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Ares Design Coupe for the Bentley Mulsanne is the grand tourer we dream about

Bentley exited the grand coupe business when it made the last of 550 Brooklands models in 2011. The UK carmaker said it will make 19 examples of the Mulsanne Grand Convertible, but that doesn't count as a coupe. So when a U.S. Mulsanne owner wanted his Bentley with a roof but a touch less four-door-y, he went to Italian coachbuilders Ares Design. And not only did Ares do the thing, they did it magnificently. The resulting two-door is called the Ares Design Coupe for the Bentley Mulsanne, and the first of them was just handed over in Beverly Hills in time for a Pebble Beach appearance. Modena-based Ares started with a three-dimensional scan of the sedan, then reworked that CAD file into the coupe they sought by changing just about everything behind the A-pillars. A reprofiled roof replaces the old one, and it falls into a new backlight and longer rear decklid. The engineers moved the B-pillars rearward to install longer front doors, and fabricated new side impact protection for the portals and rear quarter panels. New chrome surrounds on the windows maintain the look as if from Crewe. Yet because the roof and doors are made from carbon fiber, they contribute to the coupe's 992-pound overall weight loss compared to the donor four-door. Inside, Ares replaced the front seats with more rakish thrones, redesigned the interior trim panels to flow with the body style, and matched the wood and leather as if all were factory original. Under the unchanged hood, a tuned ECU means the 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 produces more than 591 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque, both healthy improvements on the stock 505 hp and 752 lb-ft. Completing the transformation, the coupe sits 20 millimeters lower on "a sportier suspension." One report said that a friend of the California owner likes the car so much that a second two-door has already been commissioned. Ares charges $460,000 for the service, to start, and it takes about six weeks. And no, that price doesn't include the donor Bentley. However, that's a lot less than Bentley would charge to make the swap, since the carmaker won't make the actual car. The Italian firm said it wants to keep volumes "ultra-low," yet, "As long as [Bentley] don't make one, we will continue." Although we haven't spoken much of Ares here outside of their Tesla Model S wagon, the firm led by ex- Lotus boss Dany Bahar has kept busy in its four years of operation.

Bentley creates buzz with 'flying bees,' enters honey business

Bentley’s Crewe factory has bees now. Yes, itÂ’s the same Bentley as the one youÂ’re thinking of. TheyÂ’re called “flying bees.” WeÂ’ll hand it to Bentley, thatÂ’s a solid name. This means the British luxury car maker is officially getting into the honey business. We joke, but there will definitely be Bentley-branded honey as a by-product of this nature venture. The bee announcement came in a press release. In total, Bentley is adding 120,000 honey bees to live in two massive (Bentley-branded) hives. Bentley says that amount of bees is capable of producing about 33 pounds of honey per year, which Bentley claims is about 50 jars worth. How much will a jar of Bentley honey cost? Considering how exclusive itÂ’ll be, we imagine itÂ’s more than you can afford, pal. Onwards to the real reason Bentley is doing this. ItÂ’s part of a biodiversity initiative Bentley continues to work toward. “Bee populations are in decline in the U.K., so installing two hives to help boost biodiversity is a great way to make use of the grassland at the edge of the site. Our ‘flying beesÂ’ are honey bees that have been bred by local beekeepers with over 50 yearsÂ’ experience. With their help, weÂ’re checking on them every week and itÂ’s great to see that theyÂ’re already starting to produce the first Bentley honey,” Bentley said in a statement. The hives were installed far from the actual manufacturing facility on site, so you likely wonÂ’t be met with any unexpected guests upon taking delivery of your Bentley. You might remember that Ford hopped on the bee game first a few years back. Even if itÂ’s a small effort, itÂ’s always cool to see anyone trying to save the bees. We donÂ’t want to be caught in a Black Mirror-like situation with mechanical, autonomous bees doing the work for us after all.

Bentley is recalling just 88 Bentaygas for loose screws

The Basics: Bentley is recalling just 88 2017 Bentaygas for loose screws. That may seem like a small number, but it's a sizable portion of the 378 possibly affected vehicles. The vehicle has only been on sale for a very short while. The Problem: According to Bentley and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, some Bentaygas left the factory with seat and instrument panel joints improperly tightened. Essentially, the big, expensive SUV has a few screws loose. This was discovered when a routine systems check revealed missing torque data for 88 vehicles. The improperly tightened parts can work themselves free over time, increasing the risk of injury. Injuries/Deaths: The Bentayga hasn't been on sale long enough for these improperly tightened parts to be a threat, so no injuries or deaths have been reported. The Fix: Bentley will notify affected customers starting this month. Owners can take their Bentayga to a Bentley service center where a technician will inspect and adjust the parts free of charge. Concerned owners may contact Bentley customer service at 1-800-777-6923. Bentley's number for the recall is RE16/32. If you own one: Sit tight, or as tightly as you can on your loose seat. Your Bentayga hasn't been on the road long enough for the parts to work themselves free. Wait for Bentley to issue you the recall, then go take your quarter-million-dollar SUV to your local dealer. Ask nicely, and Bentley will probably come pick it up. Related Video: Recalls Bentley Ownership Safety SUV Luxury bentley bentayga