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A car writer's year in new vehicles [w/video]

Christmas is only a week away. The New Year is just around the corner. As 2014 draws to a close, I'm not the only one taking stock of the year that's we're almost shut of. Depending on who you are or what you do, the end of the year can bring to mind tax bills, school semesters or scheduling dental appointments. For me, for the last eight or nine years, at least a small part of this transitory time is occupied with recalling the cars I've driven over the preceding 12 months. Since I started writing about and reviewing cars in 2006, I've done an uneven job of tracking every vehicle I've been in, each year. Last year I made a resolution to be better about it, and the result is a spreadsheet with model names, dates, notes and some basic facts and figures. Armed with this basic data and a yen for year-end stories, I figured it would be interesting to parse the figures and quantify my year in cars in a way I'd never done before. The results are, well, they're a little bizarre, honestly. And I think they'll affect how I approach this gig in 2015. {C} My tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015 it'll be as high as 73. Let me give you a tiny bit of background about how automotive journalists typically get cars to test. There are basically two pools of vehicles I drive on a regular basis: media fleet vehicles and those available on "first drive" programs. The latter group is pretty self-explanatory. Journalists are gathered in one location (sometimes local, sometimes far-flung) with a new model(s), there's usually a day of driving, then we report back to you with our impressions. Media fleet vehicles are different. These are distributed to publications and individual journalists far and wide, and the test period goes from a few days to a week or more. Whereas first drives almost always result in a piece of review content, fleet loans only sometimes do. Other times they serve to give context about brands, segments, technology and the like, to editors and writers. So, adding up the loans I've had out of the press fleet and things I've driven at events, my tally for the year is 68 cars, as of this writing. Before the calendar flips to 2015, it'll be as high as 73. At one of the buff books like Car and Driver or Motor Trend, reviewers might rotate through five cars a week, or more. I know that number sounds high, but as best I can tell, it's pretty average for the full-time professionals in this business.

The 2020 Bentley Flying Spur has 3-D wood now, and it looks spectacular

This is the coolest wood you’re going to see today. We promise. Bentley is now manufacturing something it calls “Three-Dimensional Wood.” And yes, all wood we come into contact with is 3-D, but this stuff pops out at you like people and items do in a 3-D movie. YouÂ’ll find it in the rear door inserts of the Bentley Flying Spur, assuming the owner checked the box. One look at the photos will have you going, “how the Â… ?” Yes, itÂ’s pretty wild to see, and we can imagine the effect it has in person is even stronger. Bentley did explain how it made wood look like the diamond-quilted leather it uses in its seats, though. As one would expect from Bentley, itÂ’s a hell of a process.  Each rear door and quarter panel is crafted out of a single block of wood. Bentley uses either American Walnut or American Cherry timber. They start by machining the back of the log to match a die-cast aluminum door panel template. ItÂ’s bonded to the template, and then the difficult work begins. Skilled craftspeople carve the wood to its three-dimensional surface with a multi-axis routing machine to a tolerance of 0.1 mm. They then hand finish the cuts to achieve perfect results. Finally, a lacquer is applied to attain the color and texture that Bentley desires. Left: EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept; Right: Production Flying Spur pattern This design of wood was first seen in a Bentley concept from 2015. It was called the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 (shown above, left). After the positive reaction to that design, Bentley says it felt a production adaptation was in order.  “Three-Dimensional Wood is the next interior design element weÂ’ve taken from concept car idea to production reality,” Brett Boydell, Head of Interior Design for the Flying Spur said. “It works in perfect harmony with the three-dimensional leather quilting across the cabin of the Flying Spur and creates an even more special environment for those being driven.” If you were to count the number of carved diamonds in the wood, youÂ’d come to a total of 150 in the Flying Spur. As of now, the big sedan is the only Bentley this option is available in. We wouldnÂ’t be surprised if it expanded to others in the future. In addition to that, this is a design that could be translated into lesser luxury cars using cheaper processes and 3-D printing. Bring on the 3-D wood. Related Video:    

Bentley Bentayga dives deep into luxury with touches of pearl

As some of the most luxurious vehicles on the planet, Bentleys are inspirational (and aspirational) to thousands of customers and fans around the globe. But sometimes, Bentley is the one finding inspiration in its customers. As a special commission for a Middle Eastern client, Bentley and in-house specialty shop Mulliner have created the limited-edition "Pearl of the Gulf" Bentayga, complete with pearl trim and a fingerprint safe. Only five examples, each different from the one before it, will be made. The Pearl of the Gulf proudly ties in the cultural history of the Middle East. For centuries, pearl diving and harvesting has been a major economic key to cities around the Arabian Gulf. And it just so happens, the gleaming stones are beautiful enough to complement the Bentayga's high-class personality. On the car shown here, Bentley artistically integrated a mother-of-pearl-laced dhow diving boat within the Dark Fiddleback Eucalyptus wood dashboard. Mother of pearl is also seen on the Breitling clock in the center of the dash. Furthering the elevated feel of the cabin is a special technological add-on. Bentley installed a high-pressure die-cast aluminum storage unit that only unlocks with the touch of the owner's finger. The biometric fingerprint sensor is intended to secure any valuables while the car is left in an exposed environment or handed off to drivers. The rest of the cabin is a two-tone blend of light Linen and dark Brunel leather, a theme meant to evoke the coloring of a pearl and its shell. The quilted seats and door paneling have Camel and Brunel contrast stitching, and gold embroidery adds extra sparkle. Linen lambswool rugs turn the floor into a delightful rest area for the feet, and door sills highlight the car's "1 of 5" status. The remaining examples will be built by Mulliner's crew in Crewe, England. Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Pearl of the Gulf by Mulliner View 10 Photos News Source: Bentley Bentley SUV Luxury bentley bentayga Mulliner