Bentley is the definitive British grand tourer. Founded to build "a fast car, a good car," the brand today blends earth-shattering W12 power with exquisite hand-stitched leather. From the Continental GT to the Bentayga, Bentley offers a driving experience of effortless speed and absolute silence, hand-built in Crewe.
Explore the current production vehicles.
The definitive grand tourer of the modern era. The Continental GT masterfully blends supercar performance with exquisite, handcrafted luxury and cross-continental comfort. It is the heart of the modern Bentley brand and the benchmark for its class.
The world's finest luxury four-door grand tourer. The Flying Spur combines the breathtaking performance of the Continental GT with a spacious, limousine-like rear cabin. It is an unparalleled fusion of thrilling dynamics and serene, first-class travel.
The original ultra-luxury SUV that redefined the segment. The Bentayga offers the commanding presence and go-anywhere capability of an SUV with the handcrafted interior and effortless performance that only a Bentley can provide. The benchmark for luxury utility.
An ultra-exclusive, coach-built grand tourer that serves as a glorious farewell to the legendary W12 engine. The Batur is a showcase of Mulliner's bespoke capabilities and previews the design language of Bentley's electric future. A true collector's masterpiece.
The last of the great, traditional Bentley flagships. The Mulsanne was the final guardian of the legendary 6.75-litre V8, a majestic and entirely hand-built limousine that represented the pinnacle of old-world British craftsmanship and effortless torque.
The grand saloon that bridged two eras of Bentley. The Arnage was a powerful and opulent sedan, initially with a BMW engine but truly defined by the later return of the iconic 6.75-litre V8. A true statement of British luxury and power.
The ultimate expression of four-seat, open-top grand touring. The Azure was a vast and impossibly elegant convertible, a hand-built land yacht that offered a serene, first-class cruising experience with the sky as its roof. Unparalleled elegance.
A true leviathan; a muscular, pillarless coupe based on the Azure. The Brooklands was a rare and exclusive grand tourer with immense torque from its 6.75-litre V8, a tribute to the powerful, gentlemanly racers of Bentley's storied past.
The car that put the 'B' back in Bentley. The Turbo R was a revelation, a 'hooligan in a dinner jacket' that injected ferocious turbocharged performance back into the brand, creating the template for the modern, high-speed luxury saloon.
Arguably the most beautiful Bentley ever made. The R-Type Continental was a masterpiece of post-war design, the fastest four-seat car in the world at the time. Its stunning fastback shape created the 'Continental' legend that endures to this day.
The icon of the 'Bentley Boys.' The supercharged 4½ Litre 'Blower' was a brute, a thunderous, front-heavy racing car built for pure, raw speed. It is the enduring symbol of Bentley's heroic, Le Mans-dominating pre-war era of motorsport.
W.O. Bentley's final and greatest masterpiece. The 8 Litre was a colossal and magnificent automobile, a car of such immense power and quality that it could carry the heaviest coachwork at over 100 mph. The pinnacle of vintage-era engineering.
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There is a specific feeling you get when you close the door of a Bentley. It is not a "click" or a "clang." It is a heavy, airtight "thump" that instantly separates you from the outside world. The noise of the cityâthe honking taxis, the construction jackhammers, the yelling pedestriansâsimply vanishes. You are cocooned in a vault of double-paned glass, bull hide leather, and mirror-matched wood veneers.
But Bentley is not just about being a mobile lounge. Unlike its rival Rolls-Royce, which focuses on isolating you from the sensation of driving, Bentley demands that you take the wheel. This is a brand built on a foundation of racing dominance. It is luxury, yes, but it is luxury moving at 200 miles per hour. In the American market, where we value both comfort and the ability to merge onto a freeway with authority, Bentley occupies a unique sweet spot. It is the "Silent Sports Car."
To really get this brand, you have to rewind to the Roaring Twenties. W.O. Bentley founded the company in 1919 with a simple mission: "To build a fast car, a good car, the best in its class." He didn't just want to build fancy carriages; he wanted to win races.
Enter "The Bentley Boys." This was a group of wealthy British playboys, adventurers, and aviators who lived fast and drove faster. They took these massive, heavy cars to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and absolutely dominated, winning five times between 1924 and 1930. They proved that a luxury car could also be durable and fast. That DNA is still in the cars today. When you press the gas pedal in a modern Continental GT, you are channeling the spirit of those guys who raced all day and partied all night.
Let's address the elephant in the room. For decades, Bentley was owned by Rolls-Royce and, frankly, became a "badge-engineered" afterthought. But in 1998, the Volkswagen Group purchased Bentley. This was the turning point.
VW poured billions into the Crewe factory in England. They introduced German engineering precision, modern electronics, and reliable W12 engines, but they left the British craftsmanship alone. They understood that you can't automate the soul of a Bentley. The result? Cars that start every morning, electronics that actually work, and a build quality that feels like it was carved from a single block of granite.
If you ever visit the factory in Crewe, you won't just see robots. You will see people. Lots of them.
Bentley's modern lineup is small but incredibly focused. Each car serves a distinct purpose for the American buyer.
