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New Bentley interior veneer sourced from American Red Gum trees

Bentley is turning stateside for its newest exclusive wood interior finish, sourcing its first new veneer in five years from American Red Gum trees found in Mississippi wetlands. Bentley calls the new veneer Liquid Amber, a reference to the wood's perfumed scent. The red-hued wood undergoes a weeks-long natural smoking process to deepen its brown luster. Afterward, the veneer is then transported to Bentley's wood shop in Crewe, England, where it's examined alongside the six other types of veneers harvested from China to Canada to determine suitability, based on a high-burr density, minimal sapwood and a lack of bark growth or structural defects. Bentley says it rejects between 30 percent and 70 percent of all veneers offered. Raw veneer is then cut to a precise 0.6-millimeter and tested for stability in UV light and consistency from tree to tree. The whole process takes at least 18 months before the veneer is installed in one of Bentley's vehicles, which start at $189,000 for the Flying Spur sedan. Also known as the Sweetgum tree, the American Red Gum is native to lowland areas of the southeastern United States. It was once used commercially for soaps, adhesives and pharmaceuticals but is valued today primarily for use in furniture, cabinetry and interior finishing. Bentley says it harvests the trees only twice a year due to restricted access to the wetlands where it sources the wood. Bentley also announced it has begun using slate and quartzite stone veneers sourced from select quarries in India. They're split from a larger stone piece, cured using fiberglass and a bespoke resin, and shaped and finished by hand by the Mulliner coach building team in Crewe.Related Video: Featured Gallery Bentley wood finish Image Credit: Bentley Bentley Luxury bentley flying spur

Bentley Bentayga to add gasoline V8 before plug-in hybrid powertrains bows

The Bentley Bentayga offers exactly one powertrain in the US: a 6.0 liter W12 with 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. Overseas buyers get the additional option of a 4.0 liter diesel V8 with 429 hp and 664 lb-ft - the same oil burner from the Audi SQ7, denied us after Volkswagen Group pulled diesels from the US market. Auto Motor und Sport reports that Bentley will add two more powertrains to the mix over the next year, but it's unclear whether any of them will come here: a 4.0-liter gasoline V8, and a plug-in hybrid. The German publication expects the Porsche-developed 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 to get the nod for Bentley use. That engine serves in the Porsche Cayenne Turbo (550 hp/567 lb-ft) and Lamborghini Urus (650 hp/627 lb-ft), which both share their MLB platform with the Bentayga. Making sure not to step on the toes of the W12, the 4.0-liter petrol V8 will get something like the Cayenne Turbo's 550 hp. We've seen spy shots of the Bentayga PHEV testing at the Nurburgring, but we weren't sure what the SUV used for motivation. Porsche again donates equipment for the plug-in hybrid Bentayga, the forthcoming powertrain swiped from the Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. In the Porsche, total output comes to 462 hp and 516 lb-ft. Spy shooters captured a photo of an "EV Mode" button inside the Bentayga, so we know it will do silent running; the 14.1 kWh battery in the Panamera E-Hybrid provides 31 miles of electric-only range. Both powertrains will provide a lower price point for the Bentayga compared to the W12, a stat line that should increase the big Bentley's appeal even though sales already qualify as gangbusters, considering the vehicle. According to AMS, the 4.0-liter gas V8 Bentayga should show up sometime around summer 2018, the PHEV to follow. Related Video:

Meet the Greenest and Meanest vehicles of 2016

If you've been keeping track, you won't be surprised with the number one entry in this year's list of greenest cars from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). In fact, the top three spots on the 2016 list are all the same as they were in 2015. After that, things get interesting. For one thing, this is the first Greenest list that doesn't have any purely internal combustion engine powertrain on it. Hybrids, yes, but if you want to be one of the top 12 greenest cars this year, you'd better have some sort of electric angle. ACEEE says that the conventional, gas-powered Smart Fortwo and Chevrolet Spark just missed the cut. In a statement, ACEEE lead vehicle analyst Shruti Vaidyanathan said, "The 2016 scores are in, and plug-in electric vehicles are outpacing all other vehicle offerings in terms of environmental friendliness." Like last year, one of the noticeable vehicles missing from the green list is the Tesla Model S. One reason? ACEEE takes curb weight into account (lighter is better), and the Model S is a heavy beast. The ACEEE doesn't just look at the clean side of the ledger. It also puts out a "meanest" list. These are the vehicles that pollute the most, not only from their tailpipes, but also any pollution created during the entire manufacturing process, from mining the raw materials to the energy used to produce the vehicle at the factory. The entire list, from greenest to meanest, is done using a "cradle to grave" analysis. You can see how the ACEEE determines its rankings here, explore the entire greenest cars site here, or click through our galleries to see which vehicles are extra green (above) or extra mean (below) this year. 12: Mercedes-Benz GL550 4MATIC View 12 Photos More Electric Cars than Ever on Greenest Vehicles List Electric Vehicles Nab 9 out of Top 12 Spots in ACEEE's Environmental Vehicle Rankings Washington, DC: Despite a tumultuous year for the automotive industry, manufacturers have continued to offer exciting technology options for a growing vehicle market. Today at greenercars.org, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) released its 19th annual comprehensive environmental ratings for vehicles. The following vehicles comprise the Greenest List for 2016: Greenest Score 1. Mercedes-Benz Smart ForTwo Electric Drive Convertible / Coupe 63 2. Chevrolet Spark EV 63 3. Fiat 500E 62 4. Toyota Prius Eco 61 5. Volkswagen E-Golf 61 6. Nissan Leaf S / Leaf SV 61 7. Kia Soul Electric 59 8.