Irish Car+Travel Oct. 2013 | Page 31

BENTLEY The Continental VT V8S has some detail changes front, side and rear, and special 20" wheels. But the real business is an upgraded 4.0 engine with 528hp and 8-speed auto powering an AWD drive system. A 4.5secs sprint to 100km/h is possible, and improved suspension offers what the company calls a 'more exhilarating and involving driving experience'. BMW The latest generation of the X5 is making a determined effort to become a Range Rover, maybe? Detuning the overall styling in favour of some extra space inside is one thing, the smart details of lights in some way compensating for less shape. A plugin hybrid concept showed the car's place in the expanding electric BMW verse. Below 90g/km from the 4-pot 268hp petrol engine and electric motor combo will certainly be an economical consideration when it happens. Meanwhile, the standard new X5 is going to get 4-cylinder engines too. When BMW decides to do something, the company commits for the long haul. In the still-iffy electric car field, it has spent some years preparing us with concepts and prototypes, and now we can see the actual production i3 pure electric and i8 cars. Experience with the former doing shuttle duty at the show has probably wowed us all at what might well be a potentially very successful niche player. 31