This is the car that defines the modern Bentley. It is the quintessential Grand Tourer (GT). What does that mean? It means it is fast enough to keep up with a Ferrari but comfortable enough to drive from New York to Miami without back pain. Available as a coupe or a convertible (GTC), it usually features the massive W12 engine or a lighter, sportier V8.
If you need back seats that can actually fit adults (or business partners), you buy the Flying Spur. It is a luxury sedan that thinks it is a sports car. It is incredibly fast, but the rear seat experience is first-class, often featuring massage seats, champagne fridges, and entertainment screens. It is for the driver who sometimes wants to be driven.
Purists hate it; customers love it. The Bentayga is Bentley's SUV. When it launched, it was the fastest, most luxurious SUV in the world. It opened the brand up to families and people who live in snowy climates like Aspen or heavy winters in Chicago. It offers all the wood and leather of the cars, but with the ride height and cargo space Americans demand.
Bentley is famous for the W12 engine. Imagine two V6 engines smashed together. It produces a "wall of torque." You don't really accelerate in a W12 Bentley; you surge. It feels like a relentless wave pushing you forward. However, the V8 models are often the "driver's choice." The V8 is lighter, making the nose of the car more agile in corners, and the exhaust note is a bit more aggressive and guttural.
Buying a Bentley is an event. You sit in a "Commissioning Suite" and choose from thousands of paint colors and leather combinations. But on the secondary market, you need to be smart.
Depreciation on these cars is steepâlike "falling off a cliff" steep. That's bad for the first owner but great for the second. However, maintenance is not for the faint of heart. Brake jobs can cost as much as a used Honda. Tires are massive and expensive. You are buying a car with complex hydraulics, air suspension, and twin-turbochargers. Service records are mandatory. If a previous owner skipped a service to save money, run away.
Ultimately, a Bentley is a reward. It is a statement that you have arrived, but you aren't done moving. It is for the person who appreciates the journey just as much as the destinationâand wants to get there faster than anyone else, in absolute comfort.
The primary difference lies in the body style and intended use:
Both models share the same Continental platform and engine options, including the V8 and W12.
The W12 engine is Bentleyâs signature powerhouse, featuring a unique "W" configuration that allows a 12-cylinder engine to be as compact as a V8.
Known for its massive torque and incredible smoothness, the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 allows a heavy luxury car to reach speeds of over 200 mph (322 km/h) effortlessly. Bentley recently announced the end of W12 production, making these engines highly collectible.
Historically, they were partners under the same ownership from 1931 until 1998. However, they are now entirely separate competitors.
Today, Bentley is owned by the Volkswagen Group, while Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW. Bentley focuses more on "sporting luxury" and driver engagement, whereas Rolls-Royce prioritizes ultimate passenger isolation and "waftability."
Mulliner is Bentleyâs bespoke coachbuilding division. It is the oldest coachbuilder in the world, dating back to the 1500s (originally for horse-drawn carriages).
Today, a Mulliner specification Bentley features the highest level of personalization, including rare wood veneers, unique stitch patterns (like "diamond-in-diamond" quilting), and paint colors that are not available on standard models.
The L-Series 6.75-liter V8 is the longest-running V12/V8 engine design in history, produced from 1959 until 2020.
It was famously known for having "adequate" power (Bentleyâs traditional way of saying it had more than enough). It powered the flagship Mulsanne and is beloved by enthusiasts for its low-revving, tidal wave of torque that defines the classic Bentley feel.
Each Bentley is handcrafted at the factory in Crewe, England. Depending on the model and the level of Mulliner customization, it can take anywhere from 130 to over 400 man-hours to complete a single car.
The interior alone takes significant time; for example, a single steering wheel requires 5 meters of thread and up to 5 hours of hand-stitching by a specialist.
The "Flying B" stands for the founder, Walter Owen (W.O.) Bentley. The wings symbolize the brandâs origins in aviation; during World War I, W.O. Bentley designed the BR1 and BR2 rotary engines for fighter planes.
An interesting detail: on vintage Bentleys, the number of feathers on each wing was often unequal to prevent counterfeiters from easily copying the badge.
Yes. Despite its luxury interior, the Bentley Bentayga is highly capable off-road. It features permanent all-wheel drive and a sophisticated 48-volt electronic active roll control system.
This technology allows the car to be stiff and flat during high-speed cornering on pavement, but can instantly disconnect the anti-roll bars to allow for maximum wheel articulation when crawling over rocks or sand.
The Speed designation is reserved for the most powerful and performance-oriented versions of the Continental and Flying Spur.
Bentley Speed models feature an uprated chassis, specifically tuned electronic limited-slip differentials (eLSD), and increased horsepower from the W12 engine, making them the fastest four-seat luxury cars in the world.
As part of its Beyond100 strategy, Bentley is transitioning to a fully electric lineup by 2030. Currently, they offer Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) versions of the Bentayga and Flying Spur.
These hybrids allow for silent, electric-only driving in city centers while providing the long-range touring capability of a traditional V6 or V8 gasoline engine for longer journeys.