bentley vs audi (was Net Radio coverage of LeMans )

[Phil Payne]

> no, i believe that's it's a very clever marketing tactic.  by allowing
> bentley to compete against audi, they are clearly *differentiating* the
> brands in the eyes of the public.

Nah - they're just proving that even Lucas can make reliable doorhandles.

> ask the hordes of poms at le mans this weekend if they're cheering for a vw
> or a *british* bentley, and you'd get a very clear and loud answer.

"Poms"!!! From a _KIWI_?
 
I was once told (by an Australian diplomat) that the finest thing an Aussie could ever see was a Pom swimming out under Sydney Harbour bridge towards the sharks with a Kiwi under each arm.

> the bentley is based on the r8 coupes produced by rtn (john wickham).
> however, the preparation of the cars, and much of the work is exclusively
> bentley.  the engines are based on the audi turbo units, with detail work
> undertaken by rtn.  the archilles heal of the r8 coupes (driveshaft loads
> causing gearboxes to fail) seems to have been mostly solved.  certainly the
> most beautiful cars out there, and a real credit to the "bentley boys"

Bentley's versions of the Rolls cars are serious performers.  I was moving up the lanes between Slough and Stoke Poges one day in the ur-quattro at about Warp 1.5 - not paying particular attention to the rear view mirrors, as you don't normally need to - and a Turbo R nailed me like a standing start.  For a car with most of the dimensions shared with a truck, pretty impressive.

> as for the race, i don't think any outsider could appreciate truly how hard
> the race was.  the conditions were the worst they could possibly be.
> alternating wet/dry conditions are much worse tan simply wet conditions.
> excellent effort by joest.  again.  the r8 the best sportscar ever?
> certainly one of them.

Obviously.  Although some of us will never forget the GT40 in the same context.



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