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Bentley targeting Range Rover with 12-cylinder SUV

The eventual arrival of Bentley's upcoming SUV in 2016 will likely prove the most pivotal new product to come from Crewe since the debut of the Continental GT in 2003. And Bentley isn't messing around.
The British automaker is taking aim directly at the Range Rover, saying that it will be just as capable off-road. That's a mighty big claim for a company that has never made an off-roader before, but comes with good reason: Bentley estimates that nearly 30 percent of its customers have a Range Rover as well, and the company is keen to take a slice of that pie.
There are, however, several elements that will elevate the Bentley Falcon (as it's expected to be called) above Range Rover territory. For starters, according to Automotive News Europe, which spoke to Bentley marketing chief Kevin Rose at the Frankfurt show, the Falcon will be more expensive. The sticker price in Europe is expected to hover around 180,000 euros - double the flagship Range Rover's starting price. It'll also be available with four-, five- and seven-seat configurations. And it'll offer more power. A lot more power.

Volkswagen might cut 40 models across brands to save cash

Volkswagen once set out to pass Toyota and General Motors and become the largest automaker in the world. Following months of fallout from the diesel emissions scandal, the manufacturer is rumored to be dropping around 40 models from its company-wide lineup. According to German business and finance publication Handelsblatt, the Volkswagen Group is looking to slim down and remove a number of low-volume vehicles from various lineups. The company currently sells around 340 models across brands that include Audi, Lamborghini, and Bentley. Volkswagen is refusing to comment, but Handelsblatt claims to have sources within the company. Last week, Volkswagen Group CEO Matthias Muller announced a new strategy for the company that includes a major focus on electric vehicles and new technology services. During his announcement, Muller said the company would be cutting a number of models, but at the time no numbers, models, or brands were discussed. Despite comments to the contrary, rumors have persisted since late last year that Volkswagen was looking to sell commercial truck and bus manufacturer MAN. Volkswagen owns truck and bus manufacturer Scania, so even if it dropped MAN, the company would still have a foothold within the bus and truck market. There is also talk of the company selling Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, which Volkswagen acquired via Audi in 2012. The company's image has taken a huge hit in the wake of the diesel scandal. Volkswagen has set aside cash in order to pay fines and may be looking to sell these several subsidiaries and cut low-volume models in order offset the costs. Despite the scandal, the company led worldwide sales in the first quarter of 2016. The same was true in 2015, but sales tanked at the end of the year following the diesel revelations. Related Video: Rumormill Audi Bentley Volkswagen Ducati

Bentley GT3-R is the most hardcore road-going Continental yet

A factory-entered Bentley hadn't won a top tier race in the UK for 84 years when the Continental GT3 recently took victory in the second round of the Blancpain Endurance Series at Silverstone. It was an early success for a racer that only hit the track competitively for the first time late last year at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi. To capitalize on the potent platform, Bentley is bringing it to the street with the limited-edition Continental GT3-R.
Limited to just 300 units worldwide, this bruiser starts as any other Continental GT on the assembly line in Crewe, England, but then Bentley Motorsport get ahold of it to painstakingly improve its performance. Like the racer, GT3-R uses the 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8, and here, power is cranked up to 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, 51 hp and 14 lb-ft better than the GT V8 S. The muscle is routed through an eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF with shortened gearing and a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system with torque vectoring for the rear wheels. The weight also comes down over 200 pounds from the V8 S to 4,839 pounds. Bentley claims all the tweaks are enough to hustle the GT3-R to 60 miles per hour in 3.6 seconds, on to an estimated top speed of 170 mph.
To handle all that power, an air suspension holds up all four corners, and the brakes use carbon silicon carbide discs for plentiful stopping power. A titanium exhaust saves an additional 15 pounds of weight, and Bentley promises that it gives the car a baritone growl.