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2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S

Bentley still appeals to those with an appreciation for strong, Old World traditionalism. Cars wearing the storied Flying B have been discussed in wood-paneled drawing rooms by men wearing earthy tweeds and corduroy through clouds of fragrant cigar and pipe smoke, for decades. It is a company that has spent nearly 100 years building cost-no-object autombiles, for rich drivers who require a tremendous way to waft above the Sturm und Drang of mortal motoring.
The Bentley Continental GT, while unmistakably a party to that legacy of wooly privilege, has always seemed better suited to the nouveau riche than the landed gentry. The Mulsanne and the Continental Flying Spur still carry forward the brand's heritage of unfathomably fast, gargantuan sedans, while the GT has been busy inveigling an entirely new class of buyer with its lottery-win good looks.
A microsecond version of that analysis was all I had time for as I careened around another heroic left-hand sweeper in this Ice (white) 2014 Bentley Continental GT V8 S. For a car with roots in rainy England and German-engineering genes, the V8 S felt remarkably at home while crushing the desert-strewn distance between San Diego and Palm Springs - almost the epicenter of the New World's Golden West.

Bentley Mulsanne EWB China Edition ironically celebrates London

Bentley's versed in special editions for China, although it's been a while since we last saw one. In 2010, the English automaker released the Continental GT Design Series China and Flying Spur Speed China, following that up a year later with the Linley Continental Flying Spur that was limited to a mere 10 units. This time around, 15 Chinese buyers get the chance to order the Bentley Mulsanne Extended Wheelbase China Edition in any color they want so long as it's black. This being a product of Bentley's Mulliner bespoke division, though, buyers do get a choice of two special blacks. Onyx black imbues the abyssal shade with "a hint of dark blue" as well as darker tones, resulting in the "deepest black finish offered by Bentley." Mulsanne shoppers who like their blacks a bit more uplifting should opt for Black Velvet, said to be "a richer black-based finish" shot through with red pigments, creating a color recalling black cherries. Both hues are hand-applied, as is the gold fine line running along the Mulsanne's shoulder. Further exterior highlights comprise the chrome Serenity grille with a double-diamond quilt pattern, a Union Jack on the C-pillar, 21-inch and 14-spoke polished Radiance wheels, exclusive welcome lamps, and polished, stainless steel Mulliner sill plates.  Three vogue, two-tone interiors will be available, in either Fireglow with Imperial Blue, Newmarket Tan with Burnt Oak, or Shortbread with Redwood. Crewe artists embroidered the hide covering each seat with "an expressive interpretation" of London's skyline that includes widely recognizable sights: Tower Bridge, the London Eye Ferris wheel, the Shard and Gherkin towers, and The O2 arena. The same design is inlaid into the chosen veneer on the passenger's side.   The 6.75-liter turbocharged V8 with 506 hp and 752 pound-feet of torque goes untouched. Bentley will share pricing only with the 15 souls ready to purchase, but the standard sedan starts at more than 5 million yuan, or almost $750,000 American. Buyers would be advised to have a Bentayga on hand to convey the funds to the dealership.

Volkswagen Group previews its wares on eve of Geneva show

The Volkswagen Group is comprised of 11 brands producing 240 vehicles across 49 factories throughout the world. So the best way to show off the range of the VW family is to cram a few thousand journalists and VIPs into a massive makeshift stand to outline the Group's goals, what's in the pipeline and what you'll be able to buy later this year.
To that end, VW pulled out all the stops on the eve of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, bringing along 10 vehicles from across the range. We'll be delving into the details of each over the next two days of show coverage, but before that happens, you can read all about what we saw tonight from the cheap seats after the break.