The all-new third generation Bentley Continental GT rolls out of Crewe for the latest jet set

Bentley’s latest is the next-generation Continental GT coupe, bound for the nearest affluent neighborhood near you.

What’s going on?

Bentley just revealed the third-generation Continental GT, one of the most iconic, luxurious, and fastest grand tourer coupes to date. Like the previous models, the newest Continental GT combines the very best in British hand-craftsmanship with German engineering. That means a completely revised 6.0L TSI W12 motor, further developed by Volkswagen, and stunning performance to match.

If the new Continental GT looks familiar, that’s because it’s inspired heavily by the beautiful EXP 10 Speed-Six Concept from the 2015 Geneva Auto Show. And that’s a good thing as the resemblances are strong, as if the EXP 10 Speed-Six literally morphed from its concept form into production. When first previewed, Bentley even admitted the EXP 10 Speed-Six previewed the next-gen Continental GT.

So after much anticipation, it’s finally here, delivering on those promises.

“Bentley has been at the forefront of luxury Grand Touring for nearly one hundred years. The new, third-generation Continental GT is the pinnacle of our design and engineering achievements and marks the next step in Bentley’s journey,” said CEO, Wolfgang Dürheimer at the press conference.

“We are the world leader in luxury mobility and our products and services define new luxury in the automotive world. The new Continental GT encapsulates our desire to innovate as well as celebrate our heritage and take the Bentley ownership experience to the next, unparalleled level.”

<

>

What powers it?

Under the long hood sits the same 6.0L TSI gasoline W12 as previous Continental GTs. But now, it’s been updated to offer 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of twist. Mated to an also new twin-clutch eight-speed automatic, 0-60 mph happens in just 3.6 seconds with a top run of 207 mph, making it the latest and greatest Bentley to enter the 200 mph club.

Delivering the power is standard all-wheel drive, though the system in the latest car is completely new. The old car’s system operated at a 40:60 percent power split between the front and rear. Now, the new car’s all-paw system functions mostly in rear-wheel-drive mode, transferring power to the front wheels only when needed for extra traction, like during the inclement of weather. Bentley says the result is a more dynamic handling experience and ultimately, less understeer.

Like most other performance-oriented luxury cars, the Continental GT comes with driver selectable profiles that adjust various operating parameters according to the chosen mode. For instance, in Sport mode, the Continental GT’s throttle, transmission response, steering, and adaptive air suspension all tighten up and become more responsive. Comfort mode is obviously meant for cruising long distances.

What else is new?

The Continuous Damping Control and Electric Power-Assisted Steering are also newly developed to offer better and improved performance. It features an advanced 48-volt roll control system, which basically translates into a stunning amount of computing power. This means it can monitor and adjust the electronically-adaptive anti-roll bars for each axle almost instantly. Bentley currently touts the system is the only one of its kind and unrivaled in its class.

It also sits on a new platform, which helps the Continental GT shed a considerable amount of weight for improved handling and performance.

When will it go on sale and for how much?

Such details weren’t released with the initial unveiling of the Continental GT. But given how it’s a Bentley, you can expect the price to be rather high. Also, since it’s labeled as a 2018 car, you can expect it to launch in Europe in the coming months. Its arrival in  America will likely take place sometime next year.

– By: Chris Chin

---

2018 Bentley Continental GT Specifications

---

2018 Bentley Continental GT Photo Gallery

The post The all-new third generation Bentley Continental GT rolls out of Crewe for the latest jet set appeared first on egmCarTech.

from egmCarTech http://ift.tt/2vSJINb

The lowdown on unofficial football recruiting visits

With the college football season in full swing, I have seemed to be fielding more questions that relate to unofficial visits as of late.  These unofficial visits are something that I strongly recommend and something that I feel will give you a better feel with regards to what a school has to offer.

So with that in mind, I am going to use this article to give readers a low down on unofficial visits, the importance of them for you, for the college, and touch on a variety of other areas as well.  This includes if a college coach will move on to another recruit if you don’t show.

I think the best place to start is a definition of an unofficial visit.  This is a trip where you will be paying for travel, accommodations, and most of the food yourself.  The school will give you three tickets to the game and if you are really lucky, they will feed you as well.  Being fed by the coaches depends on the specific school.

Again, you will be paying a big chunk of change if there is travel involved so keep that in mind before heading on an unofficial that you must fly to.  For the record, I would avoid taking unofficial visits to programs that are over four hours away by car unless they have offered.  The reason is because you could be spending hundreds and maybe thousands of dollars for what turns out to be nothing.  You may fall in love with the school but if they don’t extend a scholarship, it won’t matter.  That is why it is vital to stay close to home for these unofficial visits, unless of course they have already offered.

So who gets invited to these unofficial visits?  I hate to say it but basically anyone and everyone on the recruiting database for that school.  I recently was told by a recruit who went on an unofficial visit that one of the coaches told them that there were 120 recruits in attendance.  Again, these are the athletes who actually took the time to make the trip.  If 120 actually made it to campus, I would gather that at least 300 received invites.  Let me stress the at least part of that statement.

The reason why colleges try to bring so many athletes onto campus is because unless they have offered, they don’t want to burn bridges with potential recruits.  My example is this.  Say you are a junior and you put together a great sophomore year.  You have been on a number of recruiting databases but no schools have offered yet.  State University knows you are good but are still not sure if you can play at that level.

The reason they try to bring you onto campus is just in case you blow up.  If you do really make strides as a junior and show that you are scholarship worthy, these coaches know that you have been to their school and had an opportunity to see the game day atmosphere.  These visits are vital for coaches because many feels that half the battle is getting an athlete on campus.

Imagine the same scenario for a junior athlete who did not receive any game day invites.  When he eventually blows up on the recruiting scene, the coaches at State University would have a tougher time getting into the picture because they haven’t met him, brought him on campus, and tried to sell them what their school has to offer.  This is the exact reason why Division II schools usually only offer scholarships when an athlete takes an official visit.  Getting them to come to their school cannot be more vital overall in the recruiting process for athletes that they seriously hope to land.

What happens if I can’t make the trip?  While coaches love seeing all athletes in-attendance, there is no doubt in my mind that they also understand that making visits is not easy for athletes.  They know that the players have their own season, school, family, and other areas that are a huge priority.  Getting to games is important but no, they are not going to suddenly stop recruiting you simply because you were unable to attend.  I would let them know that you appreciated the offer but can’t say reasons A, B, and C.  Chances are that the coaches will want you to come back in the future, and with every school having a lot of home games, you should be able to get more tickets.

In wrapping up, unofficial visits again are the ones that you are paying for out of pocket.  Don’t expect the school to reimburse you because it just won’t happen.  It is also important to reiterate that taking unofficial visits to school far away from home are usually a waste of time and money unless the school has offered.  Unless there is a huge game that you want to see because you are a fan of college football (ie: Florida-Georgia, Oklahoma-Texas, USC-UCLA), spending big time money does not mean anything will come of it.  That is why I would make sure that there is a scholarship on the table before you go take an in-depth look at schools outside of a four hour driving radius.

 

The post The lowdown on unofficial football recruiting visits appeared first on Recruiting-101.

from Recruiting-101 http://ift.tt/2iMTDCK