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Bentley mulling own spec series for gentlemen racers?

We began to salivate when we saw the Bentley Continental GT3 up close and personal at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. The thought of a track-going Continental GT conjured up notions of the Bentley Boys, the original gentlemen racers, tearing down the Mulsanne straight. Well, according to AutoGuide, it appears our wistful ponderings will be realized in the form of an international spec racing series.
Similar to the Porsche Carrera Cup or the Ferrari Challenge, this will be a one-make series, and Bentley seeks to run races in Europe, North America and Asia. As for the latter, Bentley Board Member for Marketing Kevin Rose suggested that China will be the likely host of an Asian race. According to Rose, sportscar racing is of interest to Bentley's Chinese customers. He also says that there will be participation by dealers. "Our dealers are by definition car nuts," claims Rose.
While the Continental GT3 is being developed for pro-level use, Bentley is apparently working on a turn-key car for gentlemen racers. According to Rose, "We want to make it as easy as possible." While that doesn't sound like the devil-may-care Bentley Boys of yore, it's likely better to attract participation. The first trials are expected for 2013, and Bentley is even considering making vehicles available for privateer teams.

Porsche to develop new line of engines for next Panamera

When the second generation of the four-door Porsche Panamera launches, it will likely be riding a new platform, complete with an all-new family of V6 and V8 engines, according to a report coming out of the UK.
Autocar reports that the so-called MSB platform will likely underpin the Panamera, and it could be shared with Bentley, provided the Volkswagen-owned, British-built brand commits to the architecture. As for the engines, it's reported that they'll have a sportier character than the V6s and V8s being built for Volkswagen and Audi's vehicles.
"Porsche will have its own new V8 that will be common to the new MSB platform," Porsche's chief engineer, Wolfgang Hatz, said. "It's a family for the next 10 years of cars." Whether the V8 and V6 will be used outside of the Panamera line, though, remains unclear. There's also no mention of what place turbocharging would have with the new engines.

New Bentley Supersports coming in 2014

A report in Autocar says the next Bentley Continental Supersports will be ready for retail duty in 2014. If true, the coupe is meant to follow the same formula as the first generation, which means weight loss, honed reflexes and "improving braking power," that last one an eyebrow raiser because the Continental series already has some of the largest diameter brakes available on a production car.
A vulgar gain in horsepower isn't planned, however; the Supersports was never primarily about pure grunt, but rather being more connected to the grunt the Continental had. The previous Supersports (Bentley no longer offers it) put out 621 horsepower, but it's said that the coming model will move up to 650 hp, and that would put healthy distance between it and the 616-hp Continental GT Speed.
The Supersports would take a place at the head of the Continental line-up, but be briefly usurped there by a road-going version of the Continental GT3 race car if that comes to fruition. But whereas the street-legal GT3 car would be limited production, the new Supersports would be a series offering.