Jalopnik
Bentley is refreshing. Their ultra-luxe, mega-horsepower sleds, favored rides of autocrats, royalty and rap tycoons, are such a specialized product that the Craftsmen of Crewe can pretty much reduce their whole climate-change/fuel-scarcity strategy to a question of customer relations. I promised I'd read the white paper on global warming etc. the company handed out at their New York Auto Show press conference yesterday—also available on Bentley's website—and now I have. Dry? To be sure. Wonky? Yep. But on the heels of the company's announcement at the Geneva Motor Show that it's going to seriously cut CO2 output by 2012, worth checking out.
Some of the highlights:
Life Is Better With Wheels: "It is...clear that mobility is becoming a fundamental component in perceptions of today's quality of life."
Bentleys Are Irrational: "As a luxury performance brand, the reasons for purchasing a Bentley are based on a more emotional than rational need for transportation."
Emergency!: "As this document makes clear, the world is facing a potential crisis over climate change and access to energy."
Upshot is that Bentley is putting its money, it heaping piles of money, behind FlexFuel. But not really first generation biofuels, which because they are derived from crops that people need for food has caused, as the report points out, riots. They are basically endorsing second-generation biofuels, made from heaps of decomposing filth waste products. Later, the situation will get completely kick-ass, when we brew up all our biofuels from farmed ocean algae, and also drive FlexFuel Bentleys in a future in which their is no sickness or war and we all live to be 317.
But you know what? We approve of this high-ground-taking on Bentley's part. Leadership! Even if they persistently remind us that emissions generated by Bentleys amount to the equivalent of "two cans of Cola in an Olympic sized swimming pool"—in other words, not very dang much, when compared to other carmakers. Of course, that's a bit of a bogus claim when you consider that Bentley might not even exist were it not for the global auto industry.
Comments
was this the script to that new movie with the zombies and some hot chick that drives a Bentley in a post-apocalyptic world? Cause I'd go see that movie if Bentley actually signed off on it.
@mikedrawcar: "it is clear that mobility is important... specifically in the neu (sic) apocalyptic world after the mutant virus attacks the human population, wherein those who survived must continue to drive their Continental R's. It is clear that after the world is forced to face the crisis of climate change and access to energy, we must maintain order to combat the zombie mutants... Therefore we must continue to research biofuels based on their rotting corpses... some girl that looks like Kate Beckinsale but isn't will be the leader of good forces..."
The best part was:
Waste not, want not: If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down.
@graverobber: Leaves of three, leave it be; leaves of four, eat some more!
Seriously though, good on Bentley for recognizing that a) the benefits of adopting Biofuel 1.0 are dodgy, at best, and b) like it or not, we are on the cusp of Malaise Era II (though it sounds like it won't be quite as brutal as Malaise Era I) and that we all need to be ready.
Major Props for reading/skimming that epic novel Matt.
Anyways, Bio-Fuels are stupid. V12 Oilburning Bentleys Yes.
@graverobber: Or maybe yellow for your BlueTec Benz, brown for your PooPower Bentley.
Who'd have thought? By 2011 I could be my own fuel refinery. Take that, Texas City!
@al_beaton:
It's important to have dreams my friend. Just remember that in this case, quantity will trump quality.
I'm surprised electric isn't in the future of bentely. Electric is quiet and smooth, and probably just as hard to repair as those ridiculous engines they put into those monsters.
I'm looking forward to the "This is what Bentley actually believes" episode of South Park.
Why dont they just put Hybrid badging all over their cars? That'll duck em under the PC radar for a while.
They dont have to actually have a hybrid drivetrain or consume any less energy or anything, it would just be cheaper than writing that 17 page BS fest and copying it for all the customers who dont give a shit anyway.
Seems like their just trying to impress their non-customers so they dont end up like Hummer.
"Dear esteemed clientele: China is building a new coal-fired power plant every 5-7 days. Each one of these plants does more environmental damage than every car we've ever built, combined. So you can all suck our codpieces. Wankers."
@ tumblingwall:
Good call on electric drive... maybe the British are gun shy based on their record with automotive electronics. Lucas anyone?
Hybrids suck. When has adding weight and complexity been the best answer to any automotive question? No, you're wrong, it has never been the correct answer.
@Rob P:
Full electrics 4 life!
Also...
@ash78:
I wonder when people will start paying attention to that... Presumably at some time after we in the US stop pretending China is our bestest friend, i suppose...
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