Robb Report Editors Name Bentley Continental GTC 2007 Car of the Year

Maybach 57S, Bugatti Veyron 16.4, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Place in Top Five

MALIBU, Calif., Jan. 5 -- The editors of Robb Report have selected the Bentley Continental GTC as the magazine's 2007 Car of the Year, citing "remarkable drivability, superb handling, a clean and well-executed design, and minimal performance concessions in the interest of open-air driving."

The award is presented annually to an automobile, formally introduced in the previous year, whose technical designs, styling, and performance position it as the world's preeminent sports or luxury car. The February issue of Robb Report, on stands January 23, announces the 2007 Car of the Year and offers automotive aficionados detailed analyses of each of the new models.

Robb Report editors and staff members, along with 41 car experts and enthusiasts, formed the panel of judges. They put 13 magnificent machines through two rigorous days of driving, rated them, and selected the one car they believed best combines elegance, style, and exquisite detailing with performance equal to the challenge of any mountain road or track.

"There was no call for a recount of Car of the Year voting," said Robb Report automotive editor Gregory Anderson. "This was a landslide victory in which the GTC earned first-place votes from nearly half the judges, and it was among almost everyone's top three."

A luxury car offering comfort and remarkable speed, the Bentley Continental GTC won the judges over because, Anderson said, it "might be the only four-passenger car that can match the performance and charm of Italian sports cars and convert their devotees."

The judges praised its "twin-turbocharged, 6-liter, W-12 engine good for 552 hp and its ability to hit 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and achieve a full speed just shy of 200 mph." They were equally impressed with the GTC's opulent interior, a trademark of the fabled British car manufacturer, as well as with the unique seven-bow, three-layer, soft fabric roof, which operates electrohydraulically and provides exceptional acoustic damping.

Bentley's Continental GT was voted Robb Report's Car of the Year in 2004 and last year "the Continental Flying Spur came within a hair's breadth of the trophy, finishing second only to the superb Ferrari F430 Spider," said Anderson.

"Bentley is honored to receive the Car of the Year award from Robb Report," said Andrew Stuart, chief executive officer, Bentley Motors, Inc. "This distinction affirms Bentley's commitment to world-class engineering and design. While the GT coupe may be the driver's car and the Flying Spur sedan the more practical four-door Grand Tourer, the new Continental GTC convertible is clearly the showpiece for Bentley's luxury carmaking abilities."

Stuart continued, "We believe the editors of Robb Report have epitomized what Bentley customers can expect when they slide behind the wheel of their Continental GTC convertible: peerless design, unparalleled craftsmanship, and effortless performance."

Finalists in Robb Report's 2007 Car of the Year were: #13 Cadillac XLR-V; #12 Lotus Exige S; #11 Lamborghini Murcielago LP640; #10 Ford Shelby GT500; #9 Rolls-Royce Phantom EWB; #7 (tie) Jaguar XKR Convertible and BMW M6; #6 Audi S8; #5 Maybach 57S; #4 Bugatti Veyron 16.4; #3 Porsche 911 Turbo; and #2 Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG.

Robb Report is the international authority on the luxury lifestyle. Each month, the magazine reports on issues and trends affecting the affluent market, with coverage of exclusive events and features on exceptional automobiles, motorcycles, aircraft, art, jewelry, watches, fashion, travel, homes, wines, spirits, and cigars. Additional information can be accessed through the magazine's Web site, www.robbreport.com.