2012 Bentley Continental Gt Awd V12 6.0l Twin Turbo on 2040-cars

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Volkswagen Group's Vision 2030 strategy could bring revolution to the brands

One would expect a corporate plan called "Vision 2030," looking 11 years ahead through wildly tumultuous times, to involve great change and numerous forks in numerous roads. According to Automobile's breakdown of Volkswagen's path forward, though, the plans contain some lurid potential surprises. The ultimate aim is return on investment, and that means ruthless reorganization of a conglomerate with eight primary car brands, two car sub-brands, and Ducati motorcycles. The first two Vision 2030 cornerstones Automobile mentions are near boilerplate: Production network restructuring, and "streamlining of key technologies." The latter two are the ones that could upend what we know as the Volkswagen Group: focusing on the Group's core brands — meaning Audi, Porsche, and VW — and transitioning to EVs, autonomy, and other mobility solutions. Based on the report, a quote from Audi's CTO referring to the Audi brand could cover how the Group plans to handle all of its brands: "We need to find a sustainable solution for the indefinite transition period until EVs eventually take over." The boutique divisions adjacent to carmaking, Ducati and Italdesign, look likely to be spun off. For the halo car brands — Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini — apparently shareholders want double-digit returns on investment, and the trio doesn't have long to hit the target. One eyebrow raiser is when the report states, "Bugatti is tipped to be gifted to [ex-VW Group Chairman] Ferdinand Piech." Piech fathered the Veyron during his tenure at VW, and it was thought he commissioned the La Voiture Noire, but he's lately stepped so far back from VW that he sold all his shares in the Group. Automobile quoted a senior strategist as saying of money-losing Bentley, "Why invest on a backward-looking enterprise when you can support a trendsetter? A proud history and excellent craftmanship alone don't cut it anymore." We guess no one at Ferrari, McLaren, or even Porsche got that memo. Bentley is reportedly close to being put in time out, and if brand CEO Adrian Hallmark can't right the Crewe ship, the hush-hush Plan B is to prop the Flying B up enough to lure a buyer. As for Lamborghini, caught between two masters at Audi and Porsche, even record-breaking numbers at the Italian supercar maker barely staved off sacrilege. It's said that VW brand CEO Herbert Diess considered putting a 5.0-liter Porsche V8 into the Aventador successor.

Watch VW Group Night kick off the Frankfurt festivities

The Frankfurt Motor Show is Volkswagen's home affair. As a result, the whole of the automaker group makes a big splash, even before the show doors open. We'll be live from the Frankfurt floor starting early tomorrow morning, but tonight we're posted up in the stands at the always-entertaining Volkswagen Group Night. To give you a taste of what it's like to be there, we're going to be shooting some man-on-the-scenes video as the night progresses. Below you'll find videos of all the best that VW Group brands – Audi, Lamborghini, VW, the lot – have to offer, as quick as we can upload them. So, enjoy the Short Cut Videos you see here. And stay tuned as we add more to the tally, below. And, of course, be sure to check in on Autoblog early and often tomorrow, when we bring you official debuts of new production vehicles and concept cars, a ton of new video content, live image galleries, and lots more.Seat Leon Cross Sport Bentley Bentayga Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder Volkswagen Multivan PanAmerican Edition Bugatti Vision Gran Turismo Concept Audi E-Tron Quattro Concept Audi A4 Ducati Monster 1200 R Volkswagen Tiguan Skoda Superb Combi Porsche 911 Carrera S Coupe and Cabrio Volkswagen Tiguan GTE Porsche Mission E Concept Volkswagen Group Night Finale Green Frankfurt Motor Show Audi Bentley Bugatti Lamborghini Volkswagen SEAT Skoda Videos Original Video Frankfurt 2015

Face-lifted Bentley Bentayga bares it all on Instagram

Bentley's updated Bentayga unofficially made its global debut on Instagram. Leaked images confirm the company's best-selling model receives a subtly redesigned front end, and a handful of new tech features inside. Instagram user Wilco Blok posted the four images. Some look like they were scanned from a marketing brochure, while others were seemingly taken by a spy photographer. The quartet gives us a decent idea of what to expect from the SUV, starting with a new-look front end that gains oval headlights, a wider grille that's more neatly integrated into the rest of the fascia, and a reshaped lower bumper. The nip-and-tuck creates a visual link between the Bentayga and the Continental GT. Photos of its rear end weren't leaked.           View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by WILCO BLOK (@wilcoblok) on Jun 17, 2020 at 2:06am PDT Most of the interior changes seem to be technology-related. Bentley added a fully digital instrument cluster, and a wider touchscreen that displays an updated infotainment system. Above it, the climate control system's vents are now rectangular instead of round. Below it, designers rearranged the buttons on the center stack. Odds are there are other tweaks not shown in the leaked images. Something else that remains to be seen is what the face-lifted Bentayga looks like under the hood. It's currently offered with a 4.0-liter V8 rated at 542 horsepower, a 6.0-liter W12 available with 600 or 626 horses, and a 456-horsepower plug-in hybrid drivetrain built around a 3.0-liter V6. These specifications could look a little bit different when the model breaks cover. Bentley hasn't commented on the images, and it hasn't announced when it will reveal the updated Bentayga yet. However, now the cat is out of the bag, an official introduction will likely take place sooner rather than later. Related Video: