flex-fuel

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