2008 Bentley Continental Gt 2dr Conv on 2040-cars

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Xcar asks why the W in the Bentley Continental GT

There aren't a lot of automakers producing V12 engines these days: There's BMW and Mercedes, of course, and the Rolls-Royces and Paganis they power. There's Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin. But the largest producer of twelve-cylinder engines doesn't make them in a V. That'd be Bentley, and it produces more dozen-piston engines than anyone else, but arranges them in a W configuration. It's a compelling story of innovation, one as interesting as the history of the marque itself. And Xcar tells the tale in its latest video installment, tracing it back to the development of the compact VR6 engine and the autocratic mastermind at the helm of the Volkswagen Group who made the W12 a reality. By this point it would be all too easy to consign the W12 to the dustbin of history as the smaller, more efficient and nearly as powerful V8 has slotted in below to push the W12 to the margins of relevance. But it's still the more refined option, and the more innovative one. Little wonder it's the only type of twelve-cylinder engine (the Aventador's notwithstanding) that the Volkswagen Group still makes.

Ford GT Mk II at Goodwood, Bentley EXP 100 GT concept EV and driving the Hyundai Veloster N | Autoblog Podcast #588

In this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski and Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale. To kick things off, they talk about driving the Porsche Cayenne S, Hyundai Veloster N and Nissan Armada. Then they recap the Goodwood Festival of Speed, including the Ford GT Mk II that debuted there. Next up is news: the Bentley EXP 100 GT electric concept car, Ford canceling diesel for the Transit Connect and Elon Musk dismissing talk of a refresh for the Model S and Model X. Finally, they take to Reddit to help pick between a 2016 Audi S3 and a 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia. Autoblog Podcast #588 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2019 Porsche Cayenne S 2020 Hyundai Veloster N 2019 Nissan Armada Ford GT Mk II debuts at Goodwood, and other impressions from the event Bentley unveils EXP 100 GT electric concept car Ford cancels diesel engine for Transit Connect Tesla Model S and X wonÂ’t get a refresh Spend My Money: Audi or Alfa? Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video:    

Volkswagen breaks 40-year-old sales record in 2012

The last time Volkswagen moved this many vehicles in America in one year, Richard Nixon was still a President in good standing, Let It Be was a radio hit and each car wearing the VW badge boasted an air-cooled engine. That's right, with a grand total of 580,286 vehicles sold in the US last year, the VW Group has broken its own four-decades-old sales record by 2,899 vehicles.
Of that 580k total sold, 438k were Volkswagens and 139k were Audi products - increases of 35.1 percent and 18.5 percent, respectively, in year-over-year sales. The ultra-premium members of the VW group also fared well; Bentley delivered 2,315 vehicles for a 23.3-precent increase, and Lamborghini delivered 520 units for a 52.9-percent jump. Bugatti, we're told is "right on track."
Jetta (pictured) sales paced the marque with 170k models sold, and Passat also finished very strong with sales of 117k total. Tiguan also racked up its best year on file, with 31,731 models shifted.