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Bentley unveils the Grand Convertible, a droptop Mulsanne Speed

Five years ago, when Bentley was preparing its farewell shindig for the Arnage, reports were that the Arnage's coupe and convertible siblings, the Brooklands and Azure, would get replacements on the Mulsanne platform. Obviously, that hasn't happened, although we were teased with the Mulsanne Vision Concept in 2012. Then, just this summer, we were again teased with rumors of a Brooklands and Azure one-two punch. While it still hasn't happened yet, Bentley's unveiling of the Grand Convertible seems to have put things in gear.
Not 'merely' a roofless Mulsanne, the Grand Convertible appears to be a droptop Mulsanne Speed, powered by a 6.75-liter engine with 530 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque, and fitted with the directional wheels only available on the Mulsanne Speed. Finished outside in Sequin Blue with a "liquid metal" hood and windshield frame and a burl walnut veneer on the tonneau cover - a similar combo used to introduce the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé eight years ago - the cabin is covered in Beluga leather with blue cross-stitching.
Company CEO Wolfgang Dürheimer says Bentley is watching customer reaction to the car, yet the press release says it's been "Developed to signify Bentley's intentions for the future." That sounds like better than even odds we'll be seeing this on the roads. For now, though, you can see it in the high-res gallery above, at the LA Auto Show starting this week, and at Art Basel in Miami after that, and you'll find a bit more info on it in the press release below.

Bentley designer hints at even faster Continental GT3-R

Does Bentley have room in its Continental GT lineup for an even more extreme version than the new GT3-R? Luc Donckerwolke seems to think so. Speaking with Autocar, the Bentley design chief suggested that an even more performance-focused Continental GT could be in the works, potentially ditching the heavy all-wheel drive system in an effort to further reduce weight, improve handling and drop even more ticks off the 0-60 time that's already down to a best-yet 3.6 seconds in the GT3-R.
To borrow a page from the same playbook used not only by sister-companies Audi and Porsche but also by Renault and Jaguar (to name just a few), we'll tentatively call it the Continental GT3-RS. Whatever the name, though, power would likely come from an even more potent version of the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 co-developed with sister-company Audi. Considering that engine already produces 500 horsepower in the Continental GT V8, 521 hp in the V8 S and 572 hp in the GT3-R, we could be looking at as much as 600 horses to make it the most powerful V8 model to date. With that much juice, it would even eclipse some of the W12 models that start at 567 hp in the core Continental GT and range up to the 616 hp in the Speed, which currently ranks not only as the most powerful Conti yet, but also the fastest road car Bentley has ever made.
Donckerwolke says that Bentley has already sold the entire production run for the Continental GT3-R and that customers are already clamoring for something more focused. Younger buyers are likely to be even further drawn to the brand by the ne-plus-ultra Conti, especially if the racing team advanced from its current fifth place in the Blancpain Endurance Series standings.

Rhys Millen will drive a Bentley Bentayga at Pikes Peak

Despite Bentley positioning its Bentayga SUV as a luxury vehicle, Bentley doesn't want us to forget that it's also a storied motorsport brand. Even the Bentayga can be used for record hunting, as Bentley is eager to show. It has hired two-time Pikes Peak hill climb winner Rhys Millen to take a Bentayga to the mountaintop. With the production SUV record in its sights, Bentley's Motorsport wing in Crewe has prepared a Bentayga for the attempt (which will be used as a benchmark for the Lamborghini Urus). The vehicle has been kept as stock as possible, as per the rules, and for safety reasons it features a full roll cage, a fire suppression system, racing seats and a harness. Still, Bentley has also enlisted exhaust crafters Akrapovic to give it a custom setup; Akrapovic has also done the exhaust for the Continental GT3-R. But the air suspension with its electric anti-roll control is kept stock, and the Pirelli rubber is also off-the-shelf stuff. The W12 engine's 600hp/664 lb-ft power figures also match the unmodified versions. We reported on Bentley's inclusion at the June 24 event earlier, but at that point the driver had not yet been announced. Millen, 45, from New Zealand, is reportedly the second-most-prolific Pikes Peak competitor in the world. The current production SUV record stands at 12:35.61, set by Paul Dallenbach with a Range Rover Sport in 2013. The Pikes Peak Bentayga's exterior has been finished with an unmistakable Radium Satin hue, but other than that and the carbon fiber body kit, it appears more like an everyday, run-of-the-mill Bentayga, not a wild Pikes Peak racer with a bookcase for a rear wing. Related Video: