MotorsFuture: averaging out the systemWill averaging out its carbon emissions work for the VW Group? Shane O'Donoghuereports
Last week saw the announcement of a 600bhp super-coupé, and a city car, from the Volkswagen Group.
When Bentley makes mention of carbon dioxide emissions in a press release, you know that the world is changing. Sales of, and hence emissions from, the Continental GT may be insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but no company can afford to ignore the subject, especially when European legislators are sure to enforce stringent new laws in the near future.
An updated Continental GT goes on sale this month and with it a new range-topping version called the Speed. The name may have first been used in the 1920s, but the new car is bang up-to-date, and purports to be a more driver-focused version of the luxurious Continental GT.
To that end, power output is up from the regular model's 552bhp to a mighty 600bhp. Torque, too, has increased by 15 per cent, so straight-line performance is formidable as ever, though of course only usable if you regularly drive on the autobahns.
Like those unrestricted sections of the German motorway network, cars with such performance are looking increasingly in danger of extinction. No doubt Bentley's engineers racked their brains on how to reduce the Continental's effect on the environment.
Coupled with a modest decrease in weight, significant internal engine modifications have reduced the CO2 emissions from a scandalous 410g/km to a barely more acceptable 396g/km.
At the end of the day, there are enough customers out there willing to pay upwards of €200,000 for the privilege of owning and driving such cars. Until the government tells them that they can't, then they will continue to do so.
On the same day that Bentley released figures for the new Continental GT, parent Volkswagen announced its plans for next month's Frankfurt Motor Show, where the company will launch six new BlueMotion models - the badge applied to cars developed with low emissions and fuel consumption specifically in mind - alongside a still unseen concept car called the City Expert.
As already experienced with the Polo and Passat BlueMotion, relatively simple changes are applied to already economical diesel models, such as higher gearing, improved aerodynamics and the fitment of low rolling resistance tyres in the search for more frugality.
Extending this philosophy across the line-up is a worthwhile method of reducing VW's fuel economy and emissions average, but the improvements are incremental.
The so-called City Expert is expected to be a step in the right direction. Details are sketchy right now, and the show car is being billed as a concept, but it is thought that a new sub-Polo city car will join the VW line-up featuring an advanced flat-four boxer engine mounted in the rear. Sound familiar? It's the very layout the original Beetle used. Low weight and high efficiency are thought to be key targets of this car.
When new legislation comes into force, it is thought that companies such as VW will be allowed to average its models' emissions figures over all brands, which means that, to allow Bentley to continue to produce the cars its customers demand, there will have to be a large number of highly fuel-efficient models sold too. The City Expert could well be the answer to luxury supercar buyers' prayers.