ethanol

All Bentley Continental Models to be Flex-Fuel-Capable in June

2011 Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible – Click above for high-res image gallery

It may not be the most interesting news you read all week, but we now have a date at which all Bentley Continentals will be able to gulp down whiskey with the best of 'em: June. Well, not exactly whiskey, but ethanol's pretty close. Bentley had made the announcement (sans date) at the Geneva Motor Show when it showed off the Continental Supersports Convertible.

Bentley sees this move as a big first step in reaching its stated goal of offering an entirely biofuel-capable lineup by 2012. In its latest form, Bentley's twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 offers up 621 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque. That's sufficient to push the big Conti' to 60 miles per hour in 3.9 seconds and on up to a top speed of 202 mph.

As the Continental is Bentley's most popular model line by far, this means that over half of all cars the luxury brand sells this year will be flex-fuel models. For those keeping track, the Brooklands coupe (which will soon be discontinued), Azure sedan and the soon-to-be-released Mulsanne sedan (the replacement for the long-running Arnage) are still not yet biofuel capable. According to Automotive News, the Mulsanne will be E85-capable shortly after its launch later this year.

Gallery: Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req'd]

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Bentley Reportedly Delays Flex-Fuel Capability for 2010 Continental Supersports

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

Bentley Continental Supersports - Click above for high-res image gallery

While the environmental merits of any 621 horsepower, twelve-cylinder behemoth that's capable of traveling at speeds of up to 204 miles per hour are (to say the least) debatable, Bentley hasn't exactly been shy about touting the green angle of its upcoming 2010 Continental Supersports.

Add one more black mark to the car's eco credibility as word comes by way of Green Car Advisor that U.S. laws and "engineering challenges" that include the fitment of hardened valve seats in the W12 engine mean that the first 200 Supersports imported to the United States won't actually be flex-fuel capable.

Ah well, somehow we doubt that buyers willing to plunk down the $267,000 it takes to park a twin-turbocharged Continental Supersports in their driveway will be all that concerned with pumping ethanol in the tank.

Gallery: Bentley Continental Supersports Unveil

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

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Tags: bentley, bentley continental, bentley continental supersports, BentleyContinental, BentleyContinentalSupersports, continental, continental supersports, ContinentalSupersports, ethanol, ethanol bentley, EthanolBentley, flex-fuel, flex-fuel bentley, Flex-fuelBentley

Lazareth Wazuma Bio V12 Packs 500 Horsepower on Ethanol

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Looking for the ultimate toy for the ultimate thrill-ride? You could be looking at it right now. It's called the Lazareth Wazuma Bio V12, and it very well might be the last word in that all-important power-to-weight ratio.

Built in France by Lazareth Motorcycles, the Wazuma takes a BMW V12 with 500 horsepower and places it in a quad-bike frame. Think of it as two monster motorcycles and you're still only halfway there. It runs on E85 ethanol, which has the parallel benefits of both boosting power and running on a renewable energy source, so everyone from the motorhead to the environmental activist can get on board. But they'll have to pay a handsome €200,000 ($283,000) for the privilege.

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Tags: e85, ethanol, ethanol quad, EthanolQuad, lazareth, lazareth cycles, lazareth motorcycles, lazareth quad, lazareth wazuma, lazareth wazuma bio v12, lazareth wazuma v12, lazareth-motorcycles, LazarethCycles, LazarethMotorcycles, LazarethQuad, LazarethWazuma, LazarethWazumaBioV12, LazarethWazumaV12, v12 quad, V12Quad

Lotus Exige 270E, Three Fuels Are Better Than One?

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Green

In the search for a greener future including more eco-friendly vehicles Lotus is taking matters into their own hands to ensure the existence of the internal combustion engine inside a carbon-neutral car. Sounds improbable, right? Well, think again because they've done it with the Lotus Exige 270E. A tri-fuel car, running on gasoline, ethanol AND methanol, the 270E runs at its peak of 270hp best when using the third fuel option. The methanol can be synthetically produced by atmospheric CO2 and hydrogen produced via renewable electric power and shipped the same way as gasoline is currently. Not only can innovative autos be green but fast and fun too!

Gallery: Lotus Exige 270E

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Tags: ethanol, gasoline, lotus-exige, lotus-exige-270E, methanol, tri-fuel

Igloo Fireplace

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

EcoSmart Fire is an Australian innovation that makes an environmentally friendly open fireplace. The EcoSmart Fire is flue less and doesn't need to be hooked up to a fuel supply so it is perfect for apartments. The fireplace uses denatured ethanol that burns clean and is low maintenance. The EcoSmart Fire lends itself to a bunch of cool designs including the Cube and the Igloo (shown here) which is a free standing piece of furniture with a toughened glass frame for the back and sides and a non-comubustible floating shelf made of corian that can accommodate a tray that the EcoSmart burner is inserted into. The Igloo sells for $8249.40 from The Magazine.

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Tags: ecosmart fire, EcosmartFire, ethanol, fireplace, home decor, luxury