Over the Top: 1,400-hp Camaros, Bentley Continentals and Maybach Eyewear

Posted on May 25, 2018 in Racing | Comments Off on Over the Top: 1,400-hp Camaros, Bentley Continentals and Maybach Eyewear

There are so many ways to express automotive excess that it’s hard to be surprised anymore. But the Camaro above blew out a few of my old brain cells today. The $320,000 brainchild of Canadian Serge Leger, its 6-liter GM LSX V8 was modified (greatly) to produce 1,400 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque.

That ought to take you off the mark smartly. But check out the interior in Italian leather with custom everything. Really, Serge, dragster interiors are supposed to be basic, down and dirty. Stripped. Fire extinguisher and grease. The exterior is very sharp with black rims and a great rear-end treatment. See it after the break.

Can you see this thing smoking down the track and popping its chute? I can’t, but it’s an interesting experiment.

Bentley Continentals have been around for about seven years, and with their glitzy styling and nouveau-riche appeal, have frequently inspired customized versions, none more silly than the Mansory Bentley Continental GT Speed Vitesse Rose, whose interior is shown below right.

We are told the car cost €269,000, or $354,180 U.S.

Three of these, ahem, vehicles were produced last year byMansory Tuning, a Swiss group well known for its far-out custom versions of cars like Astons, Bentleys, Bugattis, etc. It is opening a Moscow showroom—which tells you something.

Owned by Volkswagen, Bentley seems to be thriving and has just announced a new 2011 Continental GT coupe, withminimal changes from last year, and likely featuring the W12 engine from the also-over-the-top Audi A8L.

And finally, what’s happened toMaybach? This sedan for the super-rich never seemed to take off, and Daimler AG is very likely to drop the beast soon. The changes to the 2011 Maybach 62 are minimal, but the Maybach marketing team has not been sitting on their thumbs.

They just announced a new, formidably upscale line of Maybach eyeglasses to debut in October, probably just in time to coincide with the car’s demise. The glasses will use materials ranging from “fine wood, leather and natural horn to carbon-fiber, titanium and 18-carat white, yellow and rose gold.”