-car tech... even against the 'lowly' Corvette. Still, the Bentley is a nice design for 2004, yet modern consumers are asking far more from their car's tech nowadays and many others deliver that for less than 1/3rd the price of the GT/GTC.

Mercedes, as an example, truly do stand behind their products. I know people who have driven well over 250k miles on their Mercedes, with one going over 1,000,000 miles (not a typo). Mercedes bought back his 1,000,000 mile car(!) so they could carefully examine it and improve future models. He's a good friend of mine and we have driven from London to Milan and back quite a few times. We take two cars and he loves when he's driving one car and me the other. He's a retired European Formula Ford racer btw [and speaks seven languages, highly successful, and some of his friends could buy the VW Group outright(!)].

 

I am trying to address this without sounding rude, so if I do, please forgive me. The Bentley GT, GTC and Flying Spur are not competing with the Corvette. Comparing the Corvette with a Ferrari would be a better choice, IMHO, because the Corvette offers more bang for the buck than probably any other car in that class.

I could not disagree with you more.

Of the cars you mention, the Corvette, Tesla and Mercedes only the Mercedes comes close (and not very close IMHO) to providing the type of automobile that the Bentley is trying to compete with. As I stated before the Corvette addresses a much different audience.

The Tesla is not a touring car unless you think that going from Houston to Beaumont Texas and back is touring. Because of its short range and limited number of charging stations, the Tesla simply does not offer a "practical" means of long distance travel. I am talking about going from Houston to San Diego and on the San Francisco on a whim.

As far as the Mercedes goes, it is simply not in the same class as the Bentley. I have owned Mercedes the majority of my driving life starting back in 1972. IMHO Mercedes has lost its way. For instance the color selection of dealer cars is dismal. Also the vast majority of dealer cars come with plastic seats (Tex Tan - and yes regrettably I have owned a Mercedes with Tex Tan), not leather. Recently I was in the market for a new ML (my 14 year old ML430 was rear ended and totaled). According to my salesman there was only one ML in the county that was silver with grey "leather" seats.

 

MerryMicrobe you make some excellent points. Have been looking at cars and then when getting back into the GTC it makes me feel as if, technology-wise, I stepped back into 2001. Even the newer Bentley cars appear to lack the in-car tech I see in other vehicles, and perhaps should have made that point a bit clearer. My apologies if I missed making that point.


Fully agree the Vette is a different car, as is the Tesla, etc. It's kinda funny as the newest Cadillac, which impresses me how well they have done over the years versus, say, Lincoln, has come on strong within their sector. Yes the Bentley is different than the Mercedes, yet when it comes to in-car technology Mercedes really do shine brightly over many others including Bentley of course. For those looking for more color choices, Bentley does offer many choices like Rolls Royce, with Rolls Royce offering a far broader selection of bespoke options.


Hopefully the next generation of GT / GTC is able to compete and they offer things the more modern owner finds widely available in automobiles at far lower pricing. Then again perhaps Bentley wants to keep their focus on colors and build quality and not technology options Mercedes and others offer. TVR plans to offer a very stripped down car per se and there will surely be a market for that. So many brilliant choices in the marketplace


Perhaps it is me as am a tech guy, so as prices are so very high for a Bentley i'd also want things perhaps Bentley feels is not important. This is what makes the auto industry so wonderful, as you can choose what vehicle /options suits your needs / desires. In many ways there has never been a better time to be a car enthusiast, as there are so many great cars to choose from.

 

First let me state that I feel that I was too strong in my statements. It took me a while to compose my post and because of my strong feelings about my GTC and RR Ghost I could not contain my feelings.

I think you are right.

Could you be more specific about the technologies that you are talking about. I have a 2013 GTC and a 2011 Ghost so maybe you could do some technology comparisons (not styling) with Mercedes that could make things clearer. I say "not styling" because you will not convince me that I don't have two of the handsomest automobiles on the planet as most of us feel we have about our PMCs.

 

Regarding in-car tech, I believe this was in reference to the integration for technology of our lives into cars - whether it is bluetooth, streaming MP3's into stereo, standard GPS/Navi, HDD's, monitors, heated/cooled seats, configurable screens, etc... Even a base Ford Fusion would send most luxury brands to the winds with its integrated tech... GM's remote start app, history logs (for those that lend cars to children, etc...), maintenance reports, unlocking, etc... Technology is cheap, and there is no excuse for every car NOT to have basic things (some could even passed as safety requirements - i.e. bluetooth message translators, hands-free, etc...).

Mercedes does an AMAZING job at putting tech in cars, but usually at a premium. This isn't because their chipsets cost more, nor is it engineering. It is what I don't get about their costs (or maybe why investors like their profit margin). Same with Porsche (my biggest issue is their pricing model - give 'x' for '$y', but then remove something 'x-1', then sell for '$y+1'). Bentley's competition has been improving, while Bentley has maintained a standard (though higher than most, if not all) for driver/passenger comfort. As this delta decreases, the price should, too, or the market will level itself, removing Bentley (which further removes profits/sales, as the impression of a fading make is often a deterrent in itself).

 

Jaspergtr,

I have tried to distill your post into specific items. Here goes:

What I believe I have in either the Bentley, RR or both:
bluetooth,
streaming MP3's into stereo,
standard GPS/Navi,
HDD's,
monitors,
heated/cooled seats,
remote start app,
unlocking,
hands-free

What I am not sure about or don't know what it is:
configurable screens,
history logs (for those that lend cars to children, etc...),
maintenance reports,
bluetooth message translators

Please let me know if you differ with my understanding of these features. If you have the time I would be intrigued to understand what "bluetooth message translators" means. I did Google "bluetooth message translators" and had only two results, one of which quoted you on this forum.

Like I said before I recently went to considerable trouble to replace my totaled ML430 with a Mercedes SUV (among several other makes). I did not find these cars to have features that would warrant such statements as:

Bentley still lags behind dramatically even within their 2015 models.

Have been looking at cars and then when getting back into the GTC it makes me feel as if, technology-wise, I stepped back into 2001. Even the newer Bentley cars appear to lack the in-car tech I see in other vehicles

Even a base Ford Fusion would send most luxury brands to the winds with its integrated tech

Technology is cheap, and there is no excuse for every car NOT to have basic things (some could even passed as safety requirements - i.e. bluetooth message translators, hands-free, etc

Mercedes does an AMAZING job at putting tech in cars

the market will level itself, removing Bentley (which further removes profits/sales, as the impression of a fading make is often a deterrent in itself)

Respectfully,
MerryMicrobe

 

Perhaps a better description would have been voice-to-text (the ability to read/listen to incoming texts without taking hands off wheel, or eyes off the road). Honda CR-V's have it.

History (differs slightly between apps and makes) can display either maintenance history (oil changes, etc...), to where the car was parked on various days/times - on your phone (android / iphone).

configurable screens - either on the Chrysler 300, Chevy Camaro/Stingray, Nissan GT-R, or Lamborghini Aventador, there are screens that offer gauges that you can change, based on preference. Some have preloaded screens (boost guage/engine oil temp/etc...), and some you can configure yourself (whichever guages you want to pay attention to - G-meter, temps, etc...). These come standard in several cars.

Browser window in center console (Tesla).

Admittedly, our Tesla was probably the most fun to explore. It is like a tablet on wheels.

 

you're are, all of you, most probably right...or wrong.

I feel that owning and driving a Bentley is all about feeling and tradition..

when you buy a Bentley, or a RR, you don't buy technology on wheels but a piece of automotive history.

the leather work, the woodwork even the outdated ergonomic and technology are all part of the brand DNA.

Bentley has always been a driver's car and will never be a ''geek'' dream....I hope.

 

ULSTRUP, you are also right... in your eyes. The Bentley meets your needs and desires and that's wonderful! There are those of us who feel for the high price it should offer much more, especially when they come standard in cars costing $40k. At $80k you get some really great features in some cars, with the $125k mark being Mercedes territory of incredible tech and performance. So at the $200k mark some of us feel there needs to be far more than just leather and wood work wrapped around the core of a VW Phaeton.

You make an excellent point, too, about a 'driver's car'. For you it is the Bentley. For me, it would be a Ferrari F40, a TVR, perhaps the Lotus (if you give it more engine)... and of course the beloved Caterham. A Noble is a wonderful car in so many ways. For me, those are 'driver's cars'. The Bentley is an all-around grand touring vehicle capable in all-weather conditions. She truly is awesome in the snow too!

As I shop around looking at a variety of vehicles it makes me wonder what Bentley will do next, as am sure they already know they are falling far behind the curve in the luxury grand touring sector.

 

Thank you for your descriptions. However, IMHO, the four things (that my Bentley and RR may or may not have) do not have enough value to warrant me to feel that my cars are materially behind the times.
. configurable screens,
. history logs (for those that lend cars to children, etc...),
. maintenance reports,
. bluetooth message translators
In fact the history logs feature is of no value because who in their right mind is going to lend a $270,000 Bentley GTC to a child.

Interestingly you do not mention features, which are on my Bentley and/or RR, that have significantly more value those four features (that my cars may or may not have):
. Adaptive Cruse Control
. Collision Warning
. Park Distance Control
. Backup Camera Display (probably on most cars)
. Top View Camera Display
. Traffic Side View
. Night Vision with Pedestrian Detection
. Heads-up Display
Just to name a few.

Respectfully,
MerryMicrobe

 

Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder!

I wonder how many members of this forum agree with:
"...what Bentley will do next, as am sure they already know they are falling far behind the curve in the luxury grand touring sector."

 

Roger.
A lot more cars are coming with standard back up cameras (again, safety, as long as they are not relied solely)
Park Distance is included (even on my wife's minivan - which came standard with back-up camera)
Adaptive cruise is also standard on some now (to my dismay)
Heads up display was standard on my 1989 Nissan 180SX (in Japan).
Night vision I've only ever seen on Mercedes, so I'm not sure which other makes do this.

But yes, there are always going to be one or two that are slightly different. There are a LOT more on a Mercedes S-class that I haven't included. Just pointing out that a lot of these features are standard on some vehicles that cost around $20k, instead of $200k.

History (for GM) - wasn't just for child use - it can be used for MANY things... tracking mileage/fuel budgets/getting directions to places you've been to in the past, without GPS destination data, etc... time/distances from location to location, etc... It is quite the feature. But it is just an app that only costs a few dollars (I think this was introduced as a subscription for first years after purchase), I'm sure more vendors will be adding these features as time goes on.

I'm not trying to compare a minivan, or Honda Civic to a Bentley, as there are MANY differences in the actual cars that are worth an incredible amount of materials and engineering. I was just discussing the tech side of things (as it was brought up by another poster). As tech becomes more important (and integrated) to our lives, this should trickle down to our lives that exist between home/work/etc... I actually saw a review of Aston Martin being somewhat rubbish because of the lack of tech in the car. While I disagree that the Vantage (S) is rubbish, I did see the relevance of lacking tech inside the car.

 

Let's net it out. The other poster stated:
"...what Bentley will do next, as am sure they already know they are falling far behind the curve in the luxury grand touring sector."

First: Do you agree with his statement?

Second: If you do, please pick one car (not a multitude of cars) that is of touring quality and list the specific features that a modern Bentley lacks.

Thanks for your input,
MerryMicrobe

 

While I wouldn't say they are falling behind the curve, they certainly aren't leading it, like they used to (when comfort was the main goal). Other makes have caught up in terms of ride comfort, and now seek other ways to improve the luxury aspect.

But to introduce 2 of my personal favorites (excluding Aston, because I think the tech world is passing them by), BMW 650i xDrive M Sport, and Mercedes S63 AMG 4Matic Coupe.

My preference is for AWD (like the CGT). In my experience, I enjoyed the drive a LOT more in the Continental, than in other coupes. So much so, for a few days, I forgot it was a coupe. It felt like a rolling living room... and I don't mean that in a bad way - it was undeniably luxurious. I never felt that it 'needed' more tech. But if I were looking at one today, I'd definitely be cross-shopping other coupes that offer some decent performance with a bit of comfort.