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2020 Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid spied undisguised

While at first, and even second glance, the Bentley Continental GT in the photos looks pretty unremarkable. In every sense, it's just a normal example of the latest Continental GT. On that third glance, though, you'll notice one extremely subtle detail that's off: it has a second fuel-filler door. That leads us to believe that Bentley has a plug-in hybrid version of the Continental GT on the way, and it's almost ready for production. And when we say this is a subtle change, we mean it. Unlike many PHEVs that have both filler doors on one side, this Bentley has one door per side. So from the side, there's nothing to tip you off to the strange addition. You can only notice the extra door from the rear, which shows both doors on the tops of the rear fenders. Either that, or you would have to know that the regular Continental GT's gasoline fuel door is on the right side of the car, not the left. As for what sort of hybrid powertrain is in this Continental GT, we would suspect it's the same as that in the Bentayga Hybrid revealed at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year. It uses a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 with an electric motor. Power and fuel economy haven't been announced for that powertrain, but Bentley says it is capable of driving the big SUV for 31 miles on a charge on the European cycle. We would expect the lighter, more aerodynamic Continental GT could probably eke out a few more mpg with the same setup. Considering that this test car was completely undisguised, and that it will likely use an existing powertrain, we expect this hybrid Bentley to be officially revealed soon. An announcement early next year with sales coming later that year seems plausible. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2020 Bentley Continental GT plug-in hybrid spy shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Green Spy Photos Bentley Coupe Hybrid Luxury Performance bentley hybrid

Bentley recalls 27,640 Continental, Flying Spur models

Even the world's most luxurious automakers aren't immune to recalls. Bentley is proving this point with a campaign on 27,640 of its posh models worldwide for a loose battery cable connection, Reuters reports. The problem affects all examples of the Continental GT, GTC, and Flying Spur with build dates between February 2011 and June 2014, and there are 7,778 of them in the US, according to company spokesperson Erin Bronner to Autoblog. "On a limited number of cars, a bolted connection for a battery cable joint could be loose where it passes through the front bulkhead," Bentley said in a statement. According to Bronner, there were four incidents were this electrical joint overheated, but there have been no reports of any injuries. As a repair, dealers will install a new connection system, which will take around two hours. Scroll down below for the entire statement. Related Video: Bentley Statement: Bentley Motors is conducting a precautionary voluntary recall of all Continental GT/GTC/Flying Spur and new Flying Spur models built between February 2011 and June 2014. On a limited number of cars, a bolted connection for a battery cable joint could be loose where it passes through the front bulkhead. To address this, we will replace the components with a new connection system for all vehicles, which will take approximately two hours per car. All Bentleys built outside of these dates, and all Mulsanne models, are unaffected. The safety of our customers is Bentley's foremost priority and we pride ourselves on the highest standard of quality and service. We are working quickly to ensure that all vehicles are checked and resolved efficiently and effectively. Customers are being contacted by their local Bentley dealer to arrange an appointment. This is a voluntary recall and is in no way connected to any other recalls from other automotive manufacturers.

Bentley readying four-door coupe for 2018

Bentley purists have probably been tearing their hair out since we got our first glimpse of the EXP 9 F SUV Concept. "A Bentley SUV? " you could almost hear them saying, incredulous to the idea that an automaker actually wants to make money. Now, word is that the British brand might be jumping on the four-door-coupe bandwagon. The car, which would slot in below the Continental GT, and act as the new base model, would compete with the BMW M6 Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, according to Car.
Size-wise, Car thinks it'd be in line with the Continental GT, at just over 15.5 feet long. It'd wear a price tag of 125,000 to 150,000 euro, which converts to $168,650 to $202,380. In reality, the US-spec baby Bentley would need to retail for no more than $130,000 to $170,000 if it wanted to truly capture the M6, Porsche Panamera and CLS63 crowd. Speaking of that Porsche, Car thinks the Bentley will ride on the same platform.
As is pointed out, the question of which platform this new model will ride on is an important one. The two possibilities are the D5 architecture of the next Audi A8 or the MSB platform, which will underpin the next-generation Panamera. Expect a 3.0-liter V6 and a 4.0-liter V8, both of which will receive special outfittings for duty in the Bentley, when it arrives in 2018. What do you think? Is there room in the Bentley family for a car below the Continental GT V8, and if so, is a four-door coupe the right choice? Let us know down in Comments.