2012 Mulliner Thunder Metallic With Linen on 2040-cars

Auto blog

New Bentley Flying Spur will be first Bentley with four-wheel steering

We just got a bundle of details about the new Bentley Flying Spur. Among them is, finally, an official reveal date of June 11. Besides that, the Flying Spur features the latest driving technologies from other current Bentleys, as well as a first for the brand. The company revealed that the luxury sedan will be the first Bentley to get four-wheel steering. It will operate similarly to other systems from other brands, in which the rear wheels will turn slightly in the opposite direction of the front wheels at low speed for maneuverability, and at high speed the rear wheels will turn slightly with the front wheels for extra stability. The Flying Spur also picks up features from other current Bentleys. It gets an all-wheel-drive system that now sends all its power to the rear wheels unless the front wheels start to slip. It will also have the Bentley Dynamic Ride suspension that includes anti-roll bars that are constantly adjusted via a 48-volt electrical system. And of course we get a little visual teaser of the car with a video. It seems to confirm the slightly more blunt look predicted by an earlier teaser. Stay tuned for the full reveal in a couple of weeks.

Bentley's Bentayga Mulliner takes two-tone to a new level of excess

Because a normal Bentayga just isn't enough for some people, Bentley revealed its most exclusive SUV yet, the Bentayga Mulliner. Now this isn't a wild custom model like the Mulsanne Grand Limousine by Mulliner. Rather, this is like past special-edition Mulliner cars including the standard-length Mulsanne, and the Continental GT, which featured some unique trim and detail touches. Immediately apparent is the two-tone paint scheme. This is a new option that will be introduced on the Bentayga Mulliner, but will trickle down to the rest of the lineup this April. In addition, this special Bentayga comes with exclusive 22-inch wheels with floating centers to keep the badge upright, a la Rolls-Royce wheels. Bentley also adds unique badging and standard color-coordinated lower body extensions, while the lower grilles are finished in chrome. The car that will be on display at the Geneva show will feature a special marquetry inlay up front showing the Monte Rosa mountain range. The two-tone scheme of the exterior is continued inside, with the front and rear seats upholstered in different colors of leather. In the Bentayga above, black leather covers the front seats while the rears are done in an ivory-colored hide. The seats all feature two colors of contrast stitching, as well. Even the wood veneers are finished in an exclusive dual tone. On the dash, the wood is completely black, but along the front doors, it fades to a natural finish that is continued on the rear doors. Breaking from the obsession with multiple colors, the Bentayga Mulliner also features a wine bottle cooler and crystal champagne flutes. You could put rose in one if you're really not into matching, though. If even these upgrades don't do it for you, there are a couple other special options available. Bentley offers the Linley Hamper by Mulliner, which is a pretty serious picnic basket featuring Linley china and silverware, as well as a refrigerator. This special Bentayga can also be ordered with the Mulliner Tourbillon automatic clock by Breitling, which the BBC reports was a $160,000 option when introduced during the SUV's debut. Bentley will begin taking orders this spring, though pricing for the SUV was not released. Expect it to cost a good chunk more than the standard model's $229,100 base price. Related Video:

Baby Bentley studied for 2020, but it might not be cheaper

Bentley may step down a segment with a new, smaller luxury car that it hopes to have ready by 2019. The British luxury marque's fifth model line, assuming that its SUV ever makes it to market, though, is still in the earliest planning stages.
Kevin Rose, Bentley's head of sales and marketing, spoke with Autocar at the Geneva Motor Show about the proposed new vehicle. "At the moment, our line of thinking is for a smaller car. But smaller doesn't necessarily mean cheaper," he said. The brand believes the price floor of its models should be 100,000 pounds ($167,240).
The smaller Flying B isn't the only project being worked on. Rose hinted that it is considering an even more expensive model above the Mulsanne priced at around 300,000 pounds ($501,735) that would compete with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. "The twin pillars of the Bentley brand are performance and luxuriousness. Any car that offers something unique, with both of those bases well covered, is on the table," he said.