2013 Bentley Continental Gt V8 Mulliner on 2040-cars

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Bentley Continental, Mulsanne get Le Mans limited editions

Bentley is celebrating the 90th anniversary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with two special edition model. Both the Mulsanne and Continental lines can now be fitted with six new specification packages to mark the event, each named after a famous racer from the automaker's past. Each package one combines select exterior colors with with special interior combinations that pay homage to the gents who took the company's cars to victory in France.
John Duff, Dudley Benjafield, Woolf Barnato, Tim Birkin, Glen Kidston and Guy Smith all get their own namesake packages. You can see the full run down in the press release below. So far, there's no indication as to exactly how much each pack will cost, but we have a hard time imagining a dollar figure scaring off any potential buyers.

Chris Harris finds out if the Bentley Continental GT3-R deserves the badge

Before getting behind the wheel, Chris Harris is very confused by the Bentley Continental GT3-R. While the British brand undoubtedly has a long history in motorsports, Harris questions whether the stripped-out coupe fits the company's luxurious image. He aims to find out in his latest, drift-heavy video. Weighing in at over 4,800 pounds, this Continental is no lightweight, but the muscle comes thanks to a 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 making 572 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Power goes to all four wheels, but as Harris shows here, the system is still happy to let the big coupe wag its tail. He has especially nice things to say about the shorter differential that sacrifices outright top speed for better response at lower velocities. Still, the question remains whether it makes sense for a posh brand like Bentley to follow the Porsche mold with a racecar for the street. With the GT3-R limited to just 300 cars worldwide and 99 in the US for $337,000 each, a good way to find out is to take this ride with Harris.

If VW defaults on loans it may sell Bentley or Lamborghini

If something goes catastrophically wrong with Volkswagen Group's recent $21 billion loan, brands like Bentley or Lamborghini could hit the auction block. According to two insiders to Reuters, the beleaguered German automaker agrees with its creditors to sell assets if the company somehow can't pay back the debt in a year. One of these anonymous people claimed the company hasn't yet deliberated over what to sell. However, the sources were willing to speculate that the power engineering portion of Man could be among the first to go. "Volkswagen may also consider divesting luxury car brands Bentley and Lamborghini or motor bike brand Ducati, although these units don't really move the needle," an insider said to Reuters. VW Group negotiated with the banks earlier this week to get the massive loan. The cash is necessary as a buffer in case the automaker doesn't have enough money on hand to repair vehicles or settle upcoming fines. VW would reportedly issue bonds in the spring to begin paying the debt. The company's bills will start racking up quickly in the new year. German authorities mandate a recall there in early 2016, and repair campaigns in the US for the 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines are inevitable. There are also hundreds of class-action lawsuits to settle. The company needs to resolve its CO2 emissions scandal in Europe, too. In response to these financial threats, VW management created a cost-cutting plan to slash the research and development budget by $1.1 billion next year.