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The 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed, Bentley has dropped pictures and details of its new flagship performance car and ‘its fastest production model ever’. Bentley has announced its newly updated Continental GT Speed model ahead of its official debut at the upcoming Goodwood Festival of Speed.

“For nearly a decade, the 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed 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,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer, Bentley’s Chairman and CEO. “The new 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine with its harder-edged, sportier character reaffirms this pinnacle positioning and continues to broaden the worldwide appeal of the Continental coupe.”

The new performance flagship for the luxury British automaker will feature 625 PS (616 bhp/460 kW) at 6000 rev/min and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque from an enhanced 6.0-liter, twin turbocharged W12 engine, supercar performance with effortless overtaking capability. The result is a sporty coupe that does 0-60 mph in just 4 seconds (0-100 km/h in 4.2s) flat with a top speed of 205 mph (329 km/h). Mated to the engine is a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission that will also improve fuel economy by up to 12 percent compared to its predecessor.

The new 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine, rolling on unique 21-inch wheels shod in 275/35R21 Pirelli PZero tires, is destined for a top speed of 205 mph and dash to 60 mph from a standstill in 4 seconds flat. To get to such a high speed, the 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine permanently directs power to all four wheels through a close-ratio ZF 8-speed automatic transmission and benefits from lowered uprated suspension for better handling.

The muscular, elegantly sculpted coachwork of the Continental coupe is subtly enhanced with design touches which reinforce the sporting character of the new model. Most notable are the dark-tinted matrix front grille and lower air intakes and the ‘rifled’ finish to the exhaust tailpipes. The new 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine delivers supreme levels of performance with no compromise in comfort, refinement, craftsmanship and quality. Using only the finest natural materials, the hand-crafted cabin of the 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine features the Mulliner Driving Specification as standard as well as a number of signature Speed design cues that combine contemporary luxury with a distinctly sporting character.

Standard fitment on all Continental models, the permanent all-wheel drive system, employing a central Torsen differential, harnesses the prodigious power and torque of the new 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine and ensures huge levels of grip and stability whatever the road or weather conditions.
The public debut of the 2013 Bentley Sport Cars Continental GT Speed W12 engine will be held at the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2012 with deliveries to start in October.

The latest concept that’s scheduled to break cover at the biggest auto show of the year is the Kia Sports Sedan Concept. FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive Sport sedan with suicide doors, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. It has certainly taken the company too long to get around to designing a sports car, but Kia's first rear-wheel drive car is a beauty, and it's packing a V-6 turbo, too. Kia has been changing what people think about Korean cars for well over a year now thanks to some impressive designs, and now the automaker is looking to add some performance to its lineup with the new Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show – the first ever rear-drive vehicle by Kia.

This is the GT concept. Kia has appeared to step out of their zone of bland economy cars and into the arena of sleek custom cars. The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show apparently gives a hint to the company's new design direction inspired by "the iconic 1970s GT cars, capable of whisking passengers from Paris to the South of France in effortless style and at high speed. It would be a dream to put this into production" says Peter Schreyer, Kia design chief. "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."

Set to be unveiled tomorrow at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is a rear-drive coupe-styled sport sedan that we can now confirm is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injection 3.3-liter V6 making 395-hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. Helping get power to the ground in a smooth and fuel efficient manner is an 8-speed automatic transmission. This four-seat concept, introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, hints at the expected rear-wheel-drive sports car sedan from Kia—which would be a first for the brand. It’s looking like a pretty sure thing, while also looking pretty darn good and unlike anything we’ve seen yet from Korea.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, it’s a turbocharged version of the direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine the conglomerate sells in other markets. In this application, it’s tied to the new eight-speed automatic seen in the Genesis and Equus, and delivers 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The engine makes sense as the downsized replacement for the Koreans’ current 4.6-liter V-8. When the GT—or some semblance thereof—goes into production, either a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated V-6 will likely power the base model.

“This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer.  ”The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

Ignore the carbon-fiber wheel fins and sills, the glass-panel OLED interior controls, and the suicide doors, and you still end up with an attractive and eye-catching design. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer has gone on record saying he wants to build more interesting and fun-to-drive cars, and this is one about which he’s clearly excited. The GT’s silhouette reminds somewhat of the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7, which is no bad thing. At least when it comes to styling, where it has in the past diverged most from its Hyundai sibling, Kia seems to be heading in the right direction.

New vehicle platforms being the expensive, engineering-intensive undertakings that they are, we fully expect the production version of this concept to ride on underpinnings shared with Hyundai. Kia even supplied dimensions for the GT (more evidence of an imminent if not already lit green light), quoting a wheelbase of 112.6 inches, which is three inches shy of the Hyundai Genesis sedan’s and 1.6 greater than the Genesis Coupe’s. In other words, it’s doable with the company’s current rear-drive parts.

The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, 690 mm long and 1.890 mm wide concept car, which signals Kia’s distinctive new design direction, has the classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of a high performance sport car sedan which ensures very different proportions from a front-wheel drive car.

The new concept allowed Kia to explore exciting new visual paths – with an extended bonnet, the front wheels pushed to the very front of the car, the cab-rearward stance with powerful rear shoulders and a truncated rear end. The front doors and rear-hinged back doors open at a slight upward angle ensuring easy access to the spacious and airy interior which provides generous, uncluttered cabin accommodation for four – thanks in part to the Kia GT’s unusually long wheelbase (2.860 mm) and despite its low stance, overall height is just 1.380 mm.