2015 Bentley Continental Gt V8 Coupe 2d on 2040-cars

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Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.

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.

Bentley tests next next-gen Flying Spur on Porsche Panamera Turbo body

At first glance, the prototype in the gallery above looks like a blacked-out version of the new Porsche Panamera Turbo. But this is actually Bentley's tester for the next-gen Flying Spur. And since the upcoming Flying Spur, among other Bentley vehicles, will utilize the same MSB platform as the new Porsche, seeing the British automaker using a Panamera makes a lot of sense. The Flying Spur is essentially a four-door version of the Continental GT, which has design cues from the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show. It's safe to assume that the next-gen Flying Spur will get the same treatment as well. Other than the fender flares, the prototype is identical to the Panamera Turbo. So how do we know that this is Bentley's prototype? According to our photographers, the prototype's license plate is registered as a Bentley with the UK's Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency. With the Flying Spur sharing the same platform as the Panamera, we expect the luxury sedan to get the same choice of engines, including the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 and 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine. A concept is anticipated to come out in 2017 with a production variant coming a year later. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley Flying Spur Spy Shots View 10 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Bentley Porsche Luxury Performance Sedan bentley flying spur