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Watch a Bentley Continental GT Speed hoon around an abandoned Sicilian air base

If your morning caffeine dose isn't quite getting the job done, watching a 12-cylinder Bentley Continental GT Speed drift around the former NATO Comiso Air Station in Sicily may just do the trick. While "Continental Drift" may have nothing to do with plate tectonics in this context, it's highly appropriate that the GT Speed is powered by a W12 producing enough torque to shape the Earth's crust from above. Too bad Land Rover has dibs on "Pangea Green" as a paint finish. Per Bentley, the short was filmed during the recent Global Media Drive for the GT Speed. Bentley converted the abandoned NATO base into a gymkhana-style track. "Abandoned almost 30 years ago and having been slowly reclaimed by nature since, Comiso proved to be the ideal place to create a safe yet challenging environment to demonstrate the performance credentials of the GT Speed," Bentley said in the accompanying announcement.  Comiso is no stranger to ground-based missiles, but the Continental GT Speed is an entirely different breed. Its 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 makes 650 horsepower (up 24 over the standard W12) and 664 pound-feet of torque, dropping the GT Speed's 0-60 mph time to 3.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 208 mph. 

2017 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S laughs at the 200-mph barrier

A 200-plus-mile-per-hour sedan will always be more audacious than a similarly speedy coupe. These days, cracking 200 in a lightweight two-door is basically just expected. But reaching that speed in a sedan – a big, heavy, leather-and-wood-lined palace of a four-door – is more challenging. Bentley has finally done it. The new Flying Spur W12 S takes the smaller of Bentley's two sedans up to a lofty 202 mph – up from 199 in the standard model – thanks to the efforts of a more potent W12. The company's engineers boosted output from 616 to 626 horsepower and torque from 590 pound-feet to 605. On top of the increased top speed, the W12 S can hit 60 miles per hour in just 4.2 seconds. A retuned suspension with unique damper and stability control settings promises a more agile Flying Spur flagship, too. There are also aesthetic tweaks to set the Flying Spur's headlining act. We're digging the black elements in the LED headlights and taillights. The new lights play nice with the blacked-out grille – which Bentley insists on calling Beluga – 21-inch wheels, and other accents scattered around the body. We think the pale blue sedan in the gallery works better than on the Jack-O-Lantern orange Flying Spur. Changes in the cabin are more modest – there's a nice "W12 S" script in the headrests and a new two-tone color split interior that's limited to this range-topping S model. Bentley will deliver the first Flying Spur W12 S sedans near the end of 2016. And if you want an even more potent Flying Spur, somehow, we're guessing a Speed model will supplant the W12 S sooner rather than later. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2017 Bentley Flying Spur W12 S News Source: BentleyImage Credit: Bentley Bentley Luxury Performance Sedan bentley flying spur

Porsche recalling 24,500 Panameras for a potential HVAC coolant pump issue

A possible coolant pump problem for the HVAC system is causing Porsche to recall 24,467 units of the Panamera from the 2017 to 2020 model years. Bentley's recalling 650 examples of the sibling 2020 Continental GT for the same issue. Porsche was notified of a malfunction in the external heat pump for the Panamera's climate control in December 2022. An automaker investigation found that it's possible for excess humidity or even liquid to get past the pump seals and short out the pump's circuit board and connector. In rare instances, the malfunction could cause a fire. This can happen even when the engine is turned off because the cars in question are equipped with a residual heat function that keeps warming the cabin after shutdown. Panameras built after July 26, 2021 were fitted with a different pump. The Stuttgart carmaker's field analysis showed "a very small number of instances of thermal damage possibly attributable to this issue." Bentley changed the part in July 2019 to a model with a pressure compensation seal. Porsche said it will begin notifying owners on March 27. It also said it will reimburse any Panamera owners who have paid to have the part fixed previous to this recall. The fix is a trip to the dealer for a new pump with better sealing, sourced from a new supplier. Bentley will begin notifying owners on the same day. In Bentley's case, though, the automaker says "A hardware change will be required but the final solution is currently under investigation and cannot be confirmed at this time." Since the automaker moved to a new pump that isn't part of the recall population, we aren't sure why a resolution remains under investigation. Porsche owners can contact Porsche customer service at 800-767-7243 and refer to internal recall number APA1. Bentley owners can call 800-777-6923 and refer to RE23/02 (RC67). Anyone in that group can go straight to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration at 888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153) or nhtsa.gov, citing campaign number 23V033 for the Panamera or 23V034 for the Bentley. Related video: