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  Robert Kerian

Great Machines: Automobiles: Bavarian Bentley

Paul Meyers

June 1, 2007

"They don’t really like us," says Michael Stein, marketing and sales director for Mansory, a company based in Brand, Germany that performs aftermarket tuning and accessories for high-end British brands. "We have a good relationship with Aston Martin, and the English guys at Bentley are open to it, but [Volkswagen Group] headquarters does not like us working on the cars."

Customers, however, have acquired a taste for exceptional style, as more than 300 Bentley customers have custom tailored their Continentals with Mansory’s help in the past two years. "Last year we sold 50 kits in the U.S.," says Byron Dantzler, parts manager for O’Gara Coach Company in Beverly Hills, who estimates sales will likely double this year with Bentley’s recent introduction of the Continental GTC.

The Mansory redesigned side skirts, with chromed billets, give the Bentley Continental GT a longer, sleeker appearance. (Click image to enlarge)

Unlike some aftermarket companies, Mansory does not tinker with turbochargers, but simply upgrades the electronic control unit (ECU) to squeeze an additional 78 hp from the 6-liter twin-turbocharged W-12 engine.

After pressing the gray starter button, the first thing I notice is the aggressive engine and exhaust growl, a deeper and more menacing sound than the one that emanates from the standard Continental GT. The second notable noise occurs at 3,500 rpm, when a banshee screams from under the hood and the instrument panel’s "check-engine" light glows yellow. I pull over, pop the hood and find that the intercooler tubing on the passenger side has detached, quite possibly jostled loose by the power upgrade offered by O’Gara Coach ($9,990). With minimal mechanical expertise, I clamp the loose tubing back into place. Problem solved.

Our test car boasted interior upholstery and stitching by Mulliner, and 22-inch CEC wheels. (Click image to enlarge)

 The Mansory ECU upgrade—which was not installed in our test car—develops 630 hp and 553 ft lbs of torque, but is only available from the company’s headquarters in Germany ($6,375). Tested on the official tracks in Papenberg, Germany and the Nardò Ring in Italy, the Mansory upgrade provides a zero-to-62 mph time of 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 203 mph—slightly improving the standard Continental GT’s acceleration and 198 mph top speed rating—but engine performance is not Mansory’s main focus.

"We do not spend a lot of time on performance upgrades," says Stein. "Our main business is the body kit and specialized interiors." A new front fascia adds a spoiler and chrome-bordered daytime running lights, while the custom rear apron features dual sport exhaust tips. Other discrete additions include side skirts flanked with chrome, and a rear lip spoiler designed to work aerodynamically with the Continental GT’s hydraulically actuated air deflector, but the car’s most noticeable alterations are the 22-inch CEC wheels ($9,990), which supplant the original 19-inchers. "Our aim is to provide novel styling and exclusivity," says Stein. The total package price for Mansory’s body kit is $29,990. With the inclusion of an iPod connect, satellite radio and an integrated rear-view camera ($4,990), Mansory does not forego novel styling on the interior either.

Mansory also offers similar options. (Click images to enlarge)

Bentley badges remain in all the standard spaces, while the only Mansory designation is embossed on the rear spoiler’s underside and, optionally, on a carbon-fiber engine cover. "Although Mansory’s body kit styling is understated, it is enough to be different," says Dantzler. "Let’s face it, nobody wants to have the same car as their neighbor."

New for 2008 models, Mansory is producing a limited run of 24 widebody kits. The project is dubbed Le Mansory and, according to Stein, will be available in the American market through O’Gara Coach Company by June. A complete new front spoiler with integrated LED daytime running lights and air intakes will be added. Mansory will also incorporate custom, carbon-fiber trim inserts, a sport steering wheel, and serial badges numbered one through 24 on the dash.

Including the $191,000 cost of a fully loaded Continental GT, the price as tested for the Bentley Continental GT by Mansory is $260,000 and can be ordered from Mansory directly or through O’Gara Coach Company—Mansory’s official U.S. importer. The standard body kit modifications are also available for the Bentley Continental GTC and take two weeks to convert in the U.S. For wide-body kit installations, which can take up to three months, cars must be shipped to Germany. Says Stein: "You bring your Bentley to us and we make it a Mansory."

Mansory, www.mansory.com
O’Gara Coach Company, www.ogaracoach.com

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