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Bentley considering chopping new Bentayga into a crossover coupe

Like it or not, crossover coupes are gaining traction. BMW lead the march with the X6 and has since followed up with the X4, rival Mercedes has already showcased its new GLE Coupe, and Audi is expected to be following suit as well. So who's next? According to Top Gear, that'd be Bentley. The British luxury automaker is (like Jaguar and Maserati) preparing to launch its first SUV in the form of the upcoming new Bentayga. But it isn't likely to stop there. After speaking with Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer, who pointed towards the growth in the luxury crossover segment at the expense of coupes, convertibles and sedans, Top Gear is convinced that the Flying B marque is weighing the possibility of a slant-backed coupe version. If BMW's experience is anything to go by, reconfiguring the roof and styling of the Bentayga to give it a more rakish profile would be a relatively low-cost, straightforward way to give Crewe another crossover model to offer. But by the same token, we wouldn't expect it to lose any doors in the process as that same Bavarian rival did with the Mini Paceman. With the Bentayga set to debut next year, it may not be until 2019 that the coupe version would arrive. That's if it's given the green light in the first place, with Bentley expected to decide "within the next year and a half," according to TG. What isn't clear at the moment, however, is whether the Bentayga crossover would stand in place of the smaller crossover Bentley was said to be considering, or the four-door coupe or sports car projects that were said to be on the table as well.

Bentley Mulliner Bacalar is probably a roadster

The upcoming coachbuilt Bentley Mulliner Bacalar has been teased before its Geneva Motor Show reveal once again. Instead of one of the wheels or a glimpse of its rear quarter panels, we get a rather clear view of the interior. Bentley highlights the fact that there are only two seats, making this only the second two-seat car the company has offered since 1930. But looking closely, it also suggests that the Mulliner Bacalar is a convertible. The first indication is the angle of the photo, which is clearly from high up, and generally unobstructed. Perhaps it could be a design buck, but there's more to it than that. At the bottom of the photo, there's a black, horizontal object obscuring the base of the seats. It's too close to the seat backs to be the dashboard, so we think it's actually the windshield header. Then there's the placement of the seatbelts. They're mounted really low in the interior, seemingly below the window line. That's something automakers normally do if there are no pillars to mount to higher up, and if you didn't want to mount them to the seats. There also appears to be trim wrapping around behind the rear cargo area at the same height, further suggesting there's no solid roof and pillars in place. With all this under consideration, plus a previous report of a convertible in the works, we're thinking the Bacalar is a droptop of some sort. Taking a turn back to what's obvious in the photo, the interior is clearly a two-seat design, and you can see that it features matching luggage to fit the cavity behind the seats. The seats are upholstered in a nifty and sporty-looking diamond pattern with contrasting gray and yellow fabrics. Bentley doesn't specifically say what materials are used, but it says everything was sustainably sourced. The Mulliner Bacalar will be fully revealed on March 3 at the Geneva Motor Show. It will apparently take styling inspiration from the electric EXP 100 GT concept, and Bentley is stressing the sustainability aspect of the car. The same report that said a convertible was coming, though, also said it would probably get a W12 engine, and at least the convertible part of the report seems to be true. Also expect a price tag well into the seven figure range. Related Video:

Your Bentley interior can literally rock with stone trim

The ultra-luxury car market has been moving in the direction of ever more customization to provide buyers the most unique products possible. The latest move comes from Bentley and its Mulliner division, which has added some special interior trims to the existing line of gloss wood. Now buyers with the means can finish their Bentley interiors in open-pore wood, carbon fiber, aluminum, color-matched paint and even stone. The two most impressive interior trims are the stone and open-pore options. The stone veneers are made from slate and quartzite, and are available in four different colors: Autumn White, Copper, Galaxy, Terra Red or the Galaxy that's shown in the gallery above. In order to keep the stone from adding too much weight, the veneer is only 0.1 mm. It's also finished so that you can feel the texture of the rock. For the open-pore trim, Bentley offers three wood choices: Liquid Amber (made from American Red Gum), Dark Burr and Tamo Ash. Each has a unique grain that can be felt thanks to the 0.1-mm thick matte protective coating, which is a fifth the thickness of the gloss wood coating. The carbon fiber trim is pretty straightforward. It's gloss carbon fiber, though Bentley says the the resin it uses highlights the weave of the carbon. The aluminum is also fairly straightforward, featuring a thee-dimensional texture mirroring the grille of the car. The diamond-brushing is meant to emphasize the dimension to the panels. Interestingly, this option is exclusive to the Bentayga. Choosing painted trim gives owners the most variety in choice, since they can opt for any of Bentley's 88 exterior colors, or have the panels matched to the interior leather. Related Video: