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Bentley SUV given green light by VW board

The "will they, won't they" saga over Bentley's SUV plans appears to finally be over. They will. That's according to the German business newspaper Handelsblatt, which is reporting that the controversial SUV will be built after receiving the go-ahead from Volkswagen's board.
Known internally as "Falcon," the still-unnamed Bentley SUV will be based on the EXP 9 Concept that received wildly mixed reviews at its 2012 Geneva Motor Show unveiling. Since the EXP 9's unveiling, there have been a steady stream of leaks and rumors suggesting that the bold-faced vehicle will get a redesign prior to going into production, but it remains unclear how different the final vehicle will look.
According to Automotive News, Bentley is itself stopping short of confirming the green-light report, though it does admit that the SUV's production outlook appears "very positive." Production will likely take place in Slovakia at a plant owned by parent Volkswagen.

W12 engine disappears for regular Bentley Continental GT in 2022

The non-Speed version of the Bentley Continental GT will not be available with a W12 engine in 2022. It'll be V8 only. CarBuzz noticed the change missing on Bentley's Continental Range page, and when the outlet put the question to the English automaker, the answer came back, "GT Speed and GT Speed Convertible are the only way to get a Continental with the W12 for 22MY." So ends a 13-year run of being able to choose how many horses and torques you wanted to pair with your leather and wood. We thought things were strange when Bentley priced the 2022 Continental GT Speed coupe $50,000 above the previous non-Speed Continental coupe with the W12. That's about double the premium the Speed has charged in the past despite making only 24 more horses than the non-Speed W12. Of course, that doesn't exist any more so such comparisons are academic.  At least the new Speed has received a handling makeover that includes a Bentley first: an electronic limited-slip differential. The new tools and their algorithms impart an enthusiastic liveliness at the stern end of the world's most flamboyantly capable heavyweight grand tourer. But the 2022 GT Speed can't do anything that the old standard W12 GT couldn't; the Speed is just more pliant and talkative about it. And now it exclusively has four more cylinders. The regular Continental range now includes four versions — GT V8 coupe and convertible, and GT V8 Mulliner coupe and convertible — with the Speed adding its own hardtop and droptop duo. Bentley execs have repeatedly said and hinted that they aren't finished with the W12, which got an all-new version to power the Bentayga in 2015; CEO Adrian Hallmark called it "effectively a new engine." The automaker's only got five years to spread it around, though, Bentley having said it will offer a hybrid version of all of its models by 2026, and also having said it doesn't want to add batteries to the W12 because the engine — and the car it powers — are already heavy. Our guess is that Bentley's looking up. There was a 2017 Continental GT Supersports with a W12 that made 700 hp and 750 lb-ft., which cost $60,000 more than the GT Speed. A new Supersports with those mammoth numbers (or more) and the newest Speed's dynamic tricks would make a might fine showcase. 

Bentley Flying Spur V8 S solves the ultimate First World problem

Here's a First World problem if we've ever seen one: You want to get a Bentley Flying Spur, but you can't decide which engine. Well, Bentley has just made your decision even harder by introducing another new version. But we'll make it easier on you by telling you that this is the one you want. Slotting in between the existing V8 and W12 versions of the four-door Continental is the new Flying Spur V8 S. It packs the same 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 as the base model, but augmented to 521 horsepower. That puts it on par, as you might have guessed, with the Continental GT V8 S coupe. It also puts it closer to the 500 hp of the standard V8 than the 616 hp of the 12-cylinder model, but with less weight in the nose, it promises to handle better. With 590 pound-feet of torque channeled to all four wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the middle child of the Flying Spur range will rocket to 60 in just 4.6 seconds – 0.3 quicker than the base model – and top out at 190 miles per hour. Despite weighing nearly 5,500 pounds, though, features like cylinder deactivation and high-pressure direct injection mean it will still travel for 520 miles before needing to top up and return as much as 20 miles per gallon on the highway by our own EPA standards. Of course it's a Bentley, and it encompasses all the pampering luxury and status-symbol clout associated with the badge. But if you're looking for the luxury sedan you can push through the corners and rocket down the highway – and have the means to acquire one – your new ride may have just arrived. Look for it to make its debut mere weeks from now at the Geneva Motor Show. BENTLEY FLYING SPUR V8 S: THE SPORTING SIDE OF LUXURY - World's most refined V8 performance sedan gets even more power and torque - Outputs increase to 528 PS and 680 Nm; 0-100 km/h time just 4.9 seconds with a top speed of 306 km/h - Revised suspension offers improved body control and handling without sacrificing comfort - Black radiator grille, rear diffuser and new grille insert give V8 S a dramatic and purposeful appearance - Unique exterior colours and interior trim options - New Flying Spur V8 S makes debut at Geneva International Motor Show, 1 to 13 March (Crewe, 17 February 2016) Bentley Motors is today announcing the introduction of a new model to its range – the Flying Spur V8 S.