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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

Porsche 918 Spyder roars electric through London

The Porsche 918 Spyder can be an object of lust for anyone who appreciates the finer things in the automotive world, but for us greenies with penchant for speed, the car is an icon. This gorgeous, all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid offers 887 horsepower and 940 pound-feet of torque, can do 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds and is capable of 214 miles per hour. It lapped the Nurburgring in a record 6:57. Still, it is capable of near-silent, relaxed cruising through one of Europe's busiest cities. In a new video from Porsche, chief driving instructor Gordon Robertson takes the 918 to London and does just that. While driving in E-Power mode, he describes some of the things that make the car special, as well as how the technology has developed through the 911 GT3 R Hybrid and the 919 LMP1 car to eventually be passed onto the Panamera S E-Hybrid. If you're interested, you can learn more about the car in our own drive review, here. It's great to see, for the first time, the 918 Spyder driving alongside London's black cabs and double-decker buses. The rubbernecking from pedestrians is noticeable and completely understandable. I'm sure we'd all love to see this car come silently sneaking down our own city streets, but until Porsche makes that happen, you'll just have to enjoy the video below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Porsche rules out Macan, 911 hybrids

Believe it or not, between the 918 Spyder, the Cayenne and the Panamera, Porsche offers more plug-in hybrid models than any other brand. Yes, Porsche. But don't expect that trend to continue. At least, not in the immediate future.
According to Top Gear, the E-Hybrid powertrain in the Cayenne and Panamera is too big to fit into the smaller Macan. A future hybrid system could be small enough to fit, but with the current technology still fresh, that'd still be some ways down the twisting road.
It stands to reason, then, that if the system wouldn't fit in the Macan, it wouldn't fit in the Boxster or Cayman, either. But what of the 911? Surely Porsche would like to stick it to BMW and its new i8, and proved it could do a hybrid 911 when it rolled the GT3 R Hybrid (pictured) out onto the race track over four years ago. But Zuffenhausen is reportedly in no rush to put that idea into production - not for the current 911 and not for the next one, either.