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Rhys Millen will drive a Bentley Bentayga at Pikes Peak

Despite Bentley positioning its Bentayga SUV as a luxury vehicle, Bentley doesn't want us to forget that it's also a storied motorsport brand. Even the Bentayga can be used for record hunting, as Bentley is eager to show. It has hired two-time Pikes Peak hill climb winner Rhys Millen to take a Bentayga to the mountaintop. With the production SUV record in its sights, Bentley's Motorsport wing in Crewe has prepared a Bentayga for the attempt (which will be used as a benchmark for the Lamborghini Urus). The vehicle has been kept as stock as possible, as per the rules, and for safety reasons it features a full roll cage, a fire suppression system, racing seats and a harness. Still, Bentley has also enlisted exhaust crafters Akrapovic to give it a custom setup; Akrapovic has also done the exhaust for the Continental GT3-R. But the air suspension with its electric anti-roll control is kept stock, and the Pirelli rubber is also off-the-shelf stuff. The W12 engine's 600hp/664 lb-ft power figures also match the unmodified versions. We reported on Bentley's inclusion at the June 24 event earlier, but at that point the driver had not yet been announced. Millen, 45, from New Zealand, is reportedly the second-most-prolific Pikes Peak competitor in the world. The current production SUV record stands at 12:35.61, set by Paul Dallenbach with a Range Rover Sport in 2013. The Pikes Peak Bentayga's exterior has been finished with an unmistakable Radium Satin hue, but other than that and the carbon fiber body kit, it appears more like an everyday, run-of-the-mill Bentayga, not a wild Pikes Peak racer with a bookcase for a rear wing. Related Video:

Bentley opening new R&D center in Crewe

The world's fastest lorries. That's how Ettore Bugatti referred to cars from Bentley back in the day, employing the British term for trucks, long before the two became sister companies. Those immortal words will come true when Bentley launches its new SUV, which promises not only to be the most luxurious and prestigious but also the first to crack the 200-mile-per-hour mark. But it won't come without its share of investment. Bentley and its parent company Volkswagen will surely have invested untold millions to bring the luxury crossover to market, but the vehicle itself isn't the only major investment the British automaker and its German owners will have made when it does. Bentley is also embarking upon an unprecedented expansion of its headquarters in Crewe. The massive expansion plan, budgeted at over $60 million, will create over 300 new jobs and include the creation of a new research and development center on site. The facility will cover a good half-million square feet and include a design studio, R&D offices and technical workshops that will be home to some 1,300 engineers and will be "the latest step in preparing Bentley's infrastructure to bring the world's first ultra-luxury SUV to roads in 2016." Bentley may undertake some of the SUV's production at home in Crewe, but much of the work is expected to be completed alongside the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne in Slovakia. The expansion plan was announced by Bentley chief Wolfgang Durheimer (also CEO of Bugatti) while George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer (Britain's equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury or most any other government's Minister of Finance) was visiting Crewe. "Bentley is an iconic British Brand that exports around the world. Their decision to create another 300 jobs in R&D on a new site providing close to 1,000 new jobs is fantastic news for Crewe and for Britain," said Osborne. "The investment will not only create jobs at Bentley, but support many more through suppliers across the UK." MULTI-MILLION POUND SITE EXPANSION BRINGS NEW JOBS