1996 Bentley Azure Reviews

You can thank/blame (take your pick) Scottish engineer James Watt for the confusing way we measure engine performance in cars. He was the person that came up with the bright idea of measuring power based on a horse.

As the automotive industry's peak body warns of challenging times ahead for the new-car market in Australia due to rising costs and high interest rates, there is one corner of the market that is thriving.

The Bentley Flying Spur Speed is the place where decadent luxury and performance meet. It is a very special and frankly quite unusual car, and a very expensive one, too. We flew to a private race track in Japan to find out what it's like.

Bentley is waving goodbye to its preferred and powerful 12-cylinder engines forever, and the Continental GT Speed is its first change to show off the new, hybrid V8 set up that will power all its vehicles, in various levels of tune, from now on (aside from its first full BEV, which is coming). It's also given the Continental a very impressive, and extensive, facelift.

Yet another ‘most powerful’ brand record is broken, this time by the 2025 Bentley Continental GT Speed plug-in hybrid. Although exciting, it marks a sad end to Bentley’s unique W12 engine configuration after production ceased at Crewe in April 2024. The revised cross-plane single-turbo 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine is allied to a 140kW/450Nm electric motor integrated into the eight-speed transmission. The system punches out 575kW and 1000Nm, enough to get the grand tourer from rest to 100km/h in 3.2 seconds. For the first time, the Continental GT hardtop is launched alongside its rag-top GTC relation – excitingly available with tweed as a material choice for the hood. Though visually similar to the car it replaces, Bentley's muscular fourth-generation Continental GT features 68 per cent all-new componentry. The Continental GT is the first mainstream non coach-built model since the 1959 S2 to feature single headlights; modern Matrix LED items, naturally. An active anti-roll system powered by the 48-volt electrical system, new ESC programming and a rear-axle active eLSD help harness all the punch. Mounted behind the rear wheel, the larger 25.9kWh battery allows 81km of electric-only driving range (WLTP) and can charge in two hours and 45 minutes at 11kW (AC). Bentley claims a ‘perfect’ 49:51 weight distribution for the all-wheel drive grand tourer. To show off the new powertrain’s capability, Bentley set a unique ‘underwater speed record’ using the world’s longest tunnel. The two-door hit 335km/h in the 14.4km long Ryfylke undersea road tunnel in Norway, running on renewable biofuel and green electricity. To haul up the Continental GT Speed, steel brakes are standard though Carbon-Silicon-Carbide brakes with 440mm front and 410mm rear rotors are optionally available. Inside, luxury and personalisation is the name of the game for the four-seater. The Continental GT has 20-way power-adjust seats with quilted leather upholstery, 'Auto Posture Adjust' and automatic heating plus ventilation.The Continental GT gets a 650-watt stereo as standard with both 16-speaker 1500W Bang & Olufsen or flagship 18-speaker 2200W Naim sound system with 'Active Bass Transducers' available. Australian pricing and specification is yet to be confirmed for Bentley’s Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin DB12 and Ferrari 12Cilindri rival.

It’s not breaking news that Australians are buying cars in record numbers, but the kind of cars we’re buying may surprise you because it seems to suggest many of us have too much money.

Sure, we all know things are tough, but clearly they’re less tough for some of us, because luxury car sales - and we mean genuinely luxury ones - have been on the rise over the past decade.

Think $170K is a lot to spend on a Mercedes-Benz SUV? Well, triple that amount and you're close to the cost-of-entry for the Bentley Bentyaga. But can it handle family duties? We found out.

The height of efficiency meets the pinnacle of luxury. The Bentley Flying Spur is a modern luxury limousine that will appeal to those looking for a premium sedan. But it also features a plug-in hybrid powertrain that will lure those who want to cut their emissions.Does it makes sense? Is it the best of both worlds or a compromised car? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, the Bentley Continental GT has become an iconic member of the British brand’s line-up. We take a spin in the latest iteration to see how this luxury grand tourer is ageing.