2013 Hyundai Accent – Review

The 2013 Hyundai Accent is one of the best-equipped small cars, and it gets very good gas mileage, but it’s not quite as exciting to drive as it looks.

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Following a redesign in 2012, the 2013 HyundaiAccent is larger than before, equipped better than ever, and that slightly different take on small cars sets it apart from the moddish newbies like the Fiat 500 and Ford Fiesta. Size and features can be just as important as gas mileage, and that’s the theory at work in the new Accent. It’s more about fiscal responsibility and practicality, and in that way, it has a lot in common with the Nissan Versa, Honda Fit, and its mechanically related cousin, the Kia Rio.

Versus most of its competition–including the Fiesta, the Fit, the Versa, the Chevy Sonic and the ToyotaYaris–the Accent has a styling advantage, provided we’re talking about the five-door hatchback. While the four-door is fine–perhaps a little homely–the five-door nails it, mixing the usual hatchback profile with the cues and details that have become Hyundai’s first real design statement. Cabin design is even better, with nice low-gloss plastics and streamlined controls that altogether give the Accent more presence than you’d expect for the price.
Acceleration, ride, and handling for the 2013 Accent are all on par for this type of car. But thanks to a fuel-stingy direct-injection engine, it reaches a lofty goal of 38 mpg highway for all models, whether you choose the light-touch clutch version or the clean-shifting, Sport-moded automatic.

In terms of actual passenger space, the Accent’s interior is vast for a subcompact. The Honda Fit has more space, and much more versatility, but even tall passengers will be able to find enough head and legroom in the front seats. Hatchbacks have about 8 cubic feet of storage space, but both Accents have big gloveboxes and bins and trays smartphones, energy drinks, and toll change. All the airbags and electronic assists are present in the Accent, though no official safety scores are in.

The Accent earns respect with standard stability control (mandatory in all cars for 2012) and curtain airbags. We consider Bluetooth a safety feature, and it’s available or standard on two of three Accent trim levels–and it’s recommended. The Accent doesn’t offer a rearview camera, however. The IIHS gives it good scores for front and rear impact protection, but only an acceptable grade for side impacts–and the NHTSA grades it at four stars overall, noting that the rear door met a four-star standard, but intruded more than usual.

It’s also leaving leather upholstery and navigation systems to the competition, but the base Accent GLS sedan does come with that safety equipment as well as tilt steering–but no air conditioning, and no audio system. Those are available in packages, along with a USB port, satellite radio and power features. The base Accent GS hatchback has more features than the price-leading sedan, and the SE bundles most of the features in as standard equipment, while still topping out at just under $17,000, not including destination. It’s no longer the least-expensive new car you can buy–the Hyundai Accent is a much bigger, better story than that.

Hyundai Gets A Double At Nigeria Auto Awards

Stylishly crafted Hyundai ix35 crossover and its acquaintance Veloster sport sedan were at the just ended 9th Nigeria Auto Awards honoured with the ‘Most preferred executive SUV’ and ‘Best in design’ awards of the year respectively.
Whilst the ix35 outclassed rival Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Ford Escape in the category, the Veloster had beaten BMW X6 to emerge winner of the coveted honour. The Hyundai ix35 is the Korean company’s rival of crossovers like the Nissan Qashqai, Kia Sportage, Ford Escape, Mazda CX-5, Nissan Qahquai, Renault Captur, Peugeot 3008 and Skoda Yeti.

Hyundai Veloster

Among some distinguishing qualities of the Hyundai ix35 is the interior quality which the panel of adjudicators described as comfortable fit and finish, with robust switches and blue backlighting that gives the interior a classy feel. Coupled with this is the car’s suspension which is designed to order and set-up to provide soft ride and absorb all but the biggest of potholes and bumps that onemay encounter on the roads.

The ix35 interior is adequately insulated and does a great job of filtering out tyre, road and wind noise, while the engines are reasonably powerful, smooth and quiet. Currently adjudged one of the best SUVs in the market, the ix35 comes with the most affordable price tags and some of the best equipment levels around.
Mr. Jatin Nadkarni, Head, Sales and Marketing, Hyundai Motors Nigeria, exclusive distributors of the brand said: “ix35 is one of the most stylish in its class with sleek, sporty look that turns heads in a way you wouldn’t expect from a car with a Hyundai badge.

2014 Honda Crosstour – Review

The Honda Crosstour is no Accord Wagon, and it should be. Instead, it’s fairly invisible on the market, where its hatchback body style doesn’t look as neat as the Accord sedan on which it used to be based, or as practical as a true wagon.

There’s no longer much of anything in common between the Crosstour and the Accord, and that’s the hatchback’s loss. In sum, the Crosstour is a huskier Accord relative, with more sluggish handling.

At least at first look, the Crosstour teases a lot more utility and versatility than Accord sedans. Even if you’re not a convert to the Crosstour’s pumped-up-hatch styling ethos, it offers some key elements of crossover appeal. One is that it rides a couple of inches higher than the Accord sedan and is around four inches taller altogether—which makes getting in and out easier. In front there’s loads of space and headroom, as you might expect, but in back the downward slope of its roofline, as well as the fact that it curves inward, makes headroom a potential issue for taller riders. The cargo situation is disappointing, too, as the strut towers infringe on cargo space (there’s not much space between them), although the seatbacks flip forward. One handy feature, though, is that there’s a large stowage area (large enough for a laptop bag or briefcase) underneath the cargo floor, and the lid can be reversed to an easy-wipe material, for muddy gear.
The Crosstour retains four-cylinder and V-6 engines, and you’ll probably be fine with the adequate performance of the base 192-horsepower four and five-speed automatic transmission. The V-6 models get Honda’s new Earth Dreams 3.5-liter V-6, rated at 278 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, connected to a six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. While the Accord sedan has been ushered over to a front-strut layout—more tunable for ride and handling, Honda says—the Crosstour maintains the double-wishbone layout that for a longtime was a point of pride for Honda enthusiasts. Handling is further aided by front and rear stabilizer bars along with a front strut tower bar, and the steering is hydraulic-assist—standing apart from the electric-assist systems that have been introduced across the new Accord lineup.

Fuel economy has improved across the board, too, with four-cylinder models offering up to 22 mpg city and 31 highway, while the V-6 now gets up to 20/29 mpg. All-wheel-drive models drop 1 or 2 mpg versus those numbers.

That’s all fine and good, but the wake-up call still comes in the realization that the Crosstour is something more than just a five-door Accord, and that it neither drives better than the Accord sedan nor has other attributes (like more ground clearance) to make up for it. The Crosstour drives like an especially heavy, somewhat taller, and less nimble version of the Accord. It weighs about 300 to 500 pounds more, across the board, than a comparable Accord sedan; but even not knowing that you’ll be surprised to find that especially at lower speeds the Accord sedan’s nimble feel is simply missing here.

The most recent update to the Crosstour, in 2013, makes one thing evident: Honda’s clearly making an effort to cast it as more of a crossover in design. It’s a profile that’s proven to be a tough sell. The rounded roofline and five-door-hatchback design of the Crosstour can make it appear a bit hump-backed from some angles, although the front is recognizably Honda and tweaked this year (with a new slotted look in front for more visual width) to keep in pace with the look of the latest Accord sedan. Finally, Honda’s added more cladding, down at the doorsills and around the wheelwells—cluttering the look, if you ask us. In short, it still looks like an overgrown hatchback rather than a true crossover or SUV. Inside, the 2013 gets various materials upgrades, again to correspond to those used in the Accord sedan.

The NHTSA hasn’t rated the Crosstour, but the IIHS gives it a “good” score in available tests–it hasn’t been subjected to the new small-overlap test. Its safety-feature set has been enhanced to include available Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW). It also offers Honda’s LaneWatch blind-spot display, which when you click the turn signal on shows you a wide-angle view alongside the vehicle. Honda also re-shaped the rear headrests for better visibility.

Honda lowered prices marginally last year, and improved content. The Crosstour EX now has standard automatic air conditioning with filtration, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB audio interface, steering wheel-mounted controls, along with an auto dimming rearview mirror. Top shelf EX-L V-6 models add dual-zone automatic climate control, heated leather-trimmed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob, along with HondaLink with Aha capability, Pandora, and Internet radio capability. The system also rolls in the Pandora interface and voice-to-text SMS texting feature (Android and BlackBerry only), with pre-programmed responses.

The Honda Crosstour is no Accord Wagon, and it should be. Instead, it’s fairly invisible on the market, where its hatchback body style doesn’t look as neat as the Accord sedan on which it used to be based, or as practical as a true wagon.

There’s no longer much of anything in common between the Crosstour and the Accord, and that’s the hatchback’s loss. In sum, the Crosstour is a huskier Accord relative, with more sluggish handling.

At least at first look, the Crosstour teases a lot more utility and versatility than Accord sedans. Even if you’re not a convert to the Crosstour’s pumped-up-hatch styling ethos, it offers some key elements of crossover appeal. One is that it rides a couple of inches higher than the Accord sedan and is around four inches taller altogether—which makes getting in and out easier. In front there’s loads of space and headroom, as you might expect, but in back the downward slope of its roofline, as well as the fact that it curves inward, makes headroom a potential issue for taller riders. The cargo situation is disappointing, too, as the strut towers infringe on cargo space (there’s not much space between them), although the seatbacks flip forward. One handy feature, though, is that there’s a large stowage area (large enough for a laptop bag or briefcase) underneath the cargo floor, and the lid can be reversed to an easy-wipe material, for muddy gear.
The Crosstour retains four-cylinder and V-6 engines, and you’ll probably be fine with the adequate performance of the base 192-horsepower four and five-speed automatic transmission. The V-6 models get Honda’s new Earth Dreams 3.5-liter V-6, rated at 278 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque, connected to a six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. While the Accord sedan has been ushered over to a front-strut layout—more tunable for ride and handling, Honda says—the Crosstour maintains the double-wishbone layout that for a longtime was a point of pride for Honda enthusiasts. Handling is further aided by front and rear stabilizer bars along with a front strut tower bar, and the steering is hydraulic-assist—standing apart from the electric-assist systems that have been introduced across the new Accord lineup.

Fuel economy has improved across the board, too, with four-cylinder models offering up to 22 mpg city and 31 highway, while the V-6 now gets up to 20/29 mpg. All-wheel-drive models drop 1 or 2 mpg versus those numbers.

That’s all fine and good, but the wake-up call still comes in the realization that the Crosstour is something more than just a five-door Accord, and that it neither drives better than the Accord sedan nor has other attributes (like more ground clearance) to make up for it. The Crosstour drives like an especially heavy, somewhat taller, and less nimble version of the Accord. It weighs about 300 to 500 pounds more, across the board, than a comparable Accord sedan; but even not knowing that you’ll be surprised to find that especially at lower speeds the Accord sedan’s nimble feel is simply missing here.

The most recent update to the Crosstour, in 2013, makes one thing evident: Honda’s clearly making an effort to cast it as more of a crossover in design. It’s a profile that’s proven to be a tough sell. The rounded roofline and five-door-hatchback design of the Crosstour can make it appear a bit hump-backed from some angles, although the front is recognizably Honda and tweaked this year (with a new slotted look in front for more visual width) to keep in pace with the look of the latest Accord sedan. Finally, Honda’s added more cladding, down at the doorsills and around the wheelwells—cluttering the look, if you ask us. In short, it still looks like an overgrown hatchback rather than a true crossover or SUV. Inside, the 2013 gets various materials upgrades, again to correspond to those used in the Accord sedan.

The NHTSA hasn’t rated the Crosstour, but the IIHS gives it a “good” score in available tests–it hasn’t been subjected to the new small-overlap test. Its safety-feature set has been enhanced to include available Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW). It also offers Honda’s LaneWatch blind-spot display, which when you click the turn signal on shows you a wide-angle view alongside the vehicle. Honda also re-shaped the rear headrests for better visibility.

Honda lowered prices marginally last year, and improved content. The Crosstour EX now has standard automatic air conditioning with filtration, Bluetooth connectivity, a USB audio interface, steering wheel-mounted controls, along with an auto dimming rearview mirror. Top shelf EX-L V-6 models add dual-zone automatic climate control, heated leather-trimmed seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gearshift knob, along with HondaLink with Aha capability, Pandora, and Internet radio capability. The system also rolls in the Pandora interface and voice-to-text SMS texting feature (Android and BlackBerry only), with pre-programmed responses.

Nigeria’s automobile sector to export locally manufactured cars

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Thursday that the vision of his administration to revamp the capability of Nigeria’s automobile sector to export locally manufactured cars is near realisation.

Jonathan stated this at the 2014 Democracy Day celebration held at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.

Jonathan, who inspected locally assembled Nissan Saloon cars, Pick-Up Van and SUV at the venue of the programme, said the administration had proved doubting Thomas wrong.
The President explained that when he made the disclosure in 2013 that made-in Nigeria cars would be rolled out in the country in April and that Nigeria would soon be exporting cars, he was lampooned on the pages of newspapers.

He commended Nissan Group for keying into the new automotive policy of the federal government and urged other multinational auto companies to take a cue from Nissan.

The President also used the occasion to present his administration’s third anniversary report of the transformation agenda.

The report gave the accounts of the administration’s stewardship in every sector of the economy in the last one year.

Jonathan said the report, which was also rendered in multimedia video clip to the audience, authenticated that things are working in the country inspite of security challenges.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the administration’s mid-year score card was presented by the President during the 2013 Democracy Day celebration.

NAN reports the 2014 Democracy Day celebration was dedicated to the Nigeria Youth.

The event was attended by Vice President Namadi Sambo, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Maryam Aloma Mukhtar, Ministers and members of Diomatic Corps.

The First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan, former Vice President, Dr Alex Ekwueme and former Chief of General Staff, Gen. Oladipo Diya also attended the event. (NAN)

 

Mitsubishi offers to buy 10% stake in Alstom

Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries is offering to buy a 10 percent stake in Alstom, a report said Sunday, as it seeks to sweeten a joint bid with Siemens to acquire some of the French firm’s energy assets.

Mitsubishi’s offer comes as it tries to convince the French government to choose the German-Japanese bid for Alstom’s assets over a rival offer from General Electric, the Nikkei business daily said, without citing sources.

Mitsubishi and Siemens are reportedly offering $10 billion for Alstom’s gas and steam turbine business, while the United States’ GE has offered $17 billion for the French conglomerate’s wider energy group.

A source told AFP on Thursday that Mitsubishi is now eyeing a minority stake in Alstom as it looks to reassure the French government of its intentions by forging a broader industrial alliance with the French “national jewel”.

Mitsubishi’s planned capital injection marks an attempt to sweeten its offer to ensure its joint bid with the German giant is accepted, the Nikkei said.

The French government views Alstom as a firm of national strategic importance and is concerned about safeguarding jobs at the company — one of France’s biggest private sector employers, with about 18,000 staff nationwide — as it battles record unemployment and declining industrial competitiveness.

The German-Japanese joint offer could scupper GE’s bid, which has already run into political opposition in France.

France is worried that Alstom’s business base may weaken should its energy assets be bought by foreign firms.

A Mitsubishi spokesman could not immediately confirm the Nikkei report. “We cannot comment on it as we are still in negotiations,” he said.

“Green car’ splits global automakers”

