2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur on 2040-cars

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Tesla Model S Plaid takes first in class at Pikes Peak

Tesla celebrated a victory in the Exhibition class at the 2021 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Sunday, laying down a 6:57.220 pass on the famous uphill time attack – good enough for 10th place overall – in the hands of pro driver Randy Pobst.  Pobst documented the attempt in the above video and called the Unplugged Performance Model S race car "the most bad-to-the-bone electric car ever made," praising its performance. Note that the race car uses an old-fashioned, round steering wheel ... because it's better. Though this year's climb was held on a course that was shortened due to weather conditions farther up the mountain, Tesla's attempt paid off quite handsomely yet again.  Things were not so rosy for Bentley, which finished second to sister brand Porsche in the Time Attack 1 class. Bentley driver Rhys Millen was hoping to nail down the third and final course record to complete its triple crown with its bonkers Continental GT3 Pikes Peak racer, but Romain Dumas spoiled their fun in the 2019 Porsche 911 GT2RS Clubsport, knocking off the bigger Bentley with a few seconds to spare. Bentley's finish was still strong enough for 4th overall despite the disappointment. Related video:

Bentley celebrates its founder with the Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner

July 10, 2018, marked the beginning of Bentley's centenary celebration. We can look forward to a year of commemorations, starting with the Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner, limited to 100 units. The sedan, available in standard, long-wheelbase, and Speed versions, celebrates founder Walter Owen Bentley and his 1930 8 Litre. The founder's personal car, the last vehicle he designed for his company and the second example off the production line, wore a coachbuilt body from Henry Jervis Mulliner & Co. That's the same Mulliner firm that personalizes Bentleys to this day. Walter Owen didn't get to enjoy his "ultimate expression of automotive engineering" for long; financial troubles forced him to sell it in 1931. Bentley bought the 8-Litre in 2006, and part of the "sympathetic" restoration meant replacing the crankshaft. That crank is the central feature of the W.O. Edition Mulsanne: Bentley cut the crankshaft into 100 pieces, and will place each piece inside a custom, illuminated cocktail cabinet in the rear quarters of the 100 special Mulsannes. Four different woods and aluminum create a marquetry scene that frames a glass display with the emblematic crankshaft. Around that, the show vehicle gets Heritage Hides in Fireglow, with Beluga details and stitching, Dark Stain Burr Walnute veneers, and Fireglow lambswool carpets. The exterior's drenched in Onyx, with Beluga Black wheels, accessorized by a chrome hood strip, optional chrome grille and surround, and discrete special edition badging. Customers can, naturally, option their own W.O. Edition Mulsannes any way they wish. Bentley's chosen to skip Goodwood as the reveal of this particular treat. The public unveiling comes on our shores, at next month's Monterey Car Week, on Aug. 24. Related Video:

Bentley teases restyled production SUV

Bentley insists that customers responded positively, but journalists weren't particularly enamored with the EXP 9 F concept when it was unveiled two years ago at the Geneva Motor Show. And so it went back to the drawing board, honing the design to make it more pleasing to the eye.
The production model won't hit the road until 2016, but at its annual shareholders meeting today in London, the British automaker revealed the first image of the finished design - or at least the front end, which was arguably the most controversial element of the design in the first place.
The rendering, as you can see above, is highly stylized and obscured by flying sand (as many customer examples are likely to be in the dunes of the Middle East). But from what we can see, it appears that Bentley has moved the secondary headlights from below the primary ones to beside them. It's hard to tell, but it appears that their place on the edges of the front bumper have been replaced by air vents, giving it an altogether Continental-like front end. The shape of the grille, hood, fenders and greenhouse otherwise appear similar to the EXP 9 F we've already seen, though the air dam appears taller than the concept's.