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Bentley rolls out updates across Continental range [w/videos]

Hard as it may be to believe, it's been a dozen years now since Bentley first introduced the Continental GT. After a proliferation of engine variants and body styles, a substantially updated range was launched in 2011, but even that was four years ago. Little wonder, then, that the British automaker has announced a raft of updates for its most successful model line. For the 2016 model year, first of all, the Continental range benefits from some updated styling. There's a revised front bumper and grille, reprofiled fenders with a metallic B vent, a character line running towards the rear fender, a more sculpted trunk lid, a new rear diffuser for the performance-oriented V8 S and GT Speed models, and an array of new 20- and 21-inch wheels. Inside, the Continental has been fitted with new seats – straight-fluted on standard models, diamond-quilted on Mulliner and GT Speed models – as well as new controls and trim. The crew from Crewe has also revised the marque's signature 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12, increasing output from 567 horsepower to 582 and from 516 pound-feet to 531. Bentley's not saying what performance advantage the enhanced twelve-cylinder engine will net, but it doesn't come at the expense of fuel economy: in fact, with a new cylinder deactivation feature, fuel consumption is cut by five percent despite the power boost. Finally the four-door Flying Spur gets some new equipment including wheels, steering wheel, instruments and trim, with the W12 engine (shared with the GT Speed) benefiting from the same cylinder deactivation system to improve its environmental credentials. Look for the updated 2016 model range to be presented at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, now just weeks away. The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. NEW STYLE AND TECHNOLOGY FOR LUXURY GRAND TOURING - A suite of design upgrades and features for Continental GT family - Continental GT W12 increases to 590 PS and 720 Nm, improving performance and efficiency - Flying Spur offers even more bespoke four door luxury (Crewe, 17th February 2015) Bentley Motors is building on the global demand for the Continental GT family with a suite of contemporary design updates and new exquisite features for its most successful model.

Weekly Recap: Auto execs face life in prison for recall delays under proposed legislation

The stiff punishments are part of broader transportation legislation, but clearly McCaskill has automakers in her sights.
Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill threw down the gauntlet this week, proposing a bill that could send auto executives to prison for life if they were found to have delayed a recall. She also wants to eliminate the limit for fines for auto safety violations, which are currently capped at $35 million.

Bentley re-creates one-of-a-kind sports sedan destroyed in 1939

Bentley's Mulliner division specializes in making one-off (or few-off) projects for clients willing to foot the bill. They're the folks you'd want to talk to if you want a long-wheelbase Flying Spur, a Bentayga-based dually pickup, or anything in between. The division only works on new models, but it stepped outside of its comfort zone to re-create a one-of-a-kind Bentley manufactured and destroyed in 1939. The project is part of Bentley's on-going centennial celebration, and finishing it in time was easier said than done. It made building a concept car like the EXP 100 GT look like assembling a Lego kit. The original Corniche disappeared after getting bombed by the German army, and a majority of the people who saw it in person are dead, so the men and women tasked with resurrecting it only had a handful of period, black-and-white photographs and technical drawings to work with. The final product looks stunning, and Bentley claims it's identical to the original in every way. Parts like the chromed headlight bezels, the droplet-shaped fenders, and the wooden dashboard were exclusive to the Corniche, so they had to be manufactured from scratch using the correct materials, and the right production techniques. The British firm could have saved itself the trouble of re-creating this unique part of its history if another car hadn't pulled out in front of it 80 years ago. Bentley made the original Corniche during tumultuous times as it explored the possibility of releasing a more powerful variant of the Mark V scheduled to make its debut in October 1939. It asked French designer Georges Paulin to draw a futuristic, streamlined body, and it commissioned Paris-based coachbuilder Carrosserie Vanvooren to build it using thinner-than-normal steel to save weight. The Corniche lapped the Brooklands track for the first time in May 1939 and quickly reached over 100 mph, an impressive speed at the time. Testing continued in rural France, where the big Bentley blended in as well as a flying saucer. In August 1939, one of the company's test drivers swerved to avoid another car, rolled, and wrapped the aerodynamic front end around an unsuspecting tree. Bentley separated the body and the chassis. It immediately shipped the chassis to its headquarters in Crewe, England, and curiously asked a local shop to repair the body instead of sending it back to Vanvooren in Paris.