One of these things is not like the other... yet both of these things cause us great joy.
Here at Hooniverse.com, we have a love for all things automotive. This picture shows two very different worlds coming together… worlds that are rooted in a shared passion.
The car on the right is a 2010 Bentley Continental GTC Speed while the car on the left is a 1964 Ford Falcon Futura.
The Bentley is powered by a 6.0L twin-turbocharged W12 ... which produces 600 hp.
The Ford is powered by a 260 V8 ... which produces, um, horsepower too.
There is a story behind the Ford that we will be sharing shortly… and the Bentley will receive a proper rogering review – for now I just wanted to share these photos because I thought they capture the essence of Hooniverse wonderfully so.
I know that I'm in the right place when I see a picture of a Bentley Continental parked next to a Ford Falcon, and I want the Falcon.
First thing I said to Tim once I started shooting… "You know… I bet the commentors prefer the Ford…"
The top-notch shot with the Bentley emblem in the foreground is the final nail in the coffin.
Yes. Verily.
Actually, I'd take the Ford, with Bentley power. But between the two, I'd take the Bentley, sell it, buy the Ford, and be quite pleased.
+1. If I saw these two cars on the street, I'd give the Bentley a glance… but my eyes would follow the Falcon as far as they could.
Include me in that demographic. I think we all know how much I like my Volkswagens, but even so, I much prefer the Ford.
Here's the clincher for me: anyone with some money can own and drive the Bentley. The Ford, on the other hand, actually requires you to know something about cars and maintaining them, just to keep the thing running. It requires something more than just money; it requires a bit of knowledge, and a lot of love.
Pfft, Bentley?! THEY never competed in the Monte Carlo Rally, unlike the mighty Falcon Futura.
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3647/3385579085_92e710dcde.jpg">
<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3383/3635714325_a9224301dd.jpg">
If all you ever do is come here and post gorgeous old race photos…I'm totally cool with that.
Ya gotta go with your strengths, I always say.
Fatty and fattie?
…Engine swap? (Oh like you weren't thinking it.)
I dunno…that Ford mill's gonna strain a bit dragging 5000+ lbs around.
The Falcon, from its body creases to its chrome grill, bumper, and hood ornament, may appear as fussy by modern standards, but my, it sure makes the Bentley look like a half-melted bar of soap (and comparatively boring) by contrast.
The Falcon looks like it is sporting fender-origami garnished with chrome gilt-edge. Sweet…!
You should see the wheel arches… they are excellent.
Will someone get that VW out of the way?
Has there ever been a soft top convertible that looks good with the top up? I think not.
I'm not going to lie and say that, were I offered one to keep at no cost to me, that I would choose the Ford. However, my wife summed it up nicely. "For being such an expensive car, the Bentley sure isn't very pretty." I couldn't agree more. I like the look of the Ford significantly more.
Amen.
This post illustrates the First Hooniversal Truth™: Have engine, will like.
Daewoo Leganza.
Actually, the Holden/GM four is the least offensive part.
Okay, I'll give you that one. I will admit The Big Book of Hooniversal Truths is a work in progress.
However, I'm hoping I can get Peter Orosz and his lady friend Natalie to endow it with some righteous crayon illustrations.
The problem with Bentleys is they are just too commonplace.
"What kind of crack is engineerd on today?" I'm sure you're asking yourself that right now. Let me 'splain. I see Bentleys everywhere. Hell, driving down Ford Road in Westland, MI (hardly a haven for the nouveau riche) I saw one pulling out of a side street. They are everywhere. Sure, a GTC Speed is a very special Bentley. But there isn't much to set it apart from other Bentleys in the looks department.
On the other hand, even here in Detroit — home of the American automobile and the gathering place of thousands of classic cars every summer — an old Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc. is something special. While you don't see a Bentley every day, unless you're in Birmingham, it seems the classics are even more rare. But they pop up anywhere: blue collar neighborhood Downriver, in the posh Oakland County suburbs, and in the middle-class areas of Canton and Plymouth. And they pop up somewhat randomly.
Maybe that's what makes the Ford more special…it's unexpected. I know where to go to see a Bentley. I don't always know where to go to see the Ford, yet it (and it's classic brethren) seem to show up when I'm not looking for it.
Dearborn sure has it's share of showoff super rich cars. You can just sit before Bailey's with a beer in hand on weekends to see the multitude of expensive machinery which comes out near the Crave/ Chili's parking lots.
So many Bentley IC Speeds over there? Here in Berlin, only 2 hrs from the castle of their VW Overlords, you can drive around half a day or longer to see just one. But thats a shame, really. They are made for effortless cruising. Not for showing off. They are (in Europe) bought by people with supercar ambitions. And a sense of luxury. And staying under the radar.
Dope. Ford Falcon FTW! My mom had a Falcon Wagon. I grew up resenting that car, but now realize how awesome it was.
Yeah, the Falcon caught my eye immediately. I've always liked them, and this one's a sweety. The cute little V8 is icing on the cake.
You'd think that Bentley would be showing off the big badass W12 and it's twin turbos. I really don't get this hide-the-engine thing. I think it's ironic that you lift the hood, see plastic and a badge that says "Twin Turbo," so that you know what you're missing.
Maybe I'll fabricate the same thing for my F100 so I can be cool, too. It'll say "One Barrel Carburetor."
The black in the middle is actually the intake manifold…I gave them points for actually having engine parts visible in the engine bay.
That said, for how much it costs, this car has almost no presence. The interior's gorgeous and 600hp is nothing to sneeze at…but there's nothing about the car from the outside that'd make you want to investigate further.
Hell, dude, label everything!
"Points and Condenser"
"Water Pump"
"Intake Manifold"
You might have something there…
I love the pic of the Falcon in the Bentley badge background. You guys really know how to make a hoon feel good about the automotive world that we live in. You can certainly clump me in with the guys that like both but would rather have the Ford.
My first car was a 1964 Falcon Sprint with the 260 and a Fordomatic. I, too, would glance at the Bentley as I walked over to the Falcon for a closer look.
i want them both. and engine swaps would happen… that twin turbo W12 would go in place of my beetle's back seat… a good 351 Windsor in the bently (think of the ugly look… and that nasty nasty sound……… mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm), and the falcon futura can stay as is… I love it…
right… forgot to say where the 1.9L TDi would go.. it'd end up in the summit coupe.. and the 1.5L anemic POS would go to the lowest bidder… just for fun! (with a reserve price of 1/2 the swap cost)