2008 Bentley Continental Gtc Convertible 2-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.

Bentley designer calls Lincoln Continental concept a Flying Spur 'copy' [w/poll]

When you first laid eyes on the new Lincoln Continental concept, we'd wager you were likely impressed, because it's an impressive design. But if you also thought it looked familiar, you're in good company. According to Car Design News, design chief Luc Donckerwolke over at Bentley thinks the Lincoln concept bears more than a passing resemblance to another Continental: Bentley's own Flying Spur. "This behavior is not respectable. Building a copy like this is giving a bad name to the car design world," Donckerwolke told CDN, after posting some disparaging comments on Facebook and offering in jest to send over the tooling. "It is very disappointing, especially for an exclusive brand like Lincoln," added Sangyup Lee, his deputy for exterior design. The irony is further entrenched by the name, which Bentley only dropped from its Flying Spur in its latest iteration but still uses for the coupe and convertible models. Both automakers have a deeply routed history with the nameplate, but Lincoln's stretches back further, having first used the handle in 1939 before Bentley did in 1952. However it's not the nameplate that's the subject of controversy here, rather the design of the vehicle to which it's applied. So what do you think, did Lincoln borrow too heavily from its British counterpart? Related Video:

Bentley Continental GT Convertible is here, and it's a stunner

Bentley gave us a completely revamped Continental GT a short time ago, and now we get its airy twin, the Continental GT Convertible. Making its debut right before the L.A. Auto Show begins, the topless Bentley incorporates everything new and good about the redesigned Conti. It'll come with the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine making 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, just like the coupe. Acceleration to 60 occurs in a luxuriously quick 3.7 seconds before topping out at 207 mph. It's a convertible, but it sure won't be slowing you down any because of it. Styling for the drop top is elegant but doesn't distance itself much from the coupe beyond the obvious lack of a roof. That's totally fine, because the new Continental GT is stunning either way. Bentley has an option for old-school tweed lovers out there too: a roof made of the stuff. Details on how such a roof is possible haven't yet been spelled out, but we're guessing it isn't made of your traditional (not waterproof) tweed. Whether you choose tweed or some other more normal material for your roof, Bentley says it has better sound proofing to offer a three-decibel reduction of noise compared to its predecessor. It'll open in 19 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. Like the coupe, the convertible drops a bunch of weight — it's now 20-percent lighter than before and 5-percent stiffer. Technology within the Convertible has advanced a few steps compared to the previous generation. The Convertible offers a rotating display in the center stack, so a driver can choose whether they'd like to see the 12.3-inch touchscreen or uninterrupted wood paneling. Bentley spared no expense on the real wood paneling either. Each car uses over 107 square-feet of the nicest lumber Bentley can get its hands on. A new neckwarmer is apparently warmer and quieter than before, and now it also has heated armrests. A couple different technology packages will be offered at launch. One is called "City," and adds hands-free trunk operation, traffic-sign recognition, city braking systems and a top-view camera. The other is called "Touring" and it tacks on adaptive cruise control, active lane assist, a head-up display, infrared night vision camera and pre-sense braking. Frankly, it feels like many of these options should be standard like they are on a $30,000 Honda Accord. All the other pertinent equipment is virtually identical with the 2019 Continental GT we already drove.