2017 Bentley Continental Gt Speed on 2040-cars

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Bentley Flying Spur pictures leaked early

We can imagine that automakers are among the groups salivating at the prospect of a colony on Mars - perhaps a photo studio on the red planet will be far enough away from the terrestrial Internet to keep everything they've got from leaking all over the web. In the midst of Bentley's teasing for the next-generation Flying Spur, someone got in early on a set of photos and decided to share them with us.
The transformation is all about character, the super sedan's lines getting injected with a whole lot more of it. The family face of the Continental line is evident, the new Spur getting a more upright grille than before and a Mulsanne-esque undivided lower grille. The front fenders get narrow, horizontal vents, and behind that the character line that starts with at the hood shutline runs in a long arc to the rear door, then rolls up into haunches that terminate at the very back. Lower down, a character line cuts up the bulk up the sides. In profile there is a definite hint of this being a junior Mulsanne.
The only item we see at the moment that could take some getting used to are the horizontal taillights. Housing a large single element topped by curved red brows, our initial impression is that they lack the flow of the rest of the car. Inside, it's what you'd expect from a Bentley.

Bentley already considering smaller crossover

Bentley has yet to reveal (let alone start selling) its upcoming new SUV, but the company is already reported to be considering a smaller model to follow in that new model's footsteps. This according to Autocar, in speaking with Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer at the announcement of the company's record sales results for 2014. Prior to originally taking the helm at Bentley and Bugatti, Durheimer served as head of R&D at Porsche, which recently launched the Macan crossover to join the larger Cayenne. Tipped to be called the Bentayga, the forthcoming Bentley crossover will share its platform with the next generation of its sister company's crossover, whose success Bentley aims to emulate. The Bentayga (or whatever it's ultimately called) will be vital in helping Bentley achieve its sales target of 20,000 units per year by 2020. The storied British marque topped 11,000 units for the first time in 2014, and the new SUV will be a vital component in boosting those figures. Bentley says it has already received 4,000 "expressions of interest" for the crossover before it's even unveiled, suggesting that it could exceed earlier sales projections of 3,000 units per year. But even then, the big crossover wouldn't be enough to get Bentley to its target. That's why it's already considering the smaller crossover, among other options including a four-door coupe, a two-door sports car and a Mulsanne-based convertible. The company is also investing heavily in infrastructure and production capacity to ensure its supply can meet the demand it is working to build up.

Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 gets positive reactions on auto show circuit

Bentley is in the midst of a world tour with its EXP 10 Speed 6 concept. Unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show last month, the concept subsequently appeared in New York and now in Shanghai, and will stop in the Middle East on its way back home to England. The purpose: to gauge reactions from potential customers. And so far it's reportedly been pretty good. Speaking with Autocar in Shanghai this week, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said most of the potential buyers who spoke to the company after seeing the concept have encouraged Crewe to build it. The only adjustments it's been asked to make were to the front end. Those LED ring headlights look interesting, but would be unlikely to make production. And the grille would likely be more swept back than upright. The process is similar to how Bentley is evolving the EXP 9 F crossover concept into the production Bentayga. The company is listening to customers about what they like and don't like, and adjusting accordingly. Of course none of that means that the EXP 10 Speed 6 will actually see production. It would still need the green light from parent company Volkswagen, which has been cutting back on development spending lately. And with the Bentayga yet to reach showrooms, Bentley has its hands full at the moment. But the segment in which this luxury GT would compete – against the likes of Aston Martin and Maserati – is not one where the VW group really participates at the moment. Neither Lamborghini, Audi nor Porsche have a front-engined sports car in this segment, with only Bentley's own Continental GT coming close. The potential to take a slice of a different pie could prove enough to convince the powers in Wolfsburg to sign off on the EXP 10 Speed 6, especially if it can be based on an existing architecture and shared with other divisions. Related Video: