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Bentley Leads LA Stars

The return of the 'Flying B' was one of the highlights of the Los Angeles Motor Show, as Bentley debuted its new Drophead Coupé. Putting one of the world's most expensive convertible roofs through its paces, bosses unveiled a new version of the historic mascot which adorned its early cars.

By Matt Joy

12th January 2005

The new drop-top is powered by a twin-turbo version of the Crewe firm's 6.75-litre V8, which produces 450bhp and 875Nm of torque. Although the car shares its wheelbase and front end with the outgoing Arnage Convertible, the rest is all-new, with significant revisions to the interior. Officially it's only a concept, but a production model, expected to cost nearly ΂£300,000, is due to appear this time next year.

But what of the winged mascot? It won't appear in the UK because of safety laws, but it may adorn US cars, just like Jaguar's leaping cat.

The Coventry firm also unveiled something new in LA - a special version of the XK range of coup΃©s and convertibles called the Victory Edition. Created to celebrate Jaguar's success in the US Trans Am series with its XK racer, the XK8 and XKR models get unique alloys and exterior colours, plus improved interior fabrics and a Bluetooth phone kit. Meanwhile, the LA show also saw the debut of the new Volkswagen Bora. With sharper styling and Golf MkV underpinnings, the car should be a significant addition to VW's stable, especially in the US, where it's always been a strong seller. Supercar maker Saleen was claiming a new record with its revised SR-7 model. Thanks to a 750bhp twin-turbo V8, the US firm says it now makes the world's fastest supercar, with a top speed in excess of 220mph. Other changes include improved aerodynamics for high-speed stability and a revised interior. The car costs ΂£265,000.

Ferrari showed off its Superamerica drop-top at the show. The firm says the car's biggest market will be southern California, while the innovative 'flip-top' roof makes the 575M-based model one of the world's fastest convertibles.

US manufacturers also debuted a host of hot new models, including the Dodge Viper SRT-10 Coup΃©, as revealed by Auto Express in issue 839.

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