1981 Pick Up Parting Out on 2040-cars

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Bentley considering diesel engine for new SUV

Turns out, in case you didn't know, the rich are just like regular people. They too are concerned about the environment, even when tooling around town in their super-luxurious Bentleys. So the automaker is weighing the idea of offering a diesel engine in its SUV offering, which could help satisfy customers' demands for more fuel-efficient engines.
Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Schreiber told Autoblog in a roundtable interview at the Geneva Auto Show that the automaker is researching whether or not a diesel engine makes sense for the brand. Bentley, owned by the Volkswagen Group, could in theory use a diesel engine from anywhere in the Volkswagen Group family. We at Autoblog have hopes they'll revive the V10 TDI used in the VW Touareg until 2010, but ever-stricter emissions laws would likely make that problematic.
But rich people aren't so much like us that they'll be worried about petty things like pricing. Schreiber admitted the diesel engine could be a $15,000 option, which he said customers would probably find "acceptable." Given that the cheapest Bentley today starts at $177,000, typical customers probably won't be diddling around worrying about an extra 15 grand.

Watch the VW E-Golf get made

If you've ever been on a tour of an automotive factory, you know how mesmerizing it can be to see humans and robots work together to build our four-wheeled friends. The swift automation, the cleanliness, the trained hands deftly fitting pieces together and watchful eyes inspecting every piece of the car, it's all quite impressive, especially if the vehicle is one you, as an observer, are fond of. Even just seeing a fresh, gleaming badge being applied to immaculately painted sheet metal is enough to curl ones toes. Such is the case with this video from of the E-Golf being pieced together in the Volkswagen's Wolfsburg plant. There's no narration or music - just the sounds of production - so it's easy to follow the singular motions that go into the process without distraction, with a slight sense of actually being on the floor. This solo video is only seven minutes long, so it's not quite the epic that was the BMW i3 production series. Therefore, we miss a lot of the initial build, such as pressing the sheet metal, painting, and putting together a lot of the inner workings. What is refreshing to see is how much of the final touches of the electric Golf are done by hand using actual hand tools (and with typical German efficiency). There's even a person riding a bicycle through the factory at one point, which is common at Wolfsburg and also rather quaint. Enjoy the video below, and if you have a suggestion for a good soundtrack to go along with it, sound off in the comments. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jay Leno takes a ride in Gabriel Iglesias' classic 1966 VW bus

We've seen Jay Leno driving all manner of vehicles, many of them epically fast. But few (this is side of his steamers, anyway) have been as slow – or quite as beautiful – as this classic 1966 Volkswagen Samba. While many of the vehicles featured on episodes of Jay Leno's Garage have actually been from Jay Leno's own garage, the former talk-show host has been known to feature some interesting rides from fellow comedians. A couple of weeks ago it was Adam Carolla's '68 Lamborghini Islero, and this vintage, pristine VW bus belongs to Gabriel Iglesias. It's in beautiful condition and is a sight to see, even if it has a little trouble making its way down the highway. Or starting up again after a quick snack break.