2006 Bentley Continental Flying Spur Sedan 4-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini and Bentley may hold off on SUVs so VW can conserve cash

After surveying the European economic scene, Volkswagen may have decided now is not the time to launch utility vehicles with Bentley and Lamborghini badges. Bentley officials say they will continue to push for support for the EXP 9 F and Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman has said planning for the Urus will continue until VW tells it to stop.
That decision could come on November 23, when VW's board will vote on the company's budget for equipment, factories and vehicles. With VW's sales slowing and the Euro economy slumping further, some industry watchers say the company is more likely to build its cash reserves than to introduce super-expensive luxury SUVs or crossovers.
"Such vehicles are anything but obligatory during a crisis," says Frankfurt-based Equinet AG analyst Tim Schuldt in a new Automotive News Europe story. "Delaying their launch would be no drama but help save costs."

Bentley shifting W12 engine production to UK

Who would you think would be the largest producer of 12-cylinder engines in the world? Mercedes? BMW? Ferrari? Think again: as you might have guessed from the headline, it's Bentley. The thing is that, while all Bentley automobiles are manufactured in the UK, its engines aren't: while the 6.75-liter V8 in the Mulsanne is made at home, the innovative 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine in Continental models so equipped (like the newer 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8) is shipped in from Germany. But that won't be the case any longer.
Bentley has just announced that production of the W12 engine is moving to its home base in Crewe by the end of this year. The shift in production (which follows the migration of the Flying Spur from Dresden to Crewe in 2007) will create 100 jobs in the UK - a country which employs some 142,000 workers in the automotive sector - and produce as many as 9,000 engines per year. That in and of itself would account for the vast majority of the 10,000-plus cars Bentley made last year, but will also make Bentley an exporter of engines for the first time in its history.
Right there at the factory, Bentley will fit the engines into twelve-cylinder versions of the Continental GT, GTC and Flying Spur, and send some back to Germany for use in the Audi A8. Applications within the Volkswagen brand itself like the Phaeton and Touareg no longer use the W12 engine, but could conceivably use it again in the future - they'll just have to bring them in from England is all.

You can ice the Bentley Bentayga for $13 grand

Want to drive the new Bentley Bentayga? You'll be able to place your order soon enough, assuming you've got the scratch. And then you'll be able to drive it pretty much anywhere. But if you want to drive it on ice, and don't want to wait for delivery, then check out Bentley's Power on Ice program. The British automaker has been hosting ice-driving events for years now. But this winter, it's adding the new Bentayga to the mix. Participants will be invited to drive it on 10 ice tracks created atop frozen lakes in Finland. The tracks were designed by four-time World Rally Champion and ice-speed record-setter Juha Kankkunen, who also serves as lead instructor for the program. Of course, while the Bentayga may have the most advanced traction system on board, it's not the only all-wheel-drive Bentley lined up for the program. As you can see from the video above - in which the Bentayga appears only in parts starting around the halfway mark - there'll be Continentals, Flying Spurs, and even the GT3-R on hand as well. The event is based at the Chalet Ruka Peak in northern Finland. It also includes fine Scandinavian cuisine, saunas, and a nighttime dog-sled expedition to an old reindeer farm. Of course none of that comes cheap, with prices depending on the level of accommodation specified. But the experience starts off at ˆ11,900 per person – or about $13k at current exchange rates. BENTAYGA MAKES POWER ON ICE DEBUT Oct 29, 2015 - Bentley's extraordinary ice-driving event returns for 2016 - Bentayga to demonstrate prowess on frozen lakes of Finland - Former World Rally Champion, Juha Kankkunen, leads tuition team (Crewe, 29 October 2015) The most powerful, most luxurious, most exclusive and fastest SUV in the world, the Bentley Bentayga, makes its ice-driving debut in 2016 at Bentley's flagship customer event, Power on Ice. Power on Ice is an unforgettable four-day experience that provides the opportunity to push a full range of Bentley cars to their limits. Running throughout February next year, guests will be among the first to explore the Bentayga's extraordinary capabilities in one of the most beautiful and challenging environments in the world. Two days of exhilarating ice driving training are provided by the vastly experienced Bentley Ice Driving Team. Leading the tuition will be four-time World Rally Champion and two-time ice-speed record holder, Juha Kankkunen – who personally designs each of the ten ice tracks.