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Elevating Luxury: The New Bentley Continental GT Speed Redefines Performance and Efficiency
New, more potent V8 hybrid powertrain adds efficiency and performance; new air suspension brings extra poise
More than anything, the new Bentley Continental GT Speed represents a bold extension of the Crewe company’s abiding philosophy. For the past 40 years, ever since the high-performing Turbo R single-handedly revived a moribund Bentley marque, the firm has specialised in offering cars that seem far too refined and luxurious for their supercar performance. Or viewed another way, cars that seem too practical for their exalted position in the automotive firmament.These capabilities were especially well expressed in the groundbreaking Continental GT of 2003, a car whose dynamics at the time easily equalled those of far less usable front-engined Astons and Ferraris. They were further emphasised when the third-generation 2019 GT adopted the Volkswagen Group's MSB platform (shared with Porsche), which enabled bigger wheels and brakes, lots of extra technology and a reduced front overhang for even better weight distribution.Now it’s time for the fourth-generation car, officially called Continental GT Speed, to widen this virtuous spectrum even further. Central to the new offering is a brand-new plug-in hybrid powertrain, comprising a new 584bhp 4.0-litre V8 engine and a 187bhp electric motor that’s buried inside the engine’s eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The car also gets an even more ideal weight distribution, and a new system of two-mode air springs and dual-valve dampers that bring extra versatility to the three main driving modes (Sport, Comfort and Bentley).Hurricane Aftermath: The Hidden Danger of Electric Vehicle Fires
Electric vehicle fires have made headlines for years now, but in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Category 4 hurricane that caused record devastation from wind, rain, and storm surge, EVs are spontaneously combusting and saltwater is a main culprit. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis urged EV owners to get their vehicles…
Subaru Forester Unveils Sixth Generation: A Dependable Crossover for 2025
Subaru's Forester enters its sixth generation with this revised model that'll go on UK sale in spring 2025.
The Subaru Forester enters its sixth generation next spring with this revised model, mostly picking up where the old one will leave off once current stocks run dry. As we write in October 2024, you can still get into a current Forester, but they won't last forever.Buyers, and there are lots of them who buy Forester upon Forester, like the “safety, durability and capability” of the current car and its predecessors, Subaru says. Those are “rather unsexy” characteristics and owners are “not exactly young”, it admits, but the cars are nothing if not dependable. Of the 1.6 million Subaru has sold in America in the past 10 years, Subaru says 1.5 million are still on the road.This new model, then, aims to deliver the same, but better: a relatively rugged crossover that rivals the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V, while being one of the most dependable and durable cars on sale.Celestial Inspiration: Cars Designed with a Touch of Space
I’ve always had a fascination with space, especially with a dad who does astral photography in his free time, and it’s always cool to see cars that take extraterrestrial inspiration whether it be an economy car’s design or an ultra-luxury car with trim made from moon rocks. The latest in the latter category is the…
BYD’s Strategic Shift: Overcoming EU Tariffs with Local Production
Firm's new European advisor tells Autocar impacts from tariffs are "temporary"
BYD describes the impact of EU tariffs on imported Chinese EVs as “temporary damage” and anticipates it will be the best-positioned Chinese brand in the coming years thanks to local production plans and a flexible powertrain offering.
The brand, which has grown rapidly in Europe over the past two years, is due to open a new factory in Hungary by the end of next year, and another in Turkey soon after.
These will allow it to build European market cars in Europe and avoid the substantial tariffs imposed on Chinese-manufactured cars by the EU.
Speaking at the launch of the Seal U DM-i plug-in hybrid, the first PHEV to join BYD’s European and UK line-up, special European advisor Alfredo Altavilla told Autocar the brand was not happy with the tariffs but said plans were in motion to circumvent them.
“This is going to be temporary damage for BYD,” he said. “In less than a year from now we will become officially a European manufacturer.
“So if you ask me, are you happy with the tariffs? No, but the damage is going to be more limited for BYD than for other Chinese OEMs in terms of volume ambitions. BYD has been the most cooperative Chinese brand with the European Commission. We get the ‘benefit’ of a lower tariff compared with other Chinese OEMs.”
BYD’s cooperation with the European Commission appears to have paid off, at least in the short term.
Following the EU’s decision to raise the tariffs earlier this year, the firm currently pays 17.4% on imports on top of the basic 10% duty applied to all other Chinese brands.
Geely, owner of Polestar, Volvo and Lotus, meanwhile, is required to stump up an extra 19.9%, while MG parent SAIC’s rate is a whopping 37.6%. BYD will be the first Chinese brand to open its own bespoke production facility in Europe.
The move will help cement BYD as a ‘local’ company, a goal outlined to Autocar earlier this year by the company’s president, Stella Li.
“Of course, the factories will have a big impact,” said Altavilla. “This is not just for the tariffs.” He added the move will also help BYD move “much faster” to integrate “European needs and European tastes” into the next generation of its cars.