tiday, April 10, 1992 — North Shore News

AUTOMOT

NEWS photo Cindy Goodman

BRAEMAR ELEMENTARY School is holding an April Action Auction tomorrow as 5 fundraiser to
| upgrade the school library and purchase additional computers. Tickets are $5 with many items

to offer including a ’92 Toyota Tercel (avove) donated by Jim Pattison Toyota, a week in a
; motorhome from Go West and a romantic weekend at the Empress from Maslin Travel. The

auction takes place from 6:30 - 11 p.m. Saturday at Braemar, 3365 Mahon Ave., North Van.

A car for the connoisseur

LET’S SLIP, for a mo-
ment, from the world of
reality to the realm of
automotive fantasy.

Greg
Wilson

AUTOMOTION

For those with boundless imag-
inations and bottomless wallets,
the new Bentley Continental R
ushers in an era of contemporary
luxury and traditional excess.
With a retail price of $300,200 (no
haggling, please), this imposing
coupe can lay claim to being one
of the most expensive production
cars in the world,

Fewer that one hundred will be
built for North American owners
in 1992, and more that half of the
buyers have already plunked down
$30,000 deposits to assure their
acquisition.

Recently, Rolls-Royce (parent
company of Bentley) invited a few
Vancouver journalists to ogle a
shining black example at the
Carter Rolls-Royce showroom on
Burrard Street. For this occasion,
i felt it necessary to wear a jacket
and tie, and I even shined my
shoes, a highly unusual event. I
had to admire the journalist who
came in a pair of scruffy Nikes
and a faded T-shirt, obviously
unaffected by the need for role-
playing.

Reg Abbiss, the senior executive
for Rolls-Royce corporate com-
munications in North America,
was there, smiling and charming
as always. This affable man is
able to remember the names of
every journalist, editor, and media
person in North America, a trait

which I find highly admirable. (1
have trouble remembering the
names of many of my relatives).

The Continental R is the first
Bentley in 40 years not to share a
body style with Rolls-Royce. Its
spiritual origins derive from the
Bentley Continental ‘R’ type in-
troduced in 1952. Only 208 were
produced between £952 and 1955
and it is now a highly desirable,
and still highly beautiful, collec-
tor’s car.

“The Continental R is a logical
extension of our plan to develop
the Bentley line to broaden our
market beyond the traditional
Rolls-Royce buyer, and to sepa-
Tate the two marques,’’ said Ab-
biss. ‘‘The Continental R is big, it
is supremely comfortable and it is
extraordinarily powerful, a motor
car for the connoisseur.”’

Photographs don’t do justice to
its appearance. It is truly a large
and formidable car with a
wheelbase of 3,061 mm (120 in-

We offered you the

The best selecticn

The best quality

The best backed warranties

and definitely the best prices in town.

ches) and and overall length of
5,342 mm (210 inches). In my
opinion, it is a distinctive, hand-
some, and regal design, befitting
the Bentley Marque.

Despite its large size, the Con-
tinental R manages to look grace-
ful. The pronounced wheel arches,
flowing hip line, traditional
Bentley grills and large seven-
inch-diameter headlamps all con-
tribute to a powerful presence.

The Continental R is powered
by a mammoth 6.75-litre  tur-
bocharged V3 engine which will
accelerate this 2,420-kg (5,340-Ib)
car from 0 to 100 km/h in a ki-
Netic burst in just under seven se-
conds. Top speed has been elec-
tronically limited to 233 km/h, in
the unlikely event that the ef-
fortless power and quiet attitude
of this car lull you into thinking
that you are going much slower.

To keep you on a level keel, the
Continental R features Bentley’s

See Bentley page 28

And now we're offering the best prices on ‘Larado’

van & light truck tires. Limited quantities. 235 75 15 Fromm

RE BUYERS

ALL SEASON AADIALS

now $7 99

WHITEWALIS 155 SA13

‘ .
. JUST ARRIVING!
“lle

eZ
269] MO. camer re cLasste PERFORMANCE?

a

LUMINA

| 409) MiG. (50% more H in ‘CHEVY THU

CAMARO
(46% more H.P.)25

ALL PAYMENTS ARE COMPUTED ON BASE UNITS — TOTAL PAID
1. $7.152 2, $14,852 3. $12,912 4. $12,432 5, $19,632 € $15,792 7. $16,752 8. $33,072

PAYMENTS QUOTED ARE 48 MO, NET LEASE, OAC WITH TRADE OR CASH
BY DOWN OF 1. TO 5. $1,500, 6. & 7. $2,500, 8. $5.000 — TAXES ARE EXTRA

Be a part of Canada’s
green movement — with kids.

Se : ;
Environmentalist pile

Start Here