2012 Bentley Contintal Gt Mulliner Rare Color 700 Miles on 2040-cars

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Fastest and most powerful SUVs in America for 2022

Here in the United States, we enjoy power almost as much as we like our SUVs. Thankfully, we’ve got plenty of both. Traditionally, the most powerful SUVs source their massive horsepower and torque from some form of a V8. While thatÂ’s still generally the case, electrification comes into play more and more, whether itÂ’s mild-hybrid tech, a plug-in hybrid powertrain or, as is the case with the two vehicles topping this list, fully electric vehicles. As we enter the 2022 model year, letÂ’s look at the most powerful SUVs available.  Before we dive in, letÂ’s address the elephant that is waiting just outside the door. Due to supply shortages, Mercedes-Benz is shelving most V8 models for the 2022 model year. Some 2021 models can still be found in dealer inventories, but we wonÂ’t include them. With that in mind, letÂ’s dive into the list. 2022 Audi RS Q8 — 591 hp / 190 mph Read our review of the Audi RS Q8 The only Audi on this list is a hot little number, which we characterized as “an uncompromising option in a field of compromised options.” Powered by a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 (which seems to be a popular format in this list), its 591 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque get it scootinÂ’ to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds, and on to a top speed of 190 mph. It even has the bragging rights of holding the Nurburgring lap record for an SUV.   2022 Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge — 592 hp / 155 mph (limited) Read our review of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan This is one SUV where being a passenger might be more exciting than sitting in the driverÂ’s seat, thanks to over-the-top luxury — what do you expect from a car that costs over $350,000? The driver doesnÂ’t go unrewarded, though, with a turbocharged 6.75-liter V12 at their disposal. Thanks to the Black BadgeÂ’s software upgrade, it makes 592 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque to help get to its electronically limited top speed of 155 mph that much quicker.    2022 BMW Alpina XB7 — 612 hp / 180 mph Read our review of the BMW Alpina XB7 Alpina takes already impressive BMW vehicles and turns them into even more powerful, more luxurious machines. The Alpina XB7 improves upon the BMW X7 with a biturbocharged 4.4-liter V8 offering up 612 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. ThatÂ’s good for a 4.0-second 0-60 sprint and a 180-mph top speed. Alpina also adds its own transmission and drivetrain tuning, upgraded suspension, exhaust and a whole slew of unique appearance touches.

Ian Fleming's Bentley R-Type rediscovered in an L.A. garage

James Bond creator Ian Fleming commissioned a left-hand-drive 1953 Bentley R-Type Continental Fastback in Deep Grey with black Connolly leather as a gift for his American friend Ivar Felix Bryce. Fleming's choice of that car was probably no accident: Bond drove an R-Type Continental in the book Thunderball – one he bought as a wreck and restored, and he had it done up in gray with black leather. In Skyfall, this is the car that would have been behind that garage door. Gullwing Motor Cars recently discovered the real-life car wasting away in a garage in Hancock Park, Los Angeles for nearly 30 years. Bryce was Fleming's inspiration for CIA agent Felix Leiter in the Bond books. The US agent showed up in six installments in the series starting with Casino Royale, bowing out in The Man with the Golden Gun. Just as cool as the Fleming/Bond connection is this car's connection to the Bentleys of today. This was the "Speed" of its time, and like Continental GT Speed of one today, it was the fastest production four-seater in the world. A review of the time said, "it is difficult to put into words the gulf that separates a Continental from the average car in all the qualities that have a bearing on safety at speed." And you can see where those outboard lights on today's Bentleys come from. The Continental designation signified a power upgrade over the standard R-Type, and Fleming built it up with extras like rear spats, lightweight seats, fitted luggage, and a racehorse mascot. The Bryces flew their gift around the world to their various homes in England, Nassau, New York, and Vermont. After they sold it the coupe had several owners, ending up in the hands of a Beverly Hills surgeon in 1978, and according to Gullwing it's been sitting in a garage almost since that time. It has matching numbers and the original interior, and Gullwing says, putting it mildly, it is "an ideal restoration candidate." The asking price is $1,495,000, which is quite the premium for pedigree. Hagerty values a pristine example at $1.4 million, and two recent pristine examples have been sold by RM Auctions for $1.2M and Bonham's for $822,000. This Fleming car one went to auction at Pebble this year with an estimate of $1.4M - $1.8M but didn't sell, so don't be afraid to ask a few hard MI6-like questions about it if you're interested.

Bentley Batur is the next Mulliner creation after the Bacalar

Bentley's Mulliner personalization division launched the Balacar Speedster in 2020 — named after Laguna Bacalar in Mexico's Quintana Roo state — and sold the limited run of 12 examples almost immediately at about $2 million per. With just four Bacalars remaining to be delivered to customers, and since the first rule of having a hit is having a follow-up ready, it's no wonder that Mulliner will introduce its next small-batch, bespoke car in 10 days: At 8 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, August 20, during Monterey Car Week, the Crewe automaker will unveil the Batur. Our invitation to exhilaration. This is where finely-honed bespoke craftsmanship and next-generation design meet. The #Bentley #Mulliner #Batur. 04:00 BST, 21.08.2022 pic.twitter.com/g0kV5K2ffJ — Bentley Motors (@BentleyMotors) August 9, 2022 We know a couple of things about the Batur. It's not clear what vehicle the model is based on, but we're told it will be a "hand-built grand touring Bentley." We're going to guess this means the Flying Spur chassis gets the nod, because the next thing we know about the Batur is it "showcases themes and forms that will define BentleyÂ’s future range of Battery Electric Vehicles." Bentley's first EV is anticipated to be a high-riding sedan sitting on Volkswagen's SSP battery-electric platform, the even more luxurious follow-up to the Audi Artemis electric sedan that will introduce upscale versions of the SSP architecture. The short video shows a very Bentley diamond grille laid in with burnt orange accents.    The last thing we know about the Batur is that it's named after another body of water, this time Lake Batur in Kintamani, on the island of Bali in Indonesia. There looks to be quite a span between the Batur's EV-forward design and the first Bentley EV. A report out of Germany in July said the VW Group continues to struggle with software for the swarm of battery-electric product the brand wants by 2030, pushing launches back potentially by years — issues that cost former VW Group CEO Herbert Diess his job. Audi's retail version of the Grandsphere concept might not show until 2027 instead of 2024, and the first Bentley EV that was due in 2025 might face a similar delay.