2017 Bentley Flying Spur on 2040-cars

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How'd we miss this incredible 24-hour enduro in prewar cars?

Even in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans, not all of the racecars finish the event. Factors like like mechanical failures, crashes and poor weather that can be the doom of any race team. Now, imagine going to a track today and competing around the clock in vehicles built before World War II. That was exactly what the Benjafield's 24 did at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal in October. Somehow, we missed this spectacular event, and so did most of you, judging by the lack of media coverage it received. The event was named after Dudley Benjafield, one of the famous Bentley Boy racers and a winner of the French race in 1927. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, 21 prewar cars entered, and astonishingly, 20 finished. Teams of three or four drivers did two-hour shifts, and more than just old Bentley racers competed. Robbert Alblas, who also made the awesome video above, told Autoblog via email, "The organization is not a allowed to call it a race because of insurance reasons." Therefore, there were no official rankings of where the competitors actually finished. That's a pity, but it doesn't take away from how awesome an undertaking this was. While you can see cars from this period briefly racing at events like the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, witnessing them go for 24 hours is almost an impossibility today. Check out Alblas' fantastic short film of the Benjafield's 24, above, and get a taste of the on-track action. News Source: Goodwood Road and Racing, Robbert Alblas via YouTube Motorsports Bentley Racing Vehicles Classics Videos portugal portimao

Bentley SUV spotted wearing its own suit

It's been over two years since Bentley unveiled its first SUV concept at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. In the time since, Bentley has sent it back to the drawing board and started development, embodied just a couple of weeks ago as a test mule wearing the bodywork of an Audi Q7, the replacement for which will share its underpinnings with the new Bentley. But what we have here is our best look yet at the forthcoming big Bentley.
Now wearing its own suit (albeit a heavily camouflaged one), this Bentley SUV prototype was recently spotted undergoing testing. And judging from the NewBentley.com stickers plastered along its flanks and rear bumpers, it seems like the crew from Crewe wanted us to see it - or at very least has resigned itself to the fact that we probably would.
The prototype is already wearing the new round headlamps that were part of the redesign, as well as LED taillights, and the interior photos snapped through the windows give us an idea of what to expect from the completed cabin, including the digital instrument cluster and head-up display at the base of the windshield.

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.