[Aika Car Test Drive Original]
Never before has winter been so memorable, and in 2022, snow sports have been the subject of the entire winter. Just as the Beijing Winter Olympic Games are about to kick off, a feast of great significance for ice and snow sports is also being held in Changchun, Jilin Province. On the occasion of Bentley's 20th anniversary in China, this century-old brand has also ushered in its own Chinese ice and snow debut. Bentley brought all its models to this ice and snow experience event, making this ice and snow feast particularly exciting. This time, I am not only an experiencer, but also a witness to Bentley's first ice and snow experience in China.
As I said at the beginning of the article, this is the first time in the 20 years since Bentley Motors entered China that it has held an ice and snow experience activity in Chinese mainland, and the significance is naturally extraordinary. Not only are all bentley models on the scene, but there is also a mysterious "guest". I'll sell it here first, and I'll reveal it to you later. Let's take a look at this ice and snow experience, what experience items are there, and which "contestants" bentley has sent!
The ice and snow experience is located in the Xingxingsui Reservoir in Jilin City, Jilin Province, where winter temperatures are below minus 20°C all year round. The ice track is divided into 7 sections, the most admirable of which is the replica and reduced version of the "Ice Silverstone Track" (3.4km in total length). Silverstone is the birthplace of the British racing industry. Speaking of Silverstone, silverstone was born in the mid-19th century with a total lap length of 5.891km, of which Abbey, the last S-bend Priory and Luffeild are the most famous. However, the "Silverstone on Ice" is not a driving experience track, but a Hot Lap test ride experience session driven by a professional coaching team. Except for the "Silverstone on Ice", we can fully experience all the rest of the links and tracks.
First of all, and the most basic link is the experience of concentric circle drift, which is commonly known as "fixed circle drift" for all of us. The project aims to familiarize yourself with and feel the dynamic driving characteristics of Bentley models and the power output characteristics of the four-wheel drive system through oversteering and side-skid steering loops on the ice.
After the concentric circle drift project is over, there will be an advanced "Super 8" project. "Super 8" can be understood as two parallel fixed circle drift fields, the driver will use inertia to reverse control the vehicle on the basis of single lap drift, relying on continuous center of gravity transfer to complete the corner. This link not only allows the driver to become more familiar with the performance of the vehicle, but also improves the driver's ability to control the car in complex situations.
After the driver is able to skillfully complete the fixed circle drift and the figure 8 drift, the rally track will be experienced. Through U-shaped drift curves at both ends of the track and two sets (4 pile barrels in each group) with a pile pitch of 30 meters in the middle, the driver can be trained in the ability to control the car in extreme and out-of-control conditions. At the same time, this experiential subject is also the last lesson before heading to the Le Mans circuit.
All of the above training subjects are aimed at enabling drivers to better complete the Le Mans-I and Le Mans-II track experience projects. Speaking of the Le Mans circuit, it is necessary to mention the glorious glory of Bentley Motors' "6 Le Mans Raceway Championships". Bentley's two flagship models, Bentley's Elegant and Bentley Mulsanne, were taken from the Arnage Corner and Mulsanne Corner at le Mans.
First of all, let's introduce the most photographed model in this ice and snow experience - Bentley Bentayga. After the release of the Bentayga 2021 model, it is not difficult to find that the 6.0T W12 version of the current model sold by Bentayga in China is no longer available. Not only the gasoline version of the model adopts a 4.0T V8 engine, but also launches a plug-in hybrid version of PHEV, which can be said to keep up with the current energy-saving boom. (Bentayga models will be used at the rally track and Le Mans-I at the event))
In terms of power, the Bentley Bentayga V8 is equipped with a 4.0T V8 twin-turbo engine, which can burst a maximum power of 404kW (549 hp) at 6000rpm, and the peak torque of 770Nm can also be generated between 2000-4500rpm. The official 0-100km/h acceleration time of this Bentayga V8 is only 4.5 seconds, even if it is placed on a performance car, such an acceleration performance is absolutely good.
The Bentley Bentayga PHEV is a new plug-in hybrid model that debuted in China in early 2021. It is equipped with a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a 3.0T turbocharged engine and an electric motor, and the combined power of the two can reach 330 kW and can generate a peak torque of 700 Nm. The official acceleration time of 0-100km/h is only 1 second fuller than that of the 4.0T model, and the acceleration performance of 5.5 seconds can be called "energy-saving beast".
Next up was a large luxury GT sports car, bentley Continental. This time, the models that came to the ice and snow experience event were all V8 versions, 4.0T twin-turbo engines, and the Same Door as the Bentayga V8 Division. At 6000 rpm, it can burst a maximum power of 404 kW (549 hp), and the peak torque is also 770 Nm, which can be exploded when the engine speed is in the range of 2000-4500 rpm.
In addition to the Continental GT models introduced above, there is also a red-painted Mulliner custom version. The bright paint color is particularly eye-catching in the white snow, and it deserves to be the face value of today's ice and snow feast. However, this model is also a 4.0T V8 version, and the power is no different from the European GT model just introduced. (The Bentley Continental GT model will appear in Concentric Circles, Super Figure 8 and Le Mans-II circuits.)
In addition to Bentley Bentayga and Continental, the ice experience also included a Bentley Flying Spur 6.0T W12 model, which is also the only model in the field equipped with a W12 engine. The 6.0T twin-turbo engine has a maximum power of 467kW (635 hp) / 5000-6000rpm, and the peak torque is very exaggerated, reaching 900Nm, and the maximum torque can be generated from 1350rpm and can last until 4500rpm. This "big heart" is installed on the 5.3-meter-long executive-grade car, the Bentley Flying Car, which is the real interpretation of what a "suit thug" is. (The Bentley Flying Spur W12 model will appear on the rally track)
Next is the "mysterious guest" who came today, the global limited edition of 1 unit, you heard it right! It is really a bentley continental GT ICE GT Mulliner custom version with only 1 unit in the world. This model is an ICE GT model customized by Mulliner, a personalisation department of Bentley Cars, based on the exclusive European GT V8, and is only available for sale in the Chinese market. Bentley Mulliner's custom department pays tribute to Bentley's ice speed record in 2007 and 2011, highlighting the strong performance of bentley continental GT in snow and ice.
On the basis of the guidance price of nearly 3 million yuan, the model is equipped with a configuration of about 500,000 yuan and a Mulliner customization fee of about 600,000 yuan. If you don't know what to buy for your change, consider this unique Bentley Continental GT that's unique to you. As a global limited edition of only 1 model, Bentley Continental GT ICE GT Mulliner customized version of the landing price is only about 5 million yuan, the price of a civilian house in The north, upper and wide can have "the only one in the world", in addition to "value", I really can't think of other adjectives to describe!
The founder of Bentley Motors, Walter Owen Bentley, once said: "Build a fast car, a good car, the best car in its class". The Bentley brand has been through more than a century of ups and downs and is now not only the world's top luxury car brand, but also a symbol of success and elite status. Perhaps in everyone's mind, Bentley can only produce top luxury cars that are all handmade, and the control and movement seem to be not related to the Bentley brand. And then I will share the "untold side" of Bentley cars through my driving experience.
Bentley Snow Experience: Vehicle and Track Introduction
Having introduced the information about the models and tracks that came today, it is time to enjoy this "big row" feast. In fact, driving in the ice and snow track is not as difficult as everyone thinks. Even at some point, snow tracks are more manageable than dry asphalt tracks. However, it should be noted that even if all the test drive models have replaced the special nail tires for ice and snow roads, the braking distance is still twice or even several times longer than on the asphalt road. Anticipating the braking (deceleration) point is the only big thing I think should be aware of in the snow track, the rest is just skill.
Of course, if you want the car to run as smoothly as possible in the ice and snow track, the most important thing is to familiarize yourself with the track and plan the car's line before each bend. It's not just a matter of driving experience, it's also a tough test of vehicle performance, handling and four-wheel drive systems. While driving a high-horsepower rear-drive car, using the throttle to control the agile rear is naturally quite interesting. But sometimes, front-drive and four-wheel drive cars are not boring, especially in the snow, pushing the head! Keep pushing the head! It's also a wonderful feeling.
