01/04/2007 - Robb Report Editors Name Bentley Continental GTC 2007 Car Of The Year
Maybach 57S, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG pace in top five.
MALIBU, CA (January
4, 2007) – The
editors of Robb Report have selected the Bentley
Continental GTC as the magazine’s 2007 Car of the Year, citing “remarkable
drivability, superb handling, a clean and well-executed design, and minimal
performance concessions in the interest of open-air driving.”
The
award is presented annually to an automobile, formally introduced in the
previous year, whose technical designs, styling, and performance position it as
the world’s preeminent sports or luxury car. The February issue of Robb
Report, on stands January 23, announces the 2007 Car of the Year and offers
automotive aficionados detailed analyses of each of the new
models.
Robb
Report editors
and staff members, along with 41 car experts and enthusiasts, formed the panel
of judges. They put 13 magnificent
machines through two rigorous days of driving, rated them, and selected the one
car they believed best combines elegance, style, and exquisite detailing with
performance equal to the challenge of any mountain road or
track.
“There
was no call for a recount of Car of the Year voting,” said Robb Report
automotive editor Gregory Anderson.
“This was a landslide victory in which the GTC earned first-place votes
from nearly half the judges, and it was among almost everyone’s top
three.”
A
luxury car offering comfort and remarkable speed, the Bentley Continental GTC
won the judges over because, Anderson said, it “might be the only
four-passenger car
that
can match the performance and charm of Italian sports cars and convert their
devotees.”
The
judges praised its “twin-turbocharged, 6-liter, W-12 engine good for 552 hp and
its ability to hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and achieve a full speed just shy of
200 mph.” They were equally
impressed with the GTC’s opulent interior, a trademark of the fabled British car
manufacturer, as well as with the unique
seven-bow, three-layer, soft fabric roof, which operates electrohydraulically
and provides exceptional acoustic damping.
Bentley’s
Continental GT was voted Robb Report’s Car of the Year in 2004 and last
year “the Continental Flying Spur came within a hair’s breadth of the trophy,
finishing second only to the superb Ferrari F430 Spider,” said Anderson.
"Bentley
is honored to receive the Car of the Year award from Robb Report,” said
Andrew Stuart, chief executive officer, Bentley Motors, Inc. “This distinction affirms Bentley’s
commitment to world-class engineering and design. While the GT coupe may be the driver’s
car and the Flying Spur sedan the more practical four-door Grand Tourer, the new
Continental GTC convertible is clearly the showpiece for Bentley’s luxury
carmaking abilities.”
Stuart
continued, “We believe the editors of Robb Report have epitomized what
Bentley customers can expect when they slide behind the wheel of their
Continental GTC convertible: peerless design, unparalleled craftsmanship, and
effortless performance.”
Finalists
in Robb Report’s 2007 Car of the Year
were: #13 Cadillac XLR-V; #12 Lotus Exige S; #11 Lamborghini Murciélago
LP640; #10 Ford Shelby GT500; #9 Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB; #7 (tie) Jaguar XKR
Convertible and BMW M6; #6 Audi S8; #5 Maybach 57S; #4 Bugatti Veyron 16.4; #3
Porsche 911 Turbo; and #2 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG.
Robb
Report is
the international authority on the luxury lifestyle. Each month, the magazine reports on
issues and trends affecting the affluent market, with coverage of exclusive
events and features on exceptional automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, art,
jewelry, watches, fashion, travel, homes, wines, spirits, and cigars. Additional information can be accessed
through the magazine’s Web site, www.robbreport.com.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jeff Perlman
Brandware Public Relations
office - 818.706.1915
cell - 818.317.3070
jperlman@brandwaregroup.com
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