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Bentley Bentayga Field Sports by Mulliner is the perfect SUV for rich hunters

Though it's primarily used for wagon versions of two-door cars now, the term " shooting brake" originally referred to a vehicle that was used for people to go out hunting and shooting. As such, the new Bentley Bentayga Field Sports by Mulliner is a literal shooting brake, as it's been customized for hunters. Bentley and Mulliner received assistance from ultra-custom gun manufacturer Purdey to help design this Bentayga to be useful for hunters. The results are centered around additional storage. In the cargo area, there's now a large sliding storage unit that contains several compartments that can house all variety of supplies from first-aid kits to additional rounds of ammunition. Of course since this is a Bentley, there is plenty of focus on luxury as well, hence the quilted leather interior, and the space for champagne flutes and your choice of high-class alcohol. In addition to the main storage, there's an additional locking case for a pair of guns. This case is also leather-covered, and it fits in a space between the rear seats. It seems that this special Bentley is currently just a one-off. But we suspect that if there's enough demand, Bentley might consider offering these options. If Bentley does go through with creating hunting variants for customers, we'd like to make a few suggestions to improve on the design. First off, Bentley has prominently featured a hunting dog in the promotional photos. Anyone with dogs knows that when they're outside, they're at risk for tracking in dirt and mud. That's not something you'd want in your leather-clad six-figure Bentley. So perhaps Bentley should consider some kind of cover, like what came with the Honda Element Dog Friendly Edition but fancier, or even custom rear seat storage for the dog. It could even feature a hose and drier for cleaning up your dog, similar to the Nissan Rogue Dogue. And, though the storage solution that Bentley, Mulliner and Purdey came up with is quite nice, they could go a step further, such as with Bentley's own Bentayga for falconry, or the Holland & Holland Range Rover. The former featured beautiful cork chests in the back for storage, and a custom wood inlay dash. The latter also came with a lovely wood cabinet for guns and liquor, but on top of that, buyers would get free refills on liquor. Those are seriously luxurious features, and would be perfect for a hunter's Bentayga. Feel free to use these ideas, Bentley.

Ian Fleming's Bentley R-Type rediscovered in an L.A. garage

James Bond creator Ian Fleming commissioned a left-hand-drive 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback in Deep Grey with black Connolly leather as a gift for his American friend Ivar Felix Bryce. Fleming's choice of that car was probably no accident: Bond drove an R-Type Continental in the book Thunderball – one he bought as a wreck and restored, and he had it done up in gray with black leather. In Skyfall, this is the car that would have been behind that garage door. Gullwing Motor Cars recently discovered the real-life car wasting away in a garage in Hancock Park, Los Angeles for nearly 30 years. Bryce was Fleming's inspiration for CIA agent Felix Leiter in the Bond books. The US agent showed up in six installments in the series starting with Casino Royale, bowing out in The Man with the Golden Gun. Just as cool as the Fleming/Bond connection is this car's connection to the Bentleys of today. This was the "Speed" of its time, and like Continental GT Speed of one today, it was the fastest production four-seater in the world. A review of the time said, "it is difficult to put into words the gulf that separates a Continental from the average car in all the qualities that have a bearing on safety at speed." And you can see where those outboard lights on today's Bentleys come from. The Continental designation signified a power upgrade over the standard R-Type, and Fleming built it up with extras like rear spats, lightweight seats, fitted luggage, and a racehorse mascot. The Bryces flew their gift around the world to their various homes in England, Nassau, New York, and Vermont. After they sold it the coupe had several owners, ending up in the hands of a Beverly Hills surgeon in 1978, and according to Gullwing it's been sitting in a garage almost since that time. It has matching numbers and the original interior, and Gullwing says, putting it mildly, it is "an ideal restoration candidate." The asking price is $1,495,000, which is quite the premium for pedigree. Hagerty values a pristine example at $1.4 million, and two recent pristine examples have been sold by RM Auctions for $1.2M and Bonham's for $822,000. This Fleming car one went to auction at Pebble this year with an estimate of $1.4M - $1.8M but didn't sell, so don't be afraid to ask a few hard MI6-like questions about it if you're interested.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur brings new design to four-door Continental

After showing us a couple teasers recently, not to mention the leakage of official shots earlier today, Bentley has finally pulled the cover off the all-new 2014 Flying Spur, which will receive its global debut next month at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The big, bespoke sedan not only promises plenty of luxury in its full redesign, but Bentley is also saying that the new Flying Spur will be the "fastest, most powerful four-door" model it has ever produced.
To make sure it comes through on that bold statement, the 2014 Flying Spur is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engine used in the Continental GT Speed. In the Flying Spur, this 12-cylinder engine produces 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and it sends that power to the ground through a new eight-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased (40/60) all-wheel-drive system. Launching the 5,451-pound sedan from 0-60 miles per hour will take just 4.3 seconds and 100 mph comes in less than 10 seconds; overall top speed is rated at 200 mph. Even with all that power and mass, Bentley is still expecting the next-generation Flying Spur to return better EPA fuel economy than the current model with projected (but not certified) estimates of 12 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.
Befitting of its more powerful engine, the Flying Spur also gets a more athletic appearance with a more upright face, arched front and rear fenders and horizontal taillights that better distinguish it from the Continental GT. The new roofline also gives the car a sportier shape and the side windows add a more contemporary look, but this car is almost identical in size to the current model including the massive rear overhang, which helps accommodate 16.8 cubic feet of cargo.