In general, due to the smaller coefficient of friction on the ice surface. Therefore, for the driver, being able to correctly and early judge the timing and extent of the vehicle's center of gravity shift is the key point to determine whether you can drive the vehicle on the ice with ease and ease.
Bentley's four-wheel drive system gives me more peace of mind than the high-horsepower rear-drive model I've experienced during my previous ice-based driving training. Even on many consecutive turns, due to my judgment too early or too late, I was a little worried about whether the vehicle could complete the center of gravity transfer before entering the corner. But the answer of the Continental GT is: you are worried. You only need to control the direction and throttle reasonably, and the full-time four-wheel drive system will help you control the attitude and center of gravity of the vehicle by accurate to the speed difference between the inside and outside of the millisecond, so that the vehicle can achieve the transfer of the center of gravity in a very short distance, which is a wonderful feeling. I think not only on the ice, but on slippery roads, this feeling can also make you feel at ease.
Above, I talked about the excellent tracking that Bentley Continental GT's full-time four-wheel drive system brings on the ice. So how can you not experience the pleasure of running out of control when it is rare to sprinkle wild in the snow and ice? You may say, how can the four-wheel drive be as fun as the rear drive? Bentley is now all full-time four-wheel drive models, the fun will definitely be halved... Of course not! Due to the better grip performance of the four-wheel drive system, the vehicle's power performance on snow is stronger than that of the rear-drive model.
As long as the speed comes up, is it still difficult to want the word "fun"? The better grip allows me to feel inside the car that the four wheels, although they are slipping, are constantly providing you with plenty of power. You just need to stabilize the throttle and continue to "tease" the throttle, and the rear of the car will be able to complete the drift in the corner steadily. I think if you're a novice, you only need a short period of adaptation to do a great drift. Because this four-wheel drive system not only brings better stability, but also allows riders to experience controlled drift, the fun of four-wheel drive models does not diminish points compared to high-horsepower rear-drive vehicles that are difficult to control.
So, does a behemoth have no sense of driving at all? Even the Bentayga PHEV's front is slightly bulky, and the rear is not as agile as continental. But we can also try to control the center of gravity shift of the body through the brakes instead of the throttle. Tap the brakes in a corner and then correct the direction to the appropriate angle, at which point the vehicle's center of gravity will shift significantly forward. As the rear axle load decreases, the adhesion of the rear wheels will gradually decrease, and the rear will also be swung to the posture when entering the corner. You can completely step on the throttle when cornering, although the four tires will still break the grip limit, but the four-wheel drive system can still control the power distribution steadily, helping you to correct the body. It all seems complicated, but it's actually that simple.
Compared with Continental and Bentayga, the Bentley Flying Spur W12 maintains its ultra-luxurious attributes, and is more direct in expressing sportiness and handling. In addition to the equally excellent four-wheel drive system, we were able to hear the deep sound of the W12 engine even more clearly. As the tires brush the ice and roll up the ice and roll up, it is simply the most exciting symphony of winter.
Compared with the V8, the power of the W12 engine is indeed a little too fierce, if it is not the efficient four-wheel drive system blessing, maybe I am in the bend at the moment to correct the front direction of the car, and even do not know which front and rear of the car cross the finish line first... Fortunately, the full-time four-wheel drive system can deliver the power to the appropriate wheels, making a W12 beast gentle and easy to handle. However, although the four-wheel drive system can maximize the control of the vehicle, please do not easily try to break through its limits, do not ask why, 900Nm is worth your awe.
Editor's Comments:
I remember the last time I was so happy today was in Kitzbühel, Austria. The same Bentley, the same "indulgence" in the snow. Believe me, if you hadn't experienced it yourself, it would have been hard for you to imagine the feeling of your heart beating faster and your palms sweating in the snow and ice at minus 20° C. The low roar from the V8, the catharsis from the W12, and the white snow fog rolling up in the rearview mirrors, are definitely the most memorable sounds and pictures of 2022...
Highlights review:
Bentley's 2021 global sales are out, with 40% of Bentayga's car series
$659 hp $2 million? Bentley may push a limited edition coupe
Hand stitching 400,000 stitches? Bentley Continental GT Mulliner
Bentley Ice and Snow Experience: A Four-Wheel Drive Drift Feast