Some of the comments received by the concept SUV in Geneva include the design being unrefined and awkward for such a luxury brand. The luxury car manufacturer though is not worried. Bentley respects the criticisms thrown from all the directions and says this is part of the EXP 9 F receiving a global attention. The chief engineer of the brand also said during an interview said that the production of the brand will push thru .

The Volkswagen owned brand explained that the SUV should smooth out the cycle of the sales of Bentley. At the moment, the Continental makes up the biggest chunk of sales of Bentley with Mulsanne covering the rest of the bases. The company believes that the Bentley SUV will bring in the balance to the sales.

The EXP 9 F will also give them a good chance to get more customers from emerging markets like China and the Middle East.

The Bentley EXP 9 F will depend on a 12 cylinder twin turbo than runs on gasoline. The production version might also carry the turbocharged V8 petrol engine or even a hybrid setup.

During the first two months of the year, China has been the biggest market of the luxury car brand Bentley with delivery of 324 units. The number is up by 66% from the same time in 2011 and just ahead of the US market which covered for 29% of their sales or 251 vehicles sold. The global sales of Bentley went up by as much as 47% or 894 vehicles.

The sales of the brand might hit 25,000 units during the lifetime of the EXP 9 F with annual sales jumping to 5,000 at most.

Bentley will also face a good competition in the ultra luxury segment of the SUV niche with Lamborghini, owned by VW too, set to unwrap its SUV in Beijing next month. Maserati will also be releasing the production version of the Kuban concept which first graced the auto world in Frankfurt last year.

The new Continental GT will have under its hood the intercooled, turbocharged 4.0L V8 powerplant which is similar to the engine of the S7 and S8 of Audi. The cheapest car of the Bentley lineup will be able to output 487 lb-ft and still a monstrous 500 horsepower.

The Continental draws its DN forom the Phaeton D-platform of Volkswagen. The power of the engine is transferred to the wheels thru the new automatic, close ratio 8-speed gearbox that has an all wheel drive capability. This set up can bring the Continental GT from 0 to 60 in just 4.6 seconds with its top speed pegged at 188 miles per hour.

Given the smaller engine Continental GTC and GT V8 can boast of a 40% improvement in fuel consumption and emissions of carbon dioxide.

Bentley lovers will be able to distinguish the W12 dependent variants from the newly unwrapped Continental with V8 engines thru certain aesthetic updates and unique rims.

The new Bentley vehicles will be on the showrooms before the end of this year with pricing expected to be announced before the official launch. It is expected to compete with the Ferrari 612 Scaglietti, CL63 AMG by Mercedes-Benz, BMW M6, Aston Martin DBS, and the Gran Turismo Coupe of Maserati.

If ever you have placed your order, 12-12-12 predictions anyone? So just hope that the car be delivered to your doorstep before that date comes!

According to the research team of Bentley, owners on the average only use their cars for about a year or a year and a half before they look for a new ride to get their hands on. They also found out that when the car marques offer a coupe and a convertible version, the consumers will most likely get both vehicles to satisfy their craving for choices.

Bentley recently released a new video and some pictures as part of their PR push. Click on the video below:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Continental Supersports Bentley Convertible was unveiled during the 2010 motor show in Geneva and it features a W12 twin-turbo 6.0L engine with 621 bhp ad a torque of 590 lb-ft. With its AWD and quick shift technology, this car can zoom from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds. Its top speed is pegged at 325 km/h.

While the GTC Speed has been around since August 2008, as well as the Flying Spur Speed saloon, their convertible sister is yet to receive the gift of speed from the Bentley geniuses. A prototype of the 2010 Bentley Continental GT has been spotted in the Nurburgring circuit in Germany during a test drive.

Okay, not so much has changed since we last saw it, but at a closer look, it has been given a more aggressive look courtesy of the mesh-grille and lowered intakes and height. Looking closer still, the steering wheel was given a new tri-spoke emblem with metallic accents as the rim bears a stitched leather design.

Like its older brothers, the 2010 GTC Speed will get a revamped 6.0L W12 twin-turbocharged engine. A new crankcase is also in order; much lighter camshaft and a speedier cam sensor are also added. Additional boost pressure also comes with the turbo engine.

The Speed models’ engine comes with 600HP and 553ft-lb of torque, accelerating at 0-100km/h in five seconds or less. The top speed should be around 300km/h.

Coming with the more aggressive look are new 20in wheels, redesigned bumper design, and a stiffer suspension. Nappa leather adorns the car’s interior, a 1,100W Naim sound system, and lots of chrome and wood design.

Bentley will be starting production of the next generation model by next year but has confirmed that the car will be taking spotlight in the 2009 Pebble Beach motor show this coming August.

The new model will have a higher tag price compared to its current version. Some are speculating that it might be positioned in a higher bracket of the market. The replacement Arnage might meet head on with the Phantom of Rolls Royce while the latter is sending out the Ghost to challenge the Flying Spur of the Bentley Continental line.

How the car will be called has not been revealed but executives from Bentley promised that it will soon be known this summer. The price of the vehicle will also be in accordance to the exclusivity of the car.

The replacement to the Arnage is taking form under the code name Project Kimberly and is said to derive the car from the modified modular platform of the Audi used for making the A4 to the A8. The engine however will come from the Bentley mindset with a V8 powerplant coupled with an automatic 8-speed gearbox.

There are reports that the replacement for the Arnage T is on the drawing boards but it has been confirmed that it will not sport the engine of the Veyron. Most likely it will follow the line of how Bentley plans to produce the new Continental.