2005 Bentley Continental Gt on 2040-cars

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Editors’ Picks April 2023 | New X1, a Bentley and some luxury EVs

This month of Editors' Picks features a smattering of luxury vehicles in both sedan and SUV body styles. The new BMW i7 was a big surprise, and the Mercedes-Benz EQE is a lovely enough electric sedan to get our recommendation, too. We've given every other Bentley model an Editors' Pick before, and the Bentayga follows suit. Lastly, BMW nabs a second in April with the newly redesigned X1 subcompact crossover. In case you missed our previous Editors' Picks posts, here’s a quick refresher on whatÂ’s going on here. We rate all the new cars we drive with a 1-10 score. Cars that are exemplary in their respective segments get an EditorsÂ’ Pick designation. Those are the ones weÂ’d recommend to our friends, family and anybody whoÂ’s curious and asks the question. The list that youÂ’ll find below consists of every car we rated in January that earned an EditorsÂ’ Pick.   2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 2023 Mercedes-AMG EQE View 38 Photos Quick take: The EQE offers all the niceties of a traditional E-Class in an electric form. Its design is simplistic and bland to a fault, but everything else about it is executed well. Score: 7.5 What it competes with: Porsche Taycan, Audi E-Tron GT, Tesla Model S, BMW i4 Pros: Gorgeous interior, big backseat, advanced tech, excellent driving AMG variant Cons: Bland design, average range/charging speed, questionable value From the editors: Road Test Editor Zac Palmer — "I drove the AMG version of the EQE, and while it's a rocketship of an EV, it lacked the ne'er-do-well nature of the gasoline-powered AMG versions of the E-Class. The interior is beautiful, but I can't say the same for the exterior, even with the AMG add-ons. The AMG EQE is a perfect Benz, but I wouldn't go so far as to call it the perfect AMG product." In-depth analysis: 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE Sedan Review: A smaller, less expensive EQS   2023 BMW X1 2023 BMW X1 xDrive28i 03 View 31 Photos Quick take: The BMW X1 is the driver's choice in the subcompact luxury SUV segment. Its size and abundance of tech makes it a great all-rounder for anybody's taste, though. Score: 8.0 What it competes with: Volvo XC40, Audi Q3, Mercedes-Benz GLB, Mercedes-Benz GLA, Jaguar E-Pace, Lexus UX, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Pros: Fun to drive, great utility, traditional and handsome design Cons: Interior feels spartan, value is questionable From the editors: Senior Editor, Green John Beltz Snyder — "This segment is a competitive one, but the X1 sets itself apart as the driverÂ’s car.

2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed unleashes a tidal wave of torque

811 lb-ft of torque puts the Mulsanne Speed out ahead of every so-called muscle car on the market and eclipses most million-dollar hypercars.
Those in the market for a sedan with equal levels of performance and luxury would do well to stop by their local Bentley dealership, and have a look at the Flying Spur. Though not available in Speed trim like the previous four-door Continental, the W12 model already packs the 616-horsepower 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 from the Continental GT Speed - and we wouldn't be surprised to see the British automaker come out with an even more performance-oriented version in the future. But what about the Mulsanne?

Bentley's Ultra Performance Hybrid succeeds the 6.0-liter W12

The twin-turbo 6.0-liter W12 engine composed the soundtrack to dreams around the world once it found a home in the Bentley Continental GT, which entered a production in 2003. That engine will sing its final encore in the Bentley Batur Convertible before the curtain comes down, tuned to its highest-ever output of 739 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. The Englanders in Crewe have lifted the hood on the successor, without providing all the details. What we know for now is that the powerplant debuting this summer is called the Ultra Performance Hybrid, a V8 PHEV with "more than 750 PS combined output" and an all-electric range of 50 miles on the WLTP cycle.   We haven't been given a displacement figure, nor did Bentley use the word "turbo" in its release. However, looking around the Volkswagen Group, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 PHEV in the Porsche Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid and Lamborghini Urus SE seems a solid fit for this application. We're told to expect "the highest output ever offered in a Bentley," Since the 740 hp in the droptop Batur equals 750 PS — achieved without electrical assistance — there's reason to hope for something closer to 800 hp than 750. The Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid makes a combined 670 hp and 680 lb-ft, the Urus SE a combined 800 hp and 699 lb-ft. Both of them also hide a 25.9-kWh battery. [video width="2000" height="720" mp4="https://s.aolcdn.com/os/ab/_cms/2024/05/09084632/bentley-hybrid-sound.mp4"][/video] In the Bentley, the e-motors will also spread torque across a wider swath of the rev band than the non-hybrid W12. The company released a short sound clip, and yep, this things sounds like a Bentley engine, from purr to growl never leaving the basso profondo range. The Ultra Performance Hybrid will take its place at the top of the Bentayga, Continental GT, and Flying Spur ranges before the summer ends. We find out closer to that time what happens to the other engines on the menu, the twin-turbo 4.0-liter non-hybrid V8 and the twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter and 3.0-liter V6 plug-in hybrids for the Flying Spur and Bentayga, respectively.