Global automakers are locked in a showdown evoking the video format wars of the 1980s, as they bet on what eco-friendly vehicles will prevail in the battle for dominance of the burgeoning low-emissions sector.
In a contest reminiscent of the scrap for pre-eminence in the home video market, which pitched Betamax against VHS, huge auto firms are going all out for very different technologies.
Toyota, which is ending a battery deal with US electric car leader Tesla, is concentrating on mass-producing a fuel-cell vehicle, along with smaller rival Honda.
Nissan, by contrast, has bet the farm on all-electrics, unveiling its second model this month — despite weak sales of its flagship Leaf — and is pushing the technology in China, where officials are scrambling to contain an air pollution crisis.
Japan’s number-two automaker is also reportedly in talks with Germany’s BMW and Tesla about standardising re-charging systems, after the US company took the rare step of agreeing to share its patents with competitors to boost lacklustre electric vehicle production.
“Nissan and Tesla… came out with very ambitious goals for the technology but had to backtrack, partly because demand… wasn’t strong enough,” said Stefan Bratzel, director of Germany’s Center of Automotive Management.
“Daimler, Toyota and General Motors are the most advanced in fuel cells, but the problem is the high cost of the technology and necessary infrastructure.”
Analysts say very low or zero-emission vehicles will dominate the next phase of independent travel, with governments everywhere rolling out stricter emissions standards.
This near-certainty is sparking massive investment, with Japan’s seven major car manufacturers expected to spend a record $24 billion on green car research and development this year, according to the Nikkei business daily.
Detractors says electric vehicles simply shift emissions to the fossil-fuel burning power plants that provide the energy to recharge their batteries. They are also hampered by a short driving range.
Fuel cell cars, on the other hand, are seen as the Holy Grail of green cars as they’re powered by a chemical reaction of hydrogen and oxygen, which produces nothing more harmful than water.
Still largely experimental, fuel-cell vehicles could get a boost as various jurisdictions, including the US state of California, launch new hydrogen refuelling stations.
Toyota is eyeing a 500-kilometre (300-mile) range for its fuel-cell car — more than twice the Leaf’s current range — and much faster re-juicing.
The company, while not abandoning electric altogether, sees the fuel cell as the next logical step after its big early success with the Prius gas-electric hybrid, which has sold about 3.7 million units since its launch in the late 1990s.
“Electric vehicles are still so limited by the cruising range,” Nobuyori Kodaira, Toyota’s executive vice president said in a recent interview.
“Hydrogen can be recharged in three minutes… Quick-charging an electric vehicle still takes about half an hour.”
Cleaner power generation, however, may boost the appeal of electric cars, said Jos Dings, director of Brussels-based NGO Transport & Environment.
“If… we manage to make electricity in a much cleaner way — there is a lot of investment in renewable energy — then it can definitely be a sustainable way forward,” he said.
Still, Nissan’s Leaf has shifted about 120,000 units since its launch nearly four years ago, way below expectations.
But its chief executive Carlos Ghosn — a steadfast cheerleader of electric cars who has scoffed at rivals’ ambitious plans for a commercialised fuel-cell vehicle — said new re-charging stations will be crucial to demand.
“All of it is very closely linked to the development of infrastructure, but we are seeing more and more competitors coming onto the scene which is always a tell-tale sign,” he told AFP earlier this year.
Ghosn was speaking in Bhutan, where Nissan sealed a deal to supply the tiny Himalayan kingdom’s government with a fleet of its green vehicles as it eyes an all-electric transport policy.
Governments throwing their weight behind strict roadside pollution standards and other environmentally-minded policies is crucial, analysts said.
“I don’t think GM, Ford and Chrysler look at green cars as a profit opportunity or big growth opportunity in which they are sensing a lot of consumer demand or growth — their goal is to meet what the government requires from them,” said US-based auto analyst Jack Nerad.
Whether one technology ultimately reigns supreme, or they co-exist with a patchwork of refuelling stations, may not matter much, added the environment group’s Dings.
“All carmakers are now seriously investing in developing these technologies, seeing how customers react to them, seeing how they work on the road and how much they cost,” he said.
“They all chose different paths and that’s fine, as long as the solutions deliver.”

2014 Bentley-Peter Okoye of P-square and KCEE shows off

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With powerful engines, all-wheel-drive for every weather condition, and handling that seems impossible for the cars’ size and weight, the 2014 Bentley Continental GT lineup impresses any driver, and boggles the mind of almost every pocketbook. It’s a far cry removed from the dusty Azure and Arnage generation: it’s fully fleshed out as a plus-size four-seat 2+2, with an incredibly fine eye for detail.

Now divorced from the Bentley Flying Spur sedan, at least in name, the Continental GT offers a choice of two engines. The more efficient of the two is a twin-turbocharged V-8 with immense horsepower, and there’s the W-12, which continues to define the Continental lineup. And furthermore, the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S joins the lineup—pushing the performance to a higher level.

 

The Continental GT V8 S includes a higher-output version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8. In the S, it makes 521 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque (versus 500 hp and 487 lb-ft in the Continental GT). And that adds up to a 0-60 mph time of just 4.3 seconds, and a top speed of 192 mph.

It adds to the GT V8 model introduced last year, with a version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 that’s a cousin of the powerplant engineered by corporate cousins at Audi. In the Continental GT coupe and GTC convertible, coupled to a new eight-speed automatic and standard all-wheel drive, it can accelerate to 60 mph in about 4.6 seconds–just a few tenths slower than the W-12 cars, Bentley says. It’s also responsible for a 40-percent reduction in fuel consumption versus the 2008 Continental lineup, at an estimated 18/26 mpg, and can deliver about 500 miles of driving range on a single tank of premium unleaded fuel. How it gets there is a combination of cylinder deactivation, direct injection, and lower internal friction–along with the extra gears in the transmission, which can also drop down four gears at once if so needed.

From the day it was new, the Continental GT and GTC have tapped a 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged, W-12 engine for their lurid power, and delivered it to the ground through a six-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The W-12 was massaged to 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque for the 2012 model year–an increase of 15 hp and 37 lb-ft more than the prior versions. For 2013, a Speed edition pumped up power to 616 hp and 590 lb-ft, and adopted an eight-speed automatic. For 2014, the Speed edition is available as a convertible, too. Bentley puts the 12-cylinder coupe’s 0-60 mph times at less than 4.3 seconds and sets its top speed of 195 mph, with convertibles running slightly slower, and Speed coupes hitting 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and topping out at 205 mph. These are astonishing feats for cars that weigh nearly three tons. Straight-line acceleration is stunning, but gas mileage in the W-12 cars is fairly dismal, at about 11/19 mpg.

For a vehicle of its mass and length, the Continental GT has sublime, capable road manners. The standard computer-controlled shocks and three-mode ride control–dubbed Continuous Damping Control (CDC)–combine with all-wheel drive now tuned to deliver more power to the rear wheels than to the fronts. So set up, the Conti GT is amazingly willing to press hard and deep into corners. Its brakes are big and deeply capable, even before you upgrade them to the optional carbon-ceramic rotors, the most powerful brakes ever found on a production car, Bentley says. The V-8 car loses about 50 pounds from the front end, and it’s noticeable: once you’ve recalibrated for its curb weight and four-passenger capability, the it feels effortless in straight-line speed, scrubbing it off with right-now insistence through optional carbon-ceramic brakes, bending progressively into corners once you’ve set the dynamic dampers to sport mode–which also tightens the steering and quickens the shift responses.

The Continental lineup went under the blade for a mild facelift in 2012, where the lines were pinched and pulled to give the design a more defined appearance without sacrificing continuity. They may look like sports cars from their profiles, but look at them from any other angle, and their sheer mass is obvious. They’re simply enormous, though the 2012 redesign trims some of the heft away with deft new folds in the sheetmetal, achieved by superheating aluminum panels and forming them while they’re aglow. In coupe form, the Continental looks like a piece of lightly-drawn art on wheels–the convertible looks more relaxed, more like an homage to the brand’s heritage. There are nuances in the exterior designs of the V-8 and W-12 models, too–black grilles, red-enameled badges, and figure-eight exhaust pipes designate the V-8 cars.

Both sport an interior that’s dressed to the highest standards in the automotive industry, with traditional materials woven in with modern elements like a large LCD screen. Bentley logos abound, stamped into yards of hand-stitched leather, tooled into aluminum and chrome, framed by real aluminum and a choice of wood trim (eucalyptus on V-8 cars, if you like). Up front and center: a Breitling timepiece, the true gauge of the cockpit, even if it’s not the information hub of it.

As large as it is, space isn’t the Continental GT’s forte. While the driver and front passenger have plenty of shoulder and knee room, as well as ample headroom to go with their fabulously supportive seats, the back seat is difficult to enter easily, and legroom and shoulder room aren’t in abundance. All passengers will marvel at the Continental’s sensory rush of top-quality materials, from the plush carpets and fine wood and leather, all the way to the padded ski-sack pass-through that expands the cargo room somewhat.

The Continental comes as close to handcrafted as possible, by design. All have standard electronic climate control, Bluetooth and a DVD navigation system that also controls climate and audio functions. The navigation system sports Google maps and a vibrant 8-inch LCD touchscreen. A Naim audio system has pure, flat sound, for just an additional $7,000 or so. The GTC convertibles come with a power top that folds in 25 seconds; it’s woven with great quality and damps out a lot of ambient road noise. We heartily recommend the Mulliner package of quilted leather, knurled chrome, and turned aluminum trim, as well as the optional lambs-wool rugs.

Neither safety agency has crash-tested the Continental–can you just imagine?–but all versions get standard front, side, and curtain airbags, as well as anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and all-wheel drive. Convertibles are fitted with automatic pop-up roll bars for added rollover protection. And even in the GTC convertible, it can be difficult to gauge the Conti’s far-and-away rear end, so the standard rearview camera is much appreciated.Look for more driving impressions of the 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 here soon. And for more on this spectacular line of coupes and convertibles, see our first drive of the 2012 Bentley Continental GTC, and our first drive of the 2013 Bentley Continental GT V8 at our sister site, MotorAuthority.