Bentley Introduces Flagship Continental GT Speed

When 500 lb-ft of torque just isn’t enough, there is now a solution.

Bentley has a new flagship called the Continental GT Speed. The super luxury sedan is powered by a 6.0 liter, 48-valve, twin-turbocharged W12 engine that produces 616 hp, and 590 lb-ft of torque, enabling a 0-60 run in 4 seconds, and a top speed of 205 MPH.

Also included are standard Continental items such as all-wheel drive and Torsen differentials for turning response and traction stability.

“For nearly a decade, the Bentley Continental GT has defined high luxury, high performance grand touring and the unique W12 engine has been so successful that Bentley is now the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder engines. The new GT Speed with its harder-edged, sportier character reaffirms this pinnacle positioning and continues to broaden the worldwide appeal of the Continental coupe,” explains Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive.

The Speed moniker harkens back to 1923 and special performance models developed by company founder W. O. Bentley.

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AMG Celebrates--by Stepping Up Their Game

AMG is celebrating its 45^th anniversary by upping its brand.

As the performance brand of Mercedes-Benz, AMG and Mercedes-Benz have worked together since 1990 to hasten Mercedes-Benz products, with the C 36 AMG their first jointly-developed vehicle. To build on their success, they’ve adopted a new philosophy, AMG Performance 50.

With AMG Performance 50 acting as a growth strategy, AMG plans to add new models, broaden the appeal to younger buyers, and increase performance and innovation. In the United States, the 2013 model range will include 17 AMG products ranging from 415 hp to 621 hp.

According to Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, "We have decided to expand our model range from its current level of 22 vehicles to around 30 vehicles in the future. We are looking to increase our global sales which today stand around 20,000 vehicles, to more than 30,000 vehicles by the time our 50th anniversary, and thereby assert our leading position in this exclusive segment."

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Nissan Joins Green Movement in Brazil

The expanding world market of Brazil is ground zero for the new partnership between Nissan and Petrobras Distribuidora, with the two companies having signed a Memorandum of Understanding to pursue zero emissions in the South American country. 

BR president José Lima de Andrade Neto explains, “Nissan believes in perfect harmony between development and a cleaner planet. Nissan LEAF is proof that it is possible to have zero emissions without compromising the comfort of urban mobility,” says Francois Dossa, general director of Nissan do Brasil. "This partnership with Petrobras Distribuidora reinforces our commitment to the development of Brazil, a country where we have come to stay and are investing heavily.”

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