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Bentley Bentayga V8 specs and pics revealed: It's the sporty one

The glitzy, opulent Bentley Bentayga has so far only been available with a twin-turbocharged W12 in the United States, but that's going to change now that the company has unveiled the V8 version. The Bentayga V8 uses a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 that, despite having two liters less displacement and four fewer cylinders, still makes a healthy 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers are only official for Europe, though, as numbers for the United States are being finalized. It's not a whole lot slower than the W12, either, with a 0-60 mph time of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph. The W12 hits 60 in 4.1 seconds and has a top speed of 187 mph. What is a bit odd is that Bentley is marketing this V8 model as the "sporty" one, despite not being as fast as the W12. In support of the sporty identity, Bentley has endowed the V8 Bentayga with more aggressive looks inside and out with a black grille and unique dual exhaust tips, as well as an optional carbon fiber trim for the interior. To back up the looks, the Bentley Bentayga V8 also has the option of carbon-ceramic brakes. And they're truly massive with 17.3-inch rotors at the front, and 14.6-inch units in the rear. The front rotors are clamped by 10-piston calipers, too. Bentley claims the front brakes are the largest in the world. The V8 Bentayga also can claim a roughly 100-pound weight advantage compared with the W12, though whether you'll notice that in an SUV that weighs over 5,000 pounds is debatable. Pricing and availability haven't been announced for the Bentayga V8 yet. We would expect it to arrive at dealers by the end of the year. It will also likely cost less than the W12 model. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 View 10 Photos Image Credit: Bentley Bentley Crossover SUV Luxury bentley bentayga

Volkswagen decides to keep Lamborghini and Ducati, transfers Bentley to Audi

Investors in the market for a high-end Italian manufacturer that peddles performance will need to keep looking. Volkswagen announced it will hang on to Lamborghini and Ducati in the foreseeable future. Executives in Wolfsburg, Germany, are making far-reaching changes to the Volkswagen Group to reboot it with a big focus on technology. Credible rumors claimed that the people in charge of the carmaker wanted to carve out Lamborghini — which owns Ducati — and ultimately list it, or at least a chunk of it, on the stock market in order to fast-track the group's electrification strategy. Going electric is expensive, so selling Lamborghini would have helped fund the expansion, and high-octane supercars don't easily go hand-in-hand with zero-emissions cars. "Volkswagen needs to change from a collection of valuable brands and fascinating combustion-engine products that thrill customers with superb engineering to a digital company that reliably operates millions of mobility devices worldwide," summed up Herbert Diess, the group's boss, during a September 2020 meeting. His team ultimately decided not to fully divest both brands. It's too early to tell whether part of Lamborghini will be listed on the stock market, as some insiders have suggested, or if those plans are off the table, too. Changes are coming to Bentley as well. While it's not being spun off either, it will fall under the Audi umbrella starting on March 1, 2021. Volkswagen explained linking the two companies will "allow for synergies to be achieved as part of the electrification strategy of the two premium brands," a statement which suggests they will share a growing number of components during the 2020s. Unverified rumors claim that Bentley will notably get its own version of an ultra-luxurious electric SUV code-named Landjet that Audi is currently developing. We've reached out to Bentley for more details, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Bugatti's future wasn't mentioned in the release; unconfirmed reports suggest it will be traded for a stake in Croatian start-up Rimac. Volkswagen's supervisory board also reaffirmed its support for Diess, who was appointed CEO in 2018 and who has played a significant role in the company's transformation. Finally, the board approved the development of what a statement refers to a future leading electric vehicle sold by the Volkswagen brand that will be developed and manufactured in Wolfsburg.

Question of the Day: What's the greatest British car ever?

The British automotive industry has produced everything from high-production econo-commuters to staggeringly luxurious oligarch-wagons, along the way winning plenty of races and building plenty of beautiful machines. The original Mini led directly to the past half-century of transverse-engine, front-wheel-drive cars built everywhere, the MGB put the sporty little convertible into everyone's reach, and the Morris Oxford became the most beloved motor vehicle in India. So many to choose from, but we want you to pick one. What will it be? Related Video: