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Former Lamborghini designer reportedly headed to Hyundai

Luc Donckerwolke (pictured above) only left his position as the Director of Design for Bentley in early June, but he might have already had a new gig lined up as he was walking out the door. Donckerwolke is reportedly teaming up with former Volkswagen Group styling bigwig Peter Schreyer at Hyundai Motor, in a position to eventually take over the look of all of the Korean brands' vehicles. At the moment, this major hire for Hyundai and Kia is still just a rumor, though, and the Korean automaker is playing it close to the vest. Company spokesperson Jim Trainor tells Autoblog, "We do not comment on speculation concerning potential appointments." However, insiders tell Automotive News that the deal is the reason for Donckerwolke walking away from his long career among VW's brands. In Korea, Donckerwolke would hold a position under Schreyer at first, and he would take over Hyundai and Kia's design duties when Schreyer retires, which is expected in about two years. Donckerwolke joined the German automotive giant in 1992 and eventually came to define the modern look of Lamborghini by penning both the Murcielago and Gallardo. In 2011, he became the Head of Advanced Design for VW Group and took over styling duties at Bentley in 2012. Schreyer left a fruitful career at VW Group, including penning the original Audi TT, to join Kia in 2006. He gained the overall design duties for the Hyundai and Kia brands in 2012. Ousted VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech once said that he was regretful of losing the talented stylist. Related Video:

Meet the Bentley Inspirator, your A.I. Bentayga configurator

The future of the car configurator just sprouted a tender new shoot. The Bentley Inspirator app relieves Bentayga buyers of most of the heavy lifting when they're trying to sort out what kind of image they want their super-luxe SUV to project. Usable on any Apple iOS device, the app plays a video and then scans the viewer's face for emotional cues. The video changes based on the viewer's responses to on-screen images, so theoretically, two viewers shouldn't see the same video. The app achieves this by noting 34 "facial landmarks" based on an "emotion data repository" filled with "more than 12 million emotion data points" provided by 3.4 million faces from 75 million countries. At the end of the film, the app suggests a Bentayga configuration, from colors to veneers to wheels. Now fresh from the effort, the prospective customer can apply all of his or her energies to fine tuning the result. You can download it from Bentley's site or the app store, watch the video of how it works above, and check out the press release below. Related Video: BENTLEY INSPIRATOR: PERSONAL PREFERENCE BROUGHT TO LIFE - Inspirator app is the next generation of digital car configurator - Emotion-recognition technology interprets users' facial expressions and generates vehicle configuration - Bentley Inspirator application available to download now at www.bentleymotors.com/inspirator and in Apple App Store (Crewe, 21 October 2015) Personal style preferences can now be transformed into recommendation, with Bentley's latest innovation: the Inspirator. The application monitors the users' facial expressions and reactions and interprets them in order to configure the perfect Bentley for them. Utilising any iOS device's camera function, the application's facial and emotion recognition software measures and analyses the viewer's emotion based on nuanced facial expressions. 34 facial landmarks are identified at 15 frames per second, as the viewer reacts to stimulating film content. The accurate emotion metrics algorithms are built using the world's largest emotion data repository – 3.4 million faces have been analysed in 75 countries amounting to more than 12 billion emotion data points. The viewer's reactions dictate a unique film narrative; the film changes according to what the user responds to most positively, but also deciphers their preferences, creating a unique configuration revealed at the end of the film.

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.