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CELEBRATING 60 YEARS
To celebrate 60 years of production at the historic Crewe factory, Bentley is announcing a unique version of the Arnage R – the Bentley Arnage Diamond Series. Only 60 of this limited series Arnage will be built, showcasing Crewe’s unrivalled blend of craftsmanship and precision engineering. Special features of the Arnage Diamond Series include diamond-quartered wood marquetry and diamond-quilted leather seat upholstery.

The Arnage Diamond Series also sees the reintroduction of the ‘Flying B’ mascot, a feature that last adorned the radiator of a series production Bentley in the late 1970s. “This collector’s model has one of the most beautifully crafted cabins fitted to any Bentley,” says chairman and chief executive, Dr Franz Josef Paefgen. “It clearly demonstrates the exceptional craftsmanship of the Crewe workforce, the culmination of 60 years of experience over several generations. The diamond-quartered marq-uetry of the Arnage Diamond Series is truly unique in the motor industry.”

The Arnage Diamond Series makes its international debut alongside the other limited edition Bentley celebrating the Crewe factory’s Diamond Jubilee – the Continental GT Diamond Series. An Arnage typically involves 65 hours of painstakingly handcrafted woodwork to create its elaborate cabin and has more wood than any other ‘standard’ Bentley in history. Arnage Diamond Series include veneered steering wheel control surrounds, head restraints embroidered with the Bentley emblem, a ‘60 years’ front console badge, ‘Diamond Series’ etched tread plates and companion mirrors.

EVOLUTION TIME
On sale in just a few months, Lamborghini’s evolution version of its Murciélago debuted at the Geneva auto show in March. Called the LP640, Lamborghini’s new version of its best-selling sports car boasts of a reworked engine, suspension, gearbox, exhaust system, and brakes as well as a restyled interior. Cosmetic changes include new front and rear bumpers and a modification of the two body-side air intakes.

future MAZDA
While American manufacturers are looking more backward for inspiration for their products, Japanese automakers are focused on moving ahead. Among the evidence is Mazda Kabura. Looking at the car, it’s hard to believe that the Kabura has room for any more than two people, but by utilising the space taken up by the glove box, Mazda has moved the passenger seat forward, leaving room for a full-size chair behind it.

fiery Ferrari
Ferrari has announced that the car that will replace the 575M Maranello will be called the 599GTB, as the company has chosen a literal interpretation of the V-12’s displacement, which is 5999 cubic centimetres. The 599GTB, Ferrari says, is its most powerful V-12-engined production car of all time. The V-12 is derived directly from the engine in the Enzo Ferrari supercar and will produce at least 620 hp at 7600 rpm.

Brief Drives

RALLY OVER
Financially troubled Mitsubishi Motors has suspended its participation in the World Rally Championship, effective immediately. The company says it hopes to return to WRC in 2008, when its revitalisation plan has been completed. Mitsubishi follows Peugeot and Citroën, which both have announced they are sitting out the 2006 season.

mustang IN POCKET
Ford has released a pair of cell-phone ring tones on its website featuring recorded audio of the Mustang GT’s V-8. One tone plays the sound of the car accelerating from a standstill, the other, The Star Spangled Banner, in all its pony-car glory.

new paint pigments
With auto paint pigments developed by San Jose-based JDSU, rest assured that your eyes are not playing tricks on you. JDSU, the formal name of the company also known as JDS Uniphase Corp, is the developer of ChromaFlair, a pigment used for custom paint finishes on vehicles, including the Cadillac DTS and Buick Lucerne. Simply put, the finishes appear to move and change colour as the viewing angle changes. ChromaFlair is what’s known as a light-interference pigment. The colour-changing
phenomenon occurs when light hits an ultra thin, multilayer flake. The flake is opaque and reflects the light back to the eye and colour shifts are created by the variances in light interference through the flake layers.