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2019 Bentley Continental GT First Drive Review | A grand tourer learns to dance

The Austrian Alps are a curious venue to show off that great hunter of the highways, the Bentley Continental GT. With deep green forests and soaring thrusts of exposed rock, the Alps are one of those few places where the natural world still reigns supreme. Humanity isn't going to change this place much. You can forget about six-lane freeways blasted through rock — the only way to get around is on narrow, twin lanes. True to its name, the coupe is perhaps the truest grand touring car on the market — comfort happily married to speed. I once logged a personal best time between New York City and Boston in a base GT, despite a pounding nighttime rain. Even that miserable East Coast route felt easy in the GT, which eats through highway miles in a peculiarly relentless fashion. It was born for distance. This is our first drive of the new, third-generation car, which won't be sold in North America for another year, at a starting price of $214,600. We've been told it is a changed machine — a GT still, but with more nimbleness. And now we're about to find out, having left behind quaint Austrian villages for a steep mountain road that switchbacks up toward the clouds. It's everything you hope and dream when you fantasize about the Alps. Before me is a straightaway interrupted by a quick left-right bend and an uphill switchback. A small twist of hands on the nicely weighted steering wheel and the Bentley jukes through the left-right fluidly; no need to brush the brakes until we're right up to the hairpin. Then a firm push on the stoppers and a full lock of the steering wheel and — listen to that! — tire noise from the 21-inch Pirellis as we get back on the gas early. The car stays remarkably flat despite the camber of the turn. I snap open my hands and flat-foot the accelerator. Another hairpin beckons just beyond. And so it goes, the Conti welcoming a full-throated uphill attack. We get to the top and begin the fall back down the mountain, which is even more illuminating. This is the model with the W12 — the only one available at launch, notorious for carrying too much weight in its nose. Take a previous generation on a tight downhill route and you wrestle the grille through the turns, giving up entry speed to mitigate inevitable front-end push. It was a point-and-shoot car, relying on good brakes and ample power to make up lost time through the turns. This new generation is a momentum machine. There is a newfound rhythm and flow. It is deft and it is nimble.

2019 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid arrives at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show

It's been more than three years since the Bentley Bentayga Hybrid was announced. The British automaker's ultra-lux SUV was released with a 600 horsepower W12, though a diesel variant is available in Europe and a gasoline V8-powered model will soon go on sale. At the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, Bentley finally unveiled the new Bentayga plug-in hybrid with 31 miles of range and a full charge in just 2.5 hours. The Bentayga Hybrid uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 paired with an electric motor. Details on the battery capacity, power output and fuel economy haven't been announced, but expect huge improvements over the current model's abysmal 12 mpg city and 19 mpg highway EPA rating. Like other hybrids, the Bentayga's E Motor acts as both an electric motor and a generator. Bentley says the hybrid will get 50 kilometers or about 31 miles of range on the European cycle. View 12 Photos Power is still sent to all four wheels. Four on-road driving modes — Sport, Bentley, Comfort and Custom — will be joined by three new modes. Using what used to be the start/stop switch, drivers can change between EV Drive, Hybrid and Hold modes, the latter holding battery power for later use. The instrument cluster and infotainment screens have been revised, with an EV Drive meter joining the traditional tachometer. A battery charge meter replaces the coolant temperature gauge. In order to maximize fuel economy and electric range, Bentley uses the satellite navigation to calculate the best use of the powertrain. When a destination is set, the nav system will talk to the computer to determine the best times to use the electric motor, holding the battery's charge until it's most efficient. Ideally, Bentley says the system will deplete the battery's charge completely just as you arrive at your destination. A smartphone app allows owners to remotely check the charge status or search for charging stations along a route or in an area. Other features include remote heating and cooling that will have the car at a set temperature when you're ready to go. A full charge should take 7.5 hours on a standard outlet or 2.5 with a in-home charger. Bentley has you covered here and has partnered with designer Philippe Starck on a custom charger. While it doesn't charge any faster than other chargers, it is quite a stylish piece of equipment. Visually, the Bentayga Hybrid doesn't differ much from the standard gasoline model. The charging port mirrors the fuel filler door on the opposite side of the car.

Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Range Rover and VW Taos | Autoblog Podcast #738

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined byYahoo Finance Senior Reporter Pras Subramanian. First, they discuss the cars they've been driving, including the Kia EV6, Nissan Frontier, Land Rover Range Rover and Volkswagen Taos. Then they discuss the state of certain brands like Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar. They also talk about the most recent quarterly sales updates, including what's going on with Tesla in China. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #738 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving: 2022 Kia EV6 2022 Nissan Frontier 2022 Land Rover Range Rover 2022 Volkswagen Taos The state of Bentley, Ferrari and Polestar Q2 sales trends Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: 2022 Kia EV6 walkaround at the 2021 Chicago Auto Show