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Bentley putting Mulsanne-based Azure, Brooklands back on the table [w/poll]

Big plans are afoot at Bentley. The quintessentially British automaker has just about signed off on the final version of its new SUV, and will surely roll out more versions of the Continental in the coming years, but that's not all. It's said to be considering a new sports coupe smaller than the Continental GT, but the latest reports coming in from the UK suggest that it also has plans for the Mulsanne's platform.
Currently, the Mulsanne is only available in one configuration, but Bentley is widely expected to be bringing a new, more powerful Mulsanne Speed to the Paris Motor Show this fall with around 550 horsepower. That's not all, however, as word comes in that the Flying B marque is planning to re-introduce both the Azure and the Brooklands as competitors to the Rolls-Royce Phantom DHC and Phantom Coupe, respectively.
For those who don't remember, the Azure and Brooklands were a pair of two-doors based on the Arnage that preceded the Mulsanne at the top of Bentley's range. The Azure was a convertible and the Brooklands a fixed-roof coupe, both of them larger than the Continental GT and powered by the company's evergreen (yet decidedly un-green) 6.75-liter V8.

Bentley Continental GT Mulliner Convertible turns thread into bling

Bentley spent 18 months developing the technique for its double diamond stitching, which uses 712 stitches to sew a diamond pattern inside a larger diamond pattern. Created for the new-generation Continental GT, the English automaker said in December 2019 that three-quarters of Continental GT customers order the feature. When a little is good, more is better, so Bentley's Mulliner division has worked up the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible, putting more of the double diamond motif all around the car. It starts with the new double diamond grille, the pattern placing a small silver diamonds inside black, diamond-shaped mesh. The black and silver theme repeats in the custom side vents, the new, 22-inch, 10-spoke Mulliner wheels picking up on the two colorways. The cabin's been laid out with double diamond all over — nearly 400,000 stitches worth of it, from the seats to the doors and, for the first time, on the tonneau cover. The diamonds can be specced in two colors that contrast against the primary leather color, a design line across the instrument panel and the doors adding a third accent. Mulliner has laid out eight different three-color combinations to get potential customers started, because Mulliner is thoughtful like that. But of course, any hue is fair game, wallet depending. Further flourishes inside include a diamond-milled finish for the center console, and a Breitling clock set inside four chrome rings. It's no wonder Mulliner chose the droptop for this showcase, intent on showing the world what the craftspeople in Crewe can do.  Upon delivery, buyers receive their two keys inside Mulliner-branded presentation boxes that match the three-way color scheme inside the convertible, the keys themselves ensconced in color-matched cases with contrast stitching. Details, details.  We'll get a closer look at the Continental GT Mulliner Convertible at the Geneva Motor Show next month, where it will share the stage with an even more intense work of Mulliner, the Bacalar, responsible for demonstrating "the future of coachbuilding." Related Video:

Bentley reserves 99 Continental GT3-Rs for North America at $337k apiece

Whether they're powered by V8 or W12 engines, the Bentley Continental GT just keeps getting faster and faster. The new Continental GT Speed, for example, is the fastest road-going Bentley ever made, capable of reaching 206 miles per hour. And the Continental GT3-R is the quickest-accelerating Bentley yet, capable of hitting 60 in just 3.6 seconds.
In other words, if you want to get your hands on one, you'll need to act fast. Bentley is only making 300 examples of the GT3-R, but while it is said to have already sold out the entire production run, it has been kind enough to keep 99 examples on the side just for the North American market.
The road-going embodiment of the Continental GT3 racer, the GT3-R packs a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 tuned up to 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That makes it 72 hp and 29 lb-ft stronger than the base Continental GT V8, or 43 hp and 14 lb-ft more muscular than the GT V8 S, about on par with the W12 model but 54 hp and 89 lb-ft shy of the latest GT Speed. But thanks to its lighter weight (inherent in the eight-cylinder model and stripped of a further 220 pounds in the GT3-R), it trounces them all in the sprint to 60.