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Bentley shows plug-in hybrid concept ahead of Beijing, will power SUV in 2017

From its more mainstream, popular origins in the original Honda Insight and Toyota Prius, the hybrid powertrain has worked its way up to the the corner office, the big chair, the top slot in the corporation. Bentley has announced that it will introduce a plug-in hybrid option on its SUV due in 2017. Before then, we'll see what an electrically assisted Bentley looks like at the Beijing Motor Show when the Crewe automaker shows off a copper-accented Mulsanne that's been reworked into its Hybrid Concept, pictured above.
We don't have any official specs just yet, the only major announcement being that any Bentley hybrid will be able to travel at least 50 kilometers (31 miles) on pure electric thrust and get a power boost of "up to" 25 percent from its electric side. We use the phrase "any Bentley hybrid" because the company's CEO says "we will gradually introduce this powertrain across our model range" to 90 percent of the brand's lineup.
We'll know more when the Beijing show commences. For now, there's the press release below and the high-res gallery above.

Bentley designer calls Lincoln Continental concept a Flying Spur 'copy' [w/poll]

When you first laid eyes on the new Lincoln Continental concept, we'd wager you were likely impressed, because it's an impressive design. But if you also thought it looked familiar, you're in good company. According to Car Design News, design chief Luc Donckerwolke over at Bentley thinks the Lincoln concept bears more than a passing resemblance to another Continental: Bentley's own Flying Spur. "This behavior is not respectable. Building a copy like this is giving a bad name to the car design world," Donckerwolke told CDN, after posting some disparaging comments on Facebook and offering in jest to send over the tooling. "It is very disappointing, especially for an exclusive brand like Lincoln," added Sangyup Lee, his deputy for exterior design. The irony is further entrenched by the name, which Bentley only dropped from its Flying Spur in its latest iteration but still uses for the coupe and convertible models. Both automakers have a deeply routed history with the nameplate, but Lincoln's stretches back further, having first used the handle in 1939 before Bentley did in 1952. However it's not the nameplate that's the subject of controversy here, rather the design of the vehicle to which it's applied. So what do you think, did Lincoln borrow too heavily from its British counterpart? Related Video:

Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 gets positive reactions on auto show circuit

Bentley is in the midst of a world tour with its EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last month, the concept subsequently appeared in New York and now in Shanghai, and will stop in the Middle East on its way back home to England. The purpose: to gauge reactions from potential customers. And so far it's reportedly been pretty good. Speaking with Autocar in Shanghai this week, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said most of the potential buyers who spoke to the company after seeing the concept have encouraged Crewe to build it. The only adjustments it's been asked to make were to the front end. Those LED ring headlights look interesting, but would be unlikely to make production. And the grille would likely be more swept back than upright. The process is similar to how Bentley is evolving the EXP 9 F crossover concept into the production Bentayga. The company is listening to customers about what they like and don't like, and adjusting accordingly. Of course none of that means that the EXP 10 Speed 6 will actually see production. It would still need the green light from parent company Volkswagen, which has been cutting back on development spending lately. And with the Bentayga yet to reach showrooms, Bentley has its hands full at the moment. But the segment in which this luxury GT would compete – against the likes of Aston Martin and Maserati – is not one where the VW group really participates at the moment. Neither Lamborghini, Audi nor Porsche have a front-engined sports car in this segment, with only Bentley's own Continental GT coming close. The potential to take a slice of a different pie could prove enough to convince the powers in Wolfsburg to sign off on the EXP 10 Speed 6, especially if it can be based on an existing architecture and shared with other divisions. Related Video: