2008 Bentley Continental Flying Spur on 2040-cars

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The new Continental GT Supersports is the most powerful Bentley ever

The Bentley Continental GT Supersports has finally returned after a hiatus since the 2013 model year. And in that time, it became even meaner. The car packs a tweaked, twin-turbocharged W12 engine that now pumps out 700 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of torque. That's an extra 79 horsepower and 160 lb-ft of torque over the old model. With output like that, it's no surprise the new Supersports can demolish a 0-60 mph run in 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 209 mph. The convertible also returns, although the soft top does cost a bit of outright speed. It's 0.3 seconds slower to 60 mph with a time of 3.7 seconds. It also has a slower top speed of 205 mph. But the headroom is amazing. View 13 Photos Fortunately, Bentley has equipped the new Supersports with handling and stopping upgrades, too. The suspension is lower and stiffer than normal a Continental GT. Power goes through a torque-vectoring all-wheel-drive system. That all-wheel-drive system also diverts 60 percent of the power to the rear by default, but can adjust the bias as needed. To bring all 5,000+ pounds of the Supersports to a stop, it has massive carbon ceramic brakes at each corner – 16.5 inches up front, and 14 inches in back. The Supersports sports plenty of style changes, too, although whether they're upgrades is up to the beholder. The car has sprouted a wide array of vents, gills, and wings. It also gets some huge 21-inch forged wheels and rifled exhaust tips. An "X Specification" package also gives buyers the option of eight two-tone color schemes along with carbon fiber mirrors and other trim pieces. It also includes a titanium exhaust that saves about 10 pounds of weight. Inside is plenty of leather and Alcantara, along with a new dash trim in a checkered carbon fiber finish. Of course other existing Bentley trims and veneers are also available. Bentley did not give details on pricing or availability of the Supersports. Related Video:

And the first Bentley Bentayga goes to... Queen Elizabeth II

The Bentley Bentayga aims to be a lot of things to a select few people. But as the world's fastest, most powerful, and (arguably) most luxurious SUV on the market, it could all boil down to bragging rights for some. So who will get to enjoy the privilege of receiving the very first one? Probably the one person in the world who needs to brag the least: Queen Elizabeth II. The sovereign monarch of the United Kingdom (and more current and former commonwealth countries than we care to count) already rides around in a Bentley State Limousine specially made for the purpose and based on the old Arnage. But she'll now be adding a new Bentayga to her royal motorpool, using it specifically to go hunting at one of her estates in Scotland. She does, after all, own several in the country – including the official Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and (more likely) her private Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire. Wherever she chooses to drive it, that's got to hurt for Jaguar Land Rover. The rival British automaker has been supplying the royal family with Range Rovers for years. Then again, both companies – alongside Aston Martin and Vauxhall – all hold royal warrants for supplying goods to Her Majesty. Given how many vehicles the royal family must own (and how the Queen has been known to drive herself about), we're sure there's room for all of Britain's finest. Watch Bentley's American CEO Michael Winkler discuss the Bentayga with a spitting image of Rob Cordry in the video above from Bloomberg. Related Video:

Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.