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Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Bentley

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Bentley GTC Speed

The Bentley GTC has only been out for two years and a bit, but you might not know that; the car is so popular in some parts that it has become something like Ugg Boots for the monied-up automotive fashionista. Like its other Continental stablemates, Bentley has finally taken the drophead into their Speed garage for the transformation from really fast to "Egads!" fast.

It emerges from said garage with its twin-turbo W12 producing 553 lb-ft. of torque and 600 horsepower - 100 ponies more than the Azure T, making it the most powerful convertible Bentley has ever made. The Speed treatment alters the front end, with a more upright, dark-tinted matrix grille flanked by chrome bezels around the headlights, and the face is framed by firmer lines sweeping up from the lower air dam.

While it is still not - and isn't mean to be - a sports car, the handling ante is upped by a lowered ride height, low-friction dampers, stiffer rear axle bushings, wider tires, and retuned steering. When it's time to stop, newly available carbon-ceramic brakes, at 16.5 inches up front and 14 inches in back, are the largest factory-fitted brakes on a passenger car today.

When it's time to get on it, you'll reach 60 in 4.5 seconds, and with the top up you'll find terminal velocity is 200 miles-per-hour with the lid up. Should you not wish to go easy on your follicles, the GTC will still reach 195 mph with the top down - just make sure to lather up your 'do with plenty of product.

There are two new official exterior paint choices from the factory: Aquamarine and Blue Crystal, and you can get the interior done in Aquamarine as well. However, since Bentley's bespoke department will make your GTC any color you want, that's probably of little concern to most buyers. Even so, we must ask: who's been requesting an Aquamarine interior? Check out the full GTC Speed press release after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: Detroit 2009 Preview: Bentley GTC Speed

[Source: Bentley]

Continue reading Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least

Detroit Preview: Bentley GTC Speed is last, but not least originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT caught in the cold

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Spy Photos, Crossovers/CUVs, Lincoln

Click above for high-res image gallery of 2010 Lincoln MKT spy shots

Just a year after the MKT Concept debuted at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show, Lincoln will be unveiling the production version of its new three-row CUV next month at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Fortunately, our spy photographers have snapped the most revealing views yet of this new Lincoln being driven out on the snowy streets of Dearborn. As you can see, the production MKT holds true to the design direction set by the concept with the largest version yet of Lincoln's signature split-wing grille and that conspicuous kink at the base of the C-pillar. In profile, the MKT seems to share a roofline with the Audi Q7 that creates a soft arch from front to back, and the rear gate is also tilted far forward to avoid the upright, boxy look of a traditional SUV or CUV.

Though the MKT is based on the same platform and shares many components with the Ford Flex, you could never tell by looking at it. There's no badge engineering going on here, and one could argue whereas the Flex design focuses on slab sides and accentuates the horizontal, the MKT is soft and organic with a focus on being sinewy rather than blocky.

Our spy photographers also snapped the dash, which continues a trend at Lincoln of upgrading the materials and incorporating the latest technology. That's real wood stretching across the instrument panel, and you'd be hard pressed to find a larger navigation screen in any other production vehicle (other than another Ford or Lincoln).

Finally, we also noticed that this particular prototype is wearing all of its badging, including an EcoBoost badge that confirms at least one engine choice will be an EcoBoost V6 that features turbocharging and direct injection. Keep your eyes on Autoblog in early January for our coverage of the 2009 Detroit Auto Show where we'll finally see Lincoln's future in person.

Gallery: 2010 Lincoln MKT - spy shots

[Photos: KGP Photography]

Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT caught in the cold originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: 2010 BMW Z4

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles, Sports/GTs, BMW

Click above for high-res image gallery of the 2010 BMW Z4

BMW will unveil the all-new Z4 roadster at the Detroit Auto Show next month, but there's no need to wait for the show in Motown to see the car in non-spyshot form, as all the Euro-spec details were officially released when the clock struck midnight in Munich. We're into the new bodywork, which is pretty voluptuous compared to the preceding model, with a hint of 507 lineage evident in the car's lines. Follow the jump for the rest of the skinny.

Gallery: 2010 BMW Z4