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2021 Bentley Bentayga Speed previewed in official photos ahead of debut

The Bentley Bentayga Speed is about to be revealed (again), but this time it’ll be sporting all the upgrades applied to the 2021 model year Bentayga. Bentley provided us with a few official preview images of the SUV in camouflage ahead of its unveiling next Tuesday evening. You can check the three photos out in the gallery above. Differences between the upcoming Speed and regular Bentayga are plenty noticeable if you direct your attention to the rear of the vehicle. ItÂ’s sporting an aggressive, winged spoiler atop the roof that produces more downforce than the standard BentaygaÂ’s spoiler. Additionally, this model gets a unique quad-tipped exhaust design and rear diffuser. The front bumper is subtly changed to be a bit more pointy and threatening, but you need to look closer to see the differences here. The biggest change of all will be under the hood. This Bentayga will be rocking the uprated W12 engine that makes 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Since it was just released a little over a year ago, we donÂ’t expect the powertrain to be going through any major revisions. ItÂ’ll likely retain its crown as the “worldÂ’s fastest SUV” with a 190-mph top speed. ItÂ’s 0.5 mph faster than a Lamborghini Urus, so we considered them even. Maybe Bentley has gained something aero-wise with the revisions — weÂ’ll have to wait for the reveal to know. The 0-60 mph time of 3.9 seconds will likely remain unchanged, though. Expect all of the extra niceties announced for the standard Bentayga V8 to be making their way to the Speed, too. You can read our in-depth reveal post for all the details there. Watch out for the revised Speed to make its debut next week. Related video:

If VW defaults on loans it may sell Bentley or Lamborghini

If something goes catastrophically wrong with Volkswagen Group's recent $21 billion loan, brands like Bentley or Lamborghini could hit the auction block. According to two insiders to Reuters, the beleaguered German automaker agrees with its creditors to sell assets if the company somehow can't pay back the debt in a year. One of these anonymous people claimed the company hasn't yet deliberated over what to sell. However, the sources were willing to speculate that the power engineering portion of Man could be among the first to go. "Volkswagen may also consider divesting luxury car brands Bentley and Lamborghini or motor bike brand Ducati, although these units don't really move the needle," an insider said to Reuters. VW Group negotiated with the banks earlier this week to get the massive loan. The cash is necessary as a buffer in case the automaker doesn't have enough money on hand to repair vehicles or settle upcoming fines. VW would reportedly issue bonds in the spring to begin paying the debt. The company's bills will start racking up quickly in the new year. German authorities mandate a recall there in early 2016, and repair campaigns in the US for the 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines are inevitable. There are also hundreds of class-action lawsuits to settle. The company needs to resolve its CO2 emissions scandal in Europe, too. In response to these financial threats, VW management created a cost-cutting plan to slash the research and development budget by $1.1 billion next year.

Bentley Continental GT commemorating Pikes Peak win is one green machine

Back in June, the Bentley Continental GT set a production-car record for the Pikes Peak hill climb, and now there's a limited edition to celebrate. Maybe the wait was so the brand's Mulliner division could work up a batch of the car's special green paint, which Bentley calls Radium. The green hue is taken from the hill climb car's livery, and it appears not only on the body, but also on the Pirelli P Zero tires and inside as contrast stitching, floor mat edging, and embroidery of Pikes Peak on the headrests. The not-quite-matching color on the brake calipers is Bentley's Acid Green. Besides Radium, the model also is offered in black. The special edition also features Pikes Peak graphics on the front fenders, a carbon fiber body kit, a black roof panel, black side mirrors, and 22-inch wheels also in black. Buyers can opt for Bentley's "100" grille (honoring the brand's centenary year), as pictured here. Besides the Radium green accents, the interior also comes with carbon fiber and gloss-black trim. A graphic showing one of five different sections of the track appears above the glove box, along with the record time of 10:18.488. Bentley's rotating center display also is included along with comfort-spec front seats and deep pile floor mats. All of the cars will be fitted with the 626-hp W12 engine. Pricing for the Pikes Peak limited edition depends on buyer specification, so there's no official MSRP. Nor is there a specific model name. But Bentley is saying that only 15 cars with this special set of extras will be built, and even without a name, it shouldn't be hard to distinguish them from other Continental GTs.