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Bentley Continental has come a long way in 63 years

Ever wonder why Bentley calls its coupe the Continental? We'll give you a hint: it's not because it comes with orange juice and a breakfast roll. It's because the coupe was designed to traverse entire continents in speed and comfort. And it has been doing that for 63 years now. The fastest four-passenger vehicle of its day, the original Bentley R-Type Continental is considered to be the world's first grand tourer. The Continental was based on the R-Type saloon, retaining its 4.6-liter inline-six but replacing the four-door bodywork with an altogether more elegant, dynamic form. The two-door bodywork was crafted by H.J. Mulliner & Co, whose name still adorns Bentley's customization department, and whom parent Rolls-Royce favored over its usual Park Ward for its pioneering skills in lightweight construction. The result was a vehicle that could sweep along the highways constructed in post-war Europe with ease and grace at speeds up to 120 miles per hour. Of the 2,000+ R-Types that Bentley made in the early 1950s, only 208 were Continentals, making it one of the most sought-after Bentleys of all time – and one of the most beautiful. It's that spirit which the company aims to carry forth with its namesake, the latest Continental GT Speed, which stands as the fastest production model Bentley has ever offered. Of course it's not just on the road where Bentley forged its reputation, but on the racetrack as well. That history stretches back to the famous Birkin Blower that won at Le Mans in 1930 straight through to the Continental GT3 that scored podium finishes at Paul Ricard and the Nurburgring this year. Watch the video above and scroll through the galleries below to see Bentleys old and new come together and demonstrate the heritage that they're always crowing about in Crewe. BENTLEY CONTINENTAL: EVOLUTION OF AN ICON - New film features 16MY Continental GT Speed and R-Type Continental - Traces the DNA and design of the Continental from 1952 to present - 16MY GT Speed is the fastest production car ever made by Bentley (Crewe, 16 December 2015) The Bentley Continental GT is one of the most iconic cars on the road today. The Continental name first entered the company's lexicon in 1952 with the R-Type Continental – arguably the world's first Grand Tourer. With a top speed of 120 mph it was the fastest four-seater in the world at the time of its launch.

The Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e Concept is the gentleman's open-air electric tourer

The ever-present pressure exerted by increasing fuel economy and emissions standards is forcing automakers worldwide to re-examine their traditional internal combustion lineups. In order to gauge customer interest, Bentley brought the all-electric EXP 12 Speed 6e to the Geneva Motor Show. The drop-top concept shows Bentley's vision of an electrified future and what it envisions a battery-powered luxury touring car will be. Bentley believes any electric vehicle that wears the flying B should be as capable as the equivalent gas-powered model. That means London to Paris or Milan to Monaco on a single charge. Filling the battery should be effortless, which is why they want inductive charging, negating the need for cables. There is one for those times inductive charging isn't available. Most of all, the electric motors should supply effortless amounts of torque, just like the current lineup of Bentley eight and 12-cylinder engines. The interior of the EXP 12 Speed 6e is both futuristic and distinctly Bentley. High-quality leather and copper trim cover most services while a large OLED display houses most of the car's controls. The half-cut steering wheel uses glass elements embedded with various buttons and controls. The cut sections feature controls a performance boost and one for a speed limiter for use in urban areas. The copper elements continue outside, highlighting various trim elements around the car. When in motion, there is a large "6" that illuminates within the grille. The design is similar to the Continental GT prototype we spied a few weeks ago, which in turn takes elements from a previous Bentley concept, the EXP 10 Speed 6. It will be interesting to see how well customers receive the concept. Rolls-Royce brought out similar vehicle awhile back. Reception was icy, but the two automakers do have a different customer base. Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley EXP 12 Speed 6e Concept: Geneva 2017 View 14 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2017 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Geneva Motor Show Bentley Convertible Electric 2017 Geneva Motor Show

Bentley will race Pikes Peak for the first time — in a Bentayga SUV

Bentley is throwing its hat in the ring for the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb first time, saying it's targeting a new SUV race record with its Bentayga. The British luxury marque will enter the W12 version, not the slightly less-powerful V8 version that it recently unveiled, when the Race to the Clouds takes place June 24. The brand's motorsports department in Crewe, England, is working to develop the vehicle for the 12.42-mile assault under the direction of motorsports director Brian Gush. They'll be working with a 2017 model and its 6.0-liter W12 engine, which makes 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque and goes 0 to 60 in 4 seconds, its all-wheel-drive transmission, four-mode adjustable air suspension and its 48-volt active anti-roll system. A driver will be announced later. Bentley's motorsports efforts have mostly focused on GT3 versions of its Continental GT coupe, which have a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 powering the rear wheels and goes on sale in June, and on special-edition models like the Continental 24. So it'll be interesting to see how the motorsports crew tunes the Bentayga, which debuted back in 2015 as the brand's first production SUV and the fastest, most powerful entrant in its segment. The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is a grueling race up the famed mountain near Colorado Springs, featuring 156 corners and a finish line at 14,115 feet above sea level. This year will be the event's 96th running.Related Video: Featured Gallery 2016 Bentley Bentayga: First Drive View 36 Photos Image Credit: Bentley Motorsports Bentley SUV Luxury Performance pikes peak bentley bentayga Sport Utility