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Bentley Continental Flying Spur taking shape

The redesigned Bentley Continental Flying Spur has again been caught undergoing testing, though this time away from public roads while tackling the Nürburgring's 154 turns. The car we see in these new spy shots also reveals more of the Flying Spur's new lines, which we expect to largely mirror the shape already seen on the new Continental GT and GTC models.
Likewise, the new four-door Continental will probably come with the same engine options as the coupe and convertible: the tried and true 6.0-liter W12 making 567 horsepower and the new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 producing 500 hp. Its two stablemates were also updated with an eight-speed transmission for 2012, so expect the Spur to swap that many gears, as well.
Really, the only unknowns left are how Bentley will be handling the four-door specific design elements like the shape of the rear end, which is somewhat obscured by this car's checkerboard camo, as well as when the sedan will debut. We've received no indication thus far that Bentley is planning to use the Paris Motor Show, which happens later this week, for the Flying Spur's unveiling. That leaves a string of upcoming shows where it could happen, including the LA Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show and Geneva Motor Show.

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

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.