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Lamborghini could be sold or spun off from the Volkswagen Group

Volkswagen is reportedly considering a sale or stock listing for its high-end Lamborghini brand. The German automaker is looking to fold the Italian supercar brand into a separate legal entity, reports Bloomberg, which cites "people familiar with the matter" who don't want to be identified "because the deliberations are confidential and no decisions have been made." Any of this sound familiar? The goal of spinning off Lamborghini would be to stockpile more cash and other resources for VW's massive planned push into electric vehicles. Back in March, reports circulated that Volkswagen's "Vision 2030" corporate plan might include plans to focus on the brand's core brands — VW, Audi and Porsche. That means the futures of fringe players like Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, motorcycle brand Ducati and design firm Italdesign (and note this isn't a comprehensive list of brand's under the expansive VW Group umbrella) are up in the air. VW, according to the report, is targeting a market value of $220 billion, which is a big jump from the brand's current $89 billion valuation. Bloomberg pegged Lamborghini's valuation at around $11 billion back in August, buoyed by sales and profits generated by the introduction of the Urus sport utility vehicle. On the flip side, Lamborghini is currently grappling with how best to update its supercar lineup in the face of ever-increasing emissions regulations.

2021 Bentley Flying Spur Speed spied undisguised, may be PHEV

The 2020 Bentley Flying Spur luxury sedan was just revealed a few months ago, but its high-performance Speed variant should be launching very soon. One of our spy photographers caught what appears to be a Flying Spur Speed completely undisguised. It follows the pattern of past Speed models in terms of style, but it may be powered by a hybrid powertrain, which would be a first for the Speed line. When it comes to the design, the Flying Spur Speed is quite subtle. The body is pretty much untouched except for the black mesh grilles. All the chrome trim has been changed over to gloss black as well, just as previous Speed models have done. At the back, the car now features quad exhaust tips that exit through the oval outlets in the bumper. The exterior also leads us to believe this is a hybrid. Looking closely at the back, you can see the factory fuel filler door nestled in the top of the right rear fender. Looking over to the left rear fender, you can just make out yet another small filler door ahead of the taillight. This door doesn't appear on the regular Flying Spur, so we believe it's an electric charger port door. The question is, what hybrid powertrain could it be using? It's likely not using the V6 hybrid from the Bentayga, since we've established that this is a Flying Spur Speed, but Bentley doesn't have any other plug-in hybrid powertrains at the moment. It's possible it could use a version of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid V8 powertrain, which makes 677 horsepower and 626 pound-feet of torque. That would be more power than the regular Flying Spur's W12, if a bit less torque. And of course Bentley could probably tweak it for a bit more power. Then again, maybe Bentley will adapt some hybrid tech to its W12. Whatever the case may be, this should be a very interesting car. And since this is just a high-performance variant that's clearly pretty far in development, we should see it officially revealed soon. It would make sense for it to be launched for the 2021 model year and shown within a year.

Bentley previews another limited-edition W12-powered model

Bentley's Mulliner division renewed ties with its coachbuilding past when it unveiled a limited-edition roadster named Bacalar in 2020. The entire production run was quickly spoken for, showing that there's a demand for small-batch models, and the next car is around the corner. The preview images released by the British brand intentionally make it difficult to tell precisely what we're looking at. One shows what we think is a tonneau cover, which all but confirms the next low-volume Bentley is a convertible, and the other shows a back end with a ducktail-like spoiler and horizontal lights. The company also released a short preview video which suggests that there's some degree of resemblance linking the upcoming car to the Batur, which was unveiled in 2022 to preview a new design language. The front end features a similar look. Bentley's next limited-edition model View 3 Photos Are we looking at a topless Batur? It's not unfathomable, but nothing is official at this stage. If we are, designers seemingly gave the roadster a specific rear-end design. What's certain is that Mulliner again prepared a two-door sports car; this isn't an SUV or a sedan. Bentley's twin-turbocharged W12 engine hasn't reached the end of the line yet. Whatever we're looking at, it's powered by what the firm calls the most powerful version of the 12-cylinder. The last car to make this claim is the Batur, whose W12 developed 730 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. It's unclear whether the Batur and the new car will share bragging rights or if the upcoming model will be even more powerful. Regardless, it'll be one of the last cars powered by the W12, according to Bentley. It's not the last, however; there's more coming. Production will be limited to 16 units globally, and each one will presumably come with a base price pegged above the seven-digit threshold before customization options enter the equation. Bentley will unveil the mysterious model on May 7, so more details should emerge soon. Related video: Our Bentley Continental GT First Edition is here | Behind the Wheel S01 // E05