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Bentley planning to rejuvenate and modernize its design language

The sold-out Bacalar moves Bentley's design language in a sharper, bolder direction. It's limited to 12 units, so the odds of seeing one in the wild are low, but its head-turning lines will influence the company's future models. "It was appreciated very well by its target audience, but also by our traditional customers. I was surprised and happy to get positive remarks. I feel encouraged to really push the subject of rejuvenating and modernizing Bentley's design language," Stefan Sielaff, Bentley's lead designer, told Autoblog. He added his team will accelerate this process in the coming years. "We will take steps forward," he affirmed. Bentley remains a relatively small company, and it recently overhauled a large chunk of its range by releasing the new Continental variants, so don't expect to discover its next design language in the coming months. It's more of a long-term goal for the firm. Luckily, it has plenty of projects in the pipeline. Company boss Adrian Hallmark strongly hinted at "an even more luxurious and even bigger" version of the Bentayga, likely to succeed the Mulsanne (pictured) at the top of the line-up, and he suggested Bentley is tentatively planning to release its first electric model -- possibly with a cutting-edge solid-state battery pack -- about halfway through the 2020s. Speaking of, electrification technology will give stylists the opportunity to explore new design avenues. "I think that, when we talk about an electric car, and only from the design point of view, we have to work on efficiency first of all. This has a certain impact on our design language. It means we need to focus more on aerodynamics and on lightweight design, and this has a direct impact on the styling. I personally think it is a big chance for us; it will help us push the design language forward," he concluded.

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.

Bentley's next Mulliner-developed model will celebrate the W12 engine

Bentley demonstrated what Mulliner, its in-house coachbuilding division, is capable of when it unveiled the limited-edition Bacalar in 2020. The convertible was well received, so the British firm is reportedly planning a follow-up model to celebrate (and send off) the W12 engine. Citing an anonymous inside source, British magazine Autocar wrote that Mulliner's next car will arrive as a coupe based on the Continental GT. That doesn't mean it will look like the Continental GT; the Bacalar is an evolution of the convertible Continental yet it wears a different design. Instead, the model will allegedly borrow styling cues from the EXP 100 GT concept (pictured) that Bentley introduced in 2019. While the EXP 100 GT was electric, Mulliner's next car will receive the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 that powers the Bacalar. The mighty engine will be tuned to send about 650 horsepower and 667 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and it will pelt the coupe from 0-60 mph in well under four seconds and on to a top speed of over 200 mph. Several improvements, like a firmer suspension system and huge carbon ceramic brakes, will let drivers make the most of the W12's power. Hand-built, the coupe will carry a base price of at least $2 million before buyers begin personalizing it; nearly every visual part of the car, including the upholstery and the paint, will be customizable. That figure will make it the most expensive car Bentley has ever released. The report adds that production will be limited to 25 units, and we wouldn't be surprised if the full batch is spoken for before the model is unveiled — even if, like the Bacalar, it's only granted "show and display" status in America. If the rumor is accurate, we'll learn more about the car in 2022 and deliveries will begin the following year. This project could move fast; it took Bentley nine months to make the Bacalar a reality. Few-off projects serve several purposes: they generate profit and they help luxury carmakers elevate and solidify their image. This coupe will also represent Bentley's way of sending off the venerable W12 engine and give the world of a preview of the firm's next design language. Related Video: