2008 Bentley Continental Gt Coupe 1 Owner Clean Carfax Magnolia on 2040-cars

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2017 Bentley Mulsanne defines the latest in handcrafted luxury

It takes 144 craftsmen roughly 399 hours to build a Bentley Mulsanne. In today's world of automation and just-in-time parts delivery, such statistics sound ridiculous. But this old-school approach to vehicle assembly earns this beast its status as Bentley's flagship. It takes about a third of that time to assemble a Continental GT, for instance, which is one reason the Mulsanne is so expensive. It's also why Bentley moves more than five Continental models for every Mulsanne it sells. Bentley has a brand-new crown jewel coming soon to dealerships as a 2017 model, and it will debut next week at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. An Extended Wheelbase version joins the base Mulsanne and the Speed, pushing the lineup to three for the first time. Although Bentley officials take pride in the fact they are the largest producer of 12-cylinder engines in the world, the Mulsanne continues to soldier forth with the long-serving 6.75-liter V8. While this L-Series engine traces its roots all the way back to 1959, as evidenced by its cam-in-block overhead-valve design, it's been fully modernized with electronic controls and twin turbochargers. The result is 505 horsepower and 752 pound-feet of torque (or 530 hp and 811 lb-ft in the Speed), routed through a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. This is the same engine that has powered flagship Bentleys since 2010, and it's effortlessly capable of pushing the Mulsanne from 0-60 in 5.1 seconds and all the way up to a top speed of 184 miles per hour. The upgraded Mulsanne Speed improves those figures to 4.8 seconds and 190 mph. That's plenty of performance for this kind of vehicle, weighing as it does nearly 6,000 pounds. With that kind of power and heft, a solid chassis is a must. Active engine mounts join new suspension bushings for 2017, and the air suspension system has been updated. Continuous Damping Control and a Drive Dynamics Control System with three factory and one custom setting are standard. Also new are tires codeveloped with Dunlop that have foam-filled cavities to reduce interior cabin noise. Where the styling of the outgoing Mulsanne is smooth and stately, the new one is more angular and modern. At the front, the traditional upright grille remains, but it's over three inches wider than before, and is slatted with vertical vanes in polished stainless steel that are meant to recall Bentley classics from the 1930s.

2020 Bentley Flying Spur spied winter testing in Europe

The current Bentley Continental GT made its debut about a year and a half ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The big British coupe was joined about a year later by a drop-top variant, but there's been little word on the four-door model, the Bentley Flying Spur. We saw some spy shots last May of the car testing at the Nurburgring, and today we have a new batch of the Flying Spur doing winter testing in Europe. We don't know when the car might debut, but don't rule out a surprise reveal at next week's Geneva Motor Show. The cars in these photos are nearly uncovered. That said, if you're not paying attention, you may not notice much difference. Bentley has taken the Porsche approach to design, evolving the same basic formula rather than issuing a ground-up redesign. The lighting has all been updated, with larger lenses both front and rear. The smaller secondary headlights have moved further out on the front fenders. The upper and lower grilles, too, are larger, taking up a majority of the front end. The profile is generally unchanged, though some of the lines appear to be a little sharper, giving the Flying Spur a more muscular appearance. Expect the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 to soldier on. In the Continental, the engine makes 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. The Flying Spur should get a similar output. As on the coupe, expect a V8 and plug-in hybrid variant to follow in the next few years. Related Video:

Bavaria-themed Bentley Continental GT Convertible has a blue top and blue interior

The online configurator for the Bentley Continental GT Convertible offers seven different roof colors, but Imperial Blue is not one of them. It's a specialty product only Mulliner could provide, and it's one of the key features of the new Continental GT Convertible Bavaria Edition. Only one example will be built, making it an instant collector item. Envisioned by Bentley Director of Design Stefan Sielaff, the theme for the Bavaria edition is appropriately white and blue in honor of the German region's flag. Officially, the car wears Glacier White paint, an Imperial Blue top, and 22-inch Mulliner Driving Specification wheels. It also has a bright chrome lower bumper grille, and a chrome-bordered Bavarian flag emblem with Mulliner Bespoke White and Light Blue Sport enamel on the front fender. The interior is just as elegantly pretty. Reverse of the exterior, it predominately features Imperial Blue leather with Linen contrast piping and stitching, and a pearly Mulliner Glacier White veneer dashboard. A branded treadplate plaque and flag headrest stitching add extra special touches. Hand-built by Mulliner, the special-edition car will be shown at an exclusive event at the Munich Bentley dealership. There is no mention of a price or which customer will take ownership of the Bavaria Edition.