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Bentley CEO says Mulsanne Convertible isn't going to happen [w/poll]

Bentley and Rolls-Royce may be as direct as competitors get, but that doesn't mean they go head-to-head on every model. Bentley is arguably more focused on its Continental line, with the pricier Mulsanne branching off of it. Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, only recently expanded (relatively) down-market with the Wraith and the Ghost on which it's based. For Rolls, it's long been about the Phantom and its coupe and convertible variants. And Bentley doesn't pose much of a challenge in that stratospheric segment.
Crewe discontinued the old Arnage-based Brooklands coupe and Azure convertible in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and hasn't rolled out a successor for either in the few years since. The high-end British automaker revealed a conceptual convertible based on the Mulsanne at Pebble Beach Concours last year and was said to be moving ahead with production plans, but the latest intel suggests that Bentley has taken it off the development table.
This according to Car and Driver, which spoke with Bentley's new chief exec Wolfgang Schreiber at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Schreiber, there just isn't enough demand worldwide to justify the development costs - even if it is based on the existing flagship sedan. Apparently Bentley has evaluated that beyond the US and Europe, they couldn't sell enough of them in other markets to make it worthwhile. We'd imagine some Middle-Eastern sheikhs might like to get their hands on a few, but apparently the higher priority is getting the Falcon sport-ute out the door.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur makes its Swiss debut

Ever since the two-door Bentley Continental GT debuted in 2010, we've wondered how the coupe's new design and technology would carry over to the four-door Flying Spur model. We received official details and images a couple of weeks ago, but we've now had the chance to see the Spur in person here on the eve of the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
It's a handsome sedan, this 2014 Flying Spur (which has officially ditched the Continental nomenclature, for what it's worth). And even more handsome in the metal. The stock photos don't do this big beast justice - especially in the rear three-quarter and profile views, where aspects of the car (namely its newly horizontal-shaped taillamps) can look a bit awkward.
More impressively, Bentley says that the new Flying Spur will be the "fastest, most powerful four-door" it has ever produced. Makes sense to us, especially considering the fact that the sedan borrows its twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 powertrain from the Continental GT Speed coupe. This twelve-pot mill is good for 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, able to propel the 5,451-pound, all-wheel-drive sedan to 60 miles per hour in 4.3 seconds. That's quick.

Bentley considering smaller coupe

Only halfway through the year, Bentley reports that it's on track to post record sales. Thanks in no small part to the introduction of its new V8 engine in the Continental family, sales are up nearly a quarter over last year. And they only stand to increase even more with the introduction of new models currently in the pipeline. The upcoming SUV will surely form a large part of that, but it won't be the end of the story for the storied marque.
Car and Driver reports that, after the SUV, Bentley plans to introduce a new coupe line below the Continental to square off against the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Details are few and far between at this point, but considering how much Bentley manages to do with the relatively heft Continental GT, a lighter and more nimble sports car sounds promising.
In related news, rumors are gathering pace that Bentley is planning to introduce a new Mulsanne Speed at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, its Jurassic-era 6.75-liter V8 massaged from 505 horsepower - already the most that engine has produced in its half-century history - up to around 550.