2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur. Beluga With Beluga. Four Seater. on 2040-cars

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Bentley Continental GT S Bathurst editions celebrate 12-hour race

Bentley's Mulliner custom and coachbuilt department has been busy with 500 customer cars in the past year. Its two latest creations, though, are for Bentley Sydney in Australia, and they're themed around Bentley's GT3 race cars and the Bathurst 12 Hours endurance race. The pair aren't any faster, as the only powertrain upgrade is the addition of the Bentley sport exhaust, but they sure are greener. Literally. Each car started as a regular Bentley Continental GT S with the twin-turbo V8. The choice of the V8 model is fitting as the GT3 car uses a V8, as per class regulations. The first of the two is the most striking in Apple Green to match the GT3 racer that won the 2020 Bathurst 12 Hours. It also picks up black stripes and a black roof and tail section to further connect the two cars. At the front, the number seven is painted in the grille, another tribute to the race car. The second car has basically the same color scheme, but it's painted in Silver Tempest to match the first GT3 cars for this generation of Continental GT. Inside, the Bathurst cars have black leather and faux suede, and the Apple Green accents around the gauges, in the stitching and on the shifter look like they glow. There are also depictions of the Bathurst track layout, the GT3 race car, and commemorative plates numbering the cars. Plus, Bentley will include 1:18 scale models of the 2020 winning race car. No pricing was given. But obviously they'll likely cost more than a standard Continental GT. And the two cars are being sold in Australia where the Bathurst track, Mount Panorama, is located. Related video:

2022 Bentley Flying Spur gets more standard features

Adding more standard features tends to be something we see with more affordable vehicles during model year changes. It's a way to add more value and tempt buyers. The Bentley Flying Spur on the other hand, has a lot more to entice buyers than its standard feature list. Nevertheless, Bentley has updated the 2022 model with a number of now included items that make the nearly $200,000 sedan more attractive. All of the features are relatively minor convenience items. They include auto-dimming mirrors, surround-view camera, traffic sign recognition, hands-free trunk opening, welcome lighting and air ionizers for keeping the cabin clear of dust and such. For the price of a Flying Spur, it's a little surprising some of these features weren't already standard, but it's better late than never. Bentley has also introduced two new customization options. For the exterior, the Flying Spur is now available in Cambrian Grey, shown at the top of the post, which brings the color option total to 63. Inside, Bentley now offers open-pore wood veneers. To achieve the look, Bentley applies a matte lacquer just 0.1 mm in thickness, versus the 0.5-mm thick gloss finish. It's available on Crown Cut Walnut, Dark Burr Walnut and Koa wood veneers. Finally, Bentley did some virtual testing of the interior design that led to some reworking of noise insulation around the cabin. The result, the company claims, is an even quieter interior while driving. Exact timing and pricing haven't been given for the 2022 Flying Spur. We don't expect the base price to change much from the $196,000 of the current Flying Spur V8. It should also be available sometime this year. Related Video:  

Audi spearheads development of an ultra-luxurious EV code-named Landjet

The rumors claiming Audi wants to release a model positioned above the A8, and the reports of an ongoing electric car development program called Artemis internally, have seemingly converged. Citing sources inside the carmaker, a German media outlet reported the firm is busily creating a super-luxurious EV code-named Landjet. Audi is leading the development process, but sister companies Bentley and Porsche will reportedly receive their own version of the Landjet. All three models will likely take the form of three-row SUVs with generous dimensions. They'll be so big that none of Audi's production facilities will be able to manufacture them, according to an anonymous insider who spoke with German newspaper Handelsblatt. Luckily, Volkswagen makes vans, too. It's too early to tell what will power the Landjets. Audi assigned some of its most brilliant engineers to Project Artemis, and the technology they develop will permeate the three EVs before trickling down into cheaper models in the group. Expect high performance, a high driving range, and semi-automated driving technology. If the report is accurate, the Landjet vehicles will enter production in Hanover, Germany, by the end of 2024. The facility currently makes the Volkswagen Transporter, which is a direct descendant of the rear-engined Bus sold for decades, and it will start manufacturing the production version of the ID.Buzz concept in the coming years. Volkswagen hasn't commented on the report, and car companies rarely address speculation, but its Commercial Vehicles division released a statement in November 2020 that confirms the Hanover site will begin building SUVs about halfway through the 2020s. It's a major shift for a factory normally tasked with manufacturing vans. "Our main plant in Hanover is becoming the production site for three completely new premium electric vehicles in the Group. These D-SUVs are genuine flagship projects: premium, 100% electric, and highly automated," said Carsten Intra, the head of Volkswagen's Commercial Vehicles division, in a statement. He added the firm will invest about 680 million euros (about $807 million) to build a new assembly line, among other upgrades.