Bentley Continental GT

Ecstatic! We're talking like a kid at Christmas here! These are the feelings I had when I was given the opportunity to drive my first Bentley, my first 12-cyl, my first car to break the 550HP mark, and my first car breaking the $200,000 mark…a LOT of firsts for me here.

So I was up visiting my dad in Centerville, UT. The last several times I drove up there, off the frontage road I saw a Bentley Conti GT parked at the Land Rover dealership. I never had time to drop by until yesterday.

I introduced myself to Bill, the salesman, and he showed me around the other Bentley models in the showroom (including an '09 Brooklands Coupe of which there are only 16 made, and this being the only one on the continent.) I was also super excited to sit in the Continental GT Speed, a car that I have had a lot of respect for since it debuted.

Bill took me out to the '05 Conti GT they had parked out front. He started it up and that beautiful W-12 hit a note that no choir has ever attempted. I did, however, shed a tear for the GT as I had to wipe the frost off of her windows. How many $200,000 cars do you know that sit in the elements? We hopped in and immediately I noticed the gorgeous woods and leathers inside. Bill told me that any Bentley technician can tell just by looking at the stitching on the steering wheel which of the technicians hand sewed that particular vehicle. We headed for the freeway, and he hit 100 on I-15, and not seeing the speedometer, I assumed it was close to 80. MAN this car is smooth! We turned around at the next exit, and we switched seats…This was my time to shine!

I immediately switched to paddle-shifter mode to bring it as close to a manual as possible. Right off the bat, I noticed how solid the Bentley drove. When you shut a door, it feels like you just shut a bank vault, and there were absolutely no squeaks or rattles. Next I noticed how quiet it was when driving down the highway I dropped into 3^rd to hear the Conti GT's motor rumble, and the sound in the cockpit didn't change the slightest! Then, when I floored it, we were enveloped in gorgeous resonation! Bentley took extra care to make sure the Continental was comfortable first, but fun when you want it to be. Finally, I noticed how heavy the steering is. It was like the wheel asking you, "Do you really want to turn here?" Arriving back at the dealership I was shining like the house of that neighbor who goes overboard every Christmas on his lights.

While speaking with Bill, he told me the most exciting thing I have ever heard. I asked why there was no signage out front of the Land Rover dealership to denote that they are also a Bentley dealer. He said that they are opening a new dealership down on about 11400 S off I-15 for … drumroll please … Bentley and ASTON MARTIN! That is dangerous to put an Aston dealer in the same state as me, but I am very appreciative.

The dealership that sponsored my test drive of the Conti GT is the Hadley Auto-owned Land Rover of Centerville, UT. They are located right off the Centerville exit of the I-15. That being said, if you are looking to pick up a Land Rover, this dealership is absolutely awesome. The reason they got awarded the Aston Martin dealership status is because of their superior customer service. If you are looking for an Aston Martin or a Bentley this summer, look for the new dealership in Sandy. Talk to Bill Fagergren – unlike many salesmen that are just working a sales job, Bill is a true enthusiast. He will chat with you about the Ferraris and Maseratis he has driven.

Lawin's Aston Martin DB9

Lawin is the owner of this beautiful Aston Martin DB9. After a spirited drive he found this new hood ornament. He swears he wasn't speeding when it occurred. :o)

The Cars Doug Drives

So, my mechanic finished working on my Accord, so I was in his office cutting a check, when I mentioned how much I liked the pictures of the Ford GT around his office. I was rather taken aback when he told me he owned it, and asked if I would like to go back and see it. It was an instant friendship. Here are two stories about Doug's GT along with the amazing list of cars that Doug has driven:
Doug writes,

My wife and I flew to San Antonio on May 28, 2005 to pick up our Ford GT Supercar. The place landed at 8:30 PM and we went straight to the dealership from the airport, picked up the car, and drove it to my friend's house to tape it up for the trip home to prevent rock chips. On the way home, when we stopped for our second tank of gas, a couple of Texas State troopers wanted to know if I found out what my car's top speed was. I replied, "No, I've only done 100." "Why not?", they asked. "I don't want to die or go to jail," came my easy reply. The troopers pressed me further and asked, "Do you want to find out what it can do?" Not wanted to pass on this gift, I said, "Yes, if it's legal and safe."
The troopers took us to an airport where they test their police cars. My ever-skeptical dark side admitted, "Either these cops are really cool or they are going to kill us and take the car!"
We followed them to the airport where the runway lights were on. The runway was less than one and a half miles long. The policeman got in with me and we hit 170 on our first run, until I saw the red runway lights and I hit the brakes hard. The GT stopped amazingly quick. The trooper remarked that we still had runway left, and my reply was, "If you have the guts, I will use it up, but I don't want to kill us!"
We made our second pass, and this time redlined in 4th gear at 180MPH, and there was barely any runway left. The policeman said that was the coolest. thing he had ever done. The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful with only getting pulled over once. The car got 24 mpg doing 85 with the A/C on!

Story #2
I was contacted by a Ford representative. A 10-year old boy named Morgan Cook had a brain tumor with only a few weeks to live. His dream was to ride in a Ford GT. I talked with the family and arranged for them to come to my shop and see all the cars. THey took pictures and video. I gotpermission from the Cooks to give Morang an eciting ride. I took him to 120MPH and on some fast turns. When we got back, I did a donut in the middle of State Street! Morgan absolutely loved it! We took the whole dfamily on rides, and it was great. Morgan passed away three weeks later. I was glad to help with some memories.

Now, when I went to collect these stories from Doug, he showed me his newest addition to the collection -- the new 2009 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR which is the Knight Rider car! I'll add pictures of that when I get a chance.

Now, here are the cars Doug has Driven:
Porsche 911 Carrera, 911 Turbo, and 911 Twin Turbo
Ferrari 355, Dino, 360, F430
Viper
Lamborghini Gallardo
Bentleys
Rolls Royces
Panteras
EVERYTHING FORD - Yes, he means EVERYTHING. He has owned over 300 mustangs, and currently owns 3 Shelbys and a 1970 Mach I.
As you could also imagine, Doug's favorite plane is the P51 Mustang. :o) He has also flown this.
Doug's Motto: "Just because you can afford it, doesn't mean you can drive it."

Of all the cars Doug has owned and driven, the Ford GT is his favorite, followed by his new toy, the GT500KR.

Doug is the owner of Doug's Auto, Inc. as well as Doug's Auto Racing. He specializes in squeezing HP out of Fords, and many other cars, using superchargers and other high performance bits.

So, if you are ever in Orem, Utah, and you need your car souped up and you need some eye candy, drop by Doug's Auto on State Street and tell him A.J. sent you and you want to see the GT.