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Bentley Bentayga crossover prototype keeps on strippin'

The Geneva Motor Show is over, and the stunning EXP 10 Speed 6 concept has had its moment in the limelight. But now it's back down to business for Bentley. That means working on getting its new Bentayga crossover to market, and from these latest spy shots, it seems that's exactly what the British automaker is up to. Pictured here wearing less clothing than ever before, the Bentayga looks pretty darn near ready for its debut. The pre-production prototype even has its full leather seats in place, with plastic covers to protect them as the development drivers (like the one trying his darnedest to block the shots) do their thing. Of course there are still some parts hidden from view, with thin foil covering the headlights, taillamps and rear quarter windows. There's also something weird going on with those gills on the rear door. And the wheels are likely to be replaced as the rest of the trim is installed. But by and large, what you see here is what the production version is expected to look like, sans the polish. Related Video:

2022 Bentley Continental GT Mulliner steps to the top of the line

The shifting in the lineups coming out of Crewe continues with the reveal of the Bentley Continental GT Mulliner. The English luxury maker introduced the most recent GT Mulliner two years ago when there were still a 626-horsepower standard W12 and a 650-horsepower GT Speed. With the GT Speed now the only W12, the introduction of the indulgent Azure trim "for those prioritizing wellbeing and on-board comfort," and the arrival of the coming V8-powered S models, the new Mulliner steps in at the head of the pack. Starting from the bottom, the current Continental Range is the V8, Azure, S, Speed, and Mulliner. What does a buyer get with the flagship Conti? The GT Speed chassis dressed in Mulliner jewelry and coachwork. The 6.0-liter W12 makes 650 horses and 664 pounds of twist, clocking 3.5 seconds from standstill to 60 miles per hour, acceleration unwilling to relent until 208 miles per hour. Dynamism at less furious speeds benefits from adaptive dampers, an electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle, all-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring.  The cosmetic package is effectively handed down from the previous version, which we can't find fault with. The double diamond matrix grille stands proud up front, wearing either bright chrome or the Mulliner Blackline Specification gloss black. The are also specific 22-inch Mulliner wheels, satin silver mirror caps shrouding Mulliner welcome lamps, and illuminated treadplates. The interior picks up unique three-way colorways that rearrange the way primary, secondary, and tertiary colors are split throughout the cabin. Mulliner offers eight standard combinations all lashed up with diamond quilting, paired with 88 choices in Piano wood veneers and heaps of thread options for the contrast and accent stitching. Gauges in the digital instrument cluster have been designed with a technical finish to go along with the diamond milling on the center console. Even the occupants' feet get treated to floor mats edged in complementary piping. Overhead, roofs without the panoramic glass get trimmed with indented hide, roofs with the glass top get smooth hides. For now, the Continental GT V8 Mulliner remains available. The new model debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed along with the S trim and the first historic Blower Continuation, called Blower Car Zero, and it can all be livestreamed here.

Bentley Bentayga to add gasoline V8 before plug-in hybrid powertrains bows

The Bentley Bentayga offers exactly one powertrain in the US: a 6.0 liter W12 with 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Overseas buyers get the additional option of a 4.0 liter diesel V8 with 429 hp and 664 lb-ft - the same oil burner from the Audi SQ7, denied us after Volkswagen Group pulled diesels from the US market. Auto Motor und Sport reports that Bentley will add two more powertrains to the mix over the next year, but it's unclear whether any of them will come here: a 4.0-liter gasoline V8, and a plug-in hybrid. The German publication expects the Porsche-developed 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 to get the nod for Bentley use. That engine serves in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo (550 hp/567 lb-ft) and Lamborghini Urus (650 hp/627 lb-ft), which both share their MLB platform with the Bentayga. Making sure not to step on the toes of the W12, the 4.0-liter petrol V8 will get something like the Cayenne Turbo's 550 hp. We've seen spy shots of the Bentayga PHEV testing at the Nurburgring, but we weren't sure what the SUV used for motivation. Porsche again donates equipment for the plug-in hybrid Bentayga, the forthcoming powertrain swiped from the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. In the Porsche, total output comes to 462 hp and 516 lb-ft. Spy shooters captured a photo of an "EV Mode" button inside the Bentayga, so we know it will do silent running; the 14.1 kWh battery in the Panamera E-Hybrid provides 31 miles of electric-only range. Both powertrains will provide a lower price point for the Bentayga compared to the W12, a stat line that should increase the big Bentley's appeal even though sales already qualify as gangbusters, considering the vehicle. According to AMS, the 4.0-liter gas V8 Bentayga should show up sometime around summer 2018, the PHEV to follow. Related Video: