Special Edition James Bond Book By publisher Hodder & Stoughton has joined forces with Bentley Motors

Bentley Joins Celebrations for New James Bond Book with Collector’s Edition

In celebration of the upcoming release of Carte Blanche, the new James Bond book by Jeffery Deaver, publisher Hodder & Stoughton has joined forces with Bentley Motors to create an exclusive special edition that will be available in a strictly limited number of 500 copies. These are available for order from today, Tuesday 26 April 2011, exactly a month before the book reaches retailers' shelves.

The Bentley special edition of Carte Blanche encompasses the book in a polished aluminum case that evokes the Continental GT’s shape, with the metal skin designed to look like the car has risen from the desert sand. The book itself is wrapped in the same, high-quality white Nappa leather with red seams found inside the GT, while the pages are edged in red. In addition, the title of the book, the author’s name and the wings of the Bentley logo are embossed into the front and foil-blocked onto the spine, while the pages are said to have been “expertly cut and trimmed”.

The final topping of the special edition is a die-cut bullet hole that pierces pages of the book. Within the pages is a single polished 9mm bullet, individually marked with a number distinct to each of the 500 copies.

“The reader has the excitement of finding the bullet housed in the centre of the pages with the text positioned so that the reading experience is undisturbed,” said Bentley Senior Designer Brett Boydell. “I hope they find the book as exciting to hold and look at as the unfolding drama itself.”

The collector’s version of Carte Blanche is priced at £1,000 (about US$,1650 or €1,131 at today’s exchange rates) and is available for order through www.007carteblanchebentley.com.

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Bentley Continental GT

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Bentley Motors Limited is a British manufacturer of automobiles founded on 18 January 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley known as W.O. Bentley or just "W O". Bentley had been previously known for his range of rotary aero-engines in World War I, the most famous being the Bentley BR1 as used in later versions of the Sopwith Camel. After the war W. O. Bentley designed and made production cars that won the 24 hours of Le Mans in 1924 and following models which repeated those successes each June 1927, 1928, 1929 and 1930. Purchased by Rolls-Royce in 1931 the company has been owned by the Volkswagen Group of Germany since 1998. The business is still based in Crewe, Cheshire, England with their Central Production Facilities there

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Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. This time, Kankkunen surpassed the 200mph mark reaching a top speed of 205.48 mph

Kankkunen Breaks World Ice Speed Record with Bentley Continental SuperSports

In 2007, four-time world rally champion Juha Kankkunen shattered the world ice speed record by achieving an average two way speed on a 1000m long straight on the frozen waters of the Baltic Sea, off the coast of Finland, of 199.86 mph (321.6 km/h) in a Bentley Continental GT. Fast forward to 2011, and Kankkunen has done it again breaking his own record at the same location with a Bentley Continental Supersports Convertible. This time, Kankkunen surpassed the 200mph mark reaching a top speed of 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h).

“The last time, I narrowly missed the magical 200 mph mark in a Continental GT. When I heard about the Supersports I was determined to go record breaking again with the Bentley Boys. This time, with over 600bhp under the bonnet, a Quickshift transmission and the security of the all-wheel drive system, the Supersports convertible was the perfect car to go for the record,” said Kankkunen.

“200mph came up after 5km on sheet ice. Then it was just a question of getting everything right in the timing zone and hoping the snow kept away. There’s nothing to beat driving a Bentley at these speeds; the conditions may be perilous but the car responds so well to the slightest adjustment which gives you the confidence to push even harder.”

As was the case with the previous record-breaking drive in the Continental GT, Kankkunen and his team used a regular car with some minimum modifications including a heavy-duty safety roll-cage, along with Pirelli winter tyres (Pirelli SottoZero II 275/40R20) and a rear bumper-mounted parachute, plus front and rear spoilers

[From Bentley Press Release]

JUHA KANKKUNEN: BRIEF CV

• Juha Matti Pellervo Kankkunen, born 1959 in Laukaa, Finland
• One of the most experienced rally drivers of all times
• Four times rally World Champion (1986, 1987, 1991, 1993)
• 23 times World Rally Winner
• Started his career in 1978
• First World Rally win in 1985 (Safari Rally)
• Won Dakar Rally in 1988
• World ice speed record in 2007, in a Bentley Continental GT

HISTORY OF WORLD ICE SPEED RECORDS

• 2011: Bentley Continental Supersports convertible: 205.48 mph (330.695 km/h) driven by Juha Kankkunen
• 2007: Bentley Continental GT: 199.83 mph (321.6 km/h) driven by Juha Kankkunen
• 1995: Bugatti EB110 Supersport: 184 mph (296 km/h)

BENTLEY’S EARLY HISTORY OF RECORD BREAKING

• 1924: John Duff in a Bentley 3-litre took records at Brooklands between 87mph (139.7 km/h) and 93 mph (149.3 km/h) and a Double-Twelve race victory at 86.69 mph (139.2 km/h)
• 1925: A Bentley 3-litre established a 24-hrs record at Montlhery at an average speed of 95 mph (152.9 km/h).
• 1927: The 24-hrs Grand Prix de Paris at Montlhery was won by a Bentley 41/2 –litre at an average speed of 52.5 mph (84.5 km/h)
• 1928: A Bentley 3-litre driven by Dudley Froy became the first car to average more than 115 mph (185.1 km/h) over a distance of 100 miles (160.9 km) at Brooklands
• 1929: Mrs Victor Bruce drove solo in a Bentley 41/2-litre at Montlhery to set a Class C record at over 89mph (143.2 km/h)
• 1932: Tim Birkin in a Birkin blower single seater broke the Brooklands Outer Circuit lap record with a speed of 137.96 mph (221.47 km/h)
• 1934: Walter Hassan in a Barnato – Hassan single seater set a new Brooklands Outer Circuit record of 142.6 mph (228.9 km/h). It achieved a faster lap time of 143.11 mph (230.3 km).

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Bentley Releases New Photo Gallery of 2011 Continental GT Facelift

We first saw the refreshed and re-powered 2011 Bentley Continental GT at last month's Paris International Motor Show, but today, the British automaker released a new batch of images. Judging by the Continental GT's license plates and the surroundings, the photo shoot appears to have taken place somewhere in the Middle East.
In the Continental GT's most comprehensive facelift since its introduction in 2003, the luxury sports coupe has received a cosmetic makeover, heavily inspired by the new Mulsanne flagship. While signature styling cues remain, the 2011MY features a crispier design throughout, most noticeably at the front with the new grille and gemstone headlights.
Inside, the facelift brought a reshaped dashboard with a updated instrument panel and a new touch-screen interface for the audio and navigation systems.
The new Continental GT also benefits from changes under the hood, including a more potent version of the firm's 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 delivering 575-horsepower and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of peak torque. More importantly, in late 2011, Bentley will enhance the Continental GT's range with an all-new 8-cylinder engine, details of which will be released closer to the launch date.

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