2017 Bentley Continental Gtc Convertible Gt V8 S on 2040-cars

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Bentley teases new Flying Spur's 3D diamond leather upholstery

Playing the long game before unveiling the new Flying Spur, Bentley's published the second teaser for the new "luxury grand touring sedan." The last one homed in on the retracting "Flying B hood" ornament. This one focuses on what Bentley says is "an automotive world-first," three-dimensional textured leather lining the cabin. Created by Crewe's craftsmen and demonstrated on the door panel, the leather adopts a diamond-quilted pattern, but without stitches indicative of quilting. Up close, it looks like the leather simply adheres to a complex relief form. That's trick we expect to be one of many that will supposedly "set new standards for contemporary craftsmanship." The coming third-generation Flying Spur will want to come out of the gate with just such goals. When the first generation arrived in 2005, it became the Toyota Camry for rich people. The second generation — which still rides on that original platform — blanched in the heat of competition from Bentley's own lineup, on top of competition from the Mercedes-Maybach below and cross-country rival Rolls-Royce Ghost. The new model is all new, from the MSB platform shared with the new Continental GT and Porsche Panamera, to a design that will put more separation between the two-door Continental and the four-door Flying Spur. Expect the 6.0-liter W12 with 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque as the marquee engine, and a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 with 542 hp and 568 lb-ft as the economical choice. Eventual V8 S and Speed models will wring more grunt from those two engines. A plug-in hybrid will debut some point, based around a 2.9-liter V6. We don't know when the debut will happen, perhaps as soon as Pebble Beach in August, or as late as the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, or the Frankfurt Motor Show in between. If you're keen on keeping up in the meantime, you can "register your interest" at NewFlyingSpur.com. As others have noted, the honorifics in the dropdown list at the site include "Lord" and "Sheikh," because titles matter even more at $200,000 before options.

2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed

Why does the Bentley Mulsanne Speed exist? Sam Graham, product line director for the Mulsanne, tells us Bentley's Western customers demanded it, many driven by memories of the Arnage T - the hotted-up version of the Arnage R. The Arnage T, you may remember, arrived in 2002 and threw down 459 horsepower and 645 pound-feet of torque on its way to being billed the most powerful production Bentley ever. Today's Mulsanne Speed picks up the torch and takes it all the way to the Olympic stadium.
Driving Notes
It starts with an upgrade to 530 hp at 4,200 rpm and 811 lb-ft of torque at a limbo-esque 1,750 rpm. That's an additional 25 hp and 86 lb-ft compared to the standard sedan, enabling a top speed of 190 miles per hour. That torque figure makes it second only to the Bugatti Veyron among production cars, and that terminal velocity makes it the fastest ultra-luxury sedan on God's Own Green.

Face-lifted Bentley Bentayga bares it all on Instagram

Bentley's updated Bentayga unofficially made its global debut on Instagram. Leaked images confirm the company's best-selling model receives a subtly redesigned front end, and a handful of new tech features inside. Instagram user Wilco Blok posted the four images. Some look like they were scanned from a marketing brochure, while others were seemingly taken by a spy photographer. The quartet gives us a decent idea of what to expect from the SUV, starting with a new-look front end that gains oval headlights, a wider grille that's more neatly integrated into the rest of the fascia, and a reshaped lower bumper. The nip-and-tuck creates a visual link between the Bentayga and the Continental GT. Photos of its rear end weren't leaked.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by WILCO BLOK (@wilcoblok) on Jun 17, 2020 at 2:06am PDT Most of the interior changes seem to be technology-related. Bentley added a fully digital instrument cluster, and a wider touchscreen that displays an updated infotainment system. Above it, the climate control system's vents are now rectangular instead of round. Below it, designers rearranged the buttons on the center stack. Odds are there are other tweaks not shown in the leaked images. Something else that remains to be seen is what the face-lifted Bentayga looks like under the hood. It's currently offered with a 4.0-liter V8 rated at 542 horsepower, a 6.0-liter W12 available with 600 or 626 horses, and a 456-horsepower plug-in hybrid drivetrain built around a 3.0-liter V6. These specifications could look a little bit different when the model breaks cover. Bentley hasn't commented on the images, and it hasn't announced when it will reveal the updated Bentayga yet. However, now the cat is out of the bag, an official introduction will likely take place sooner rather than later. Related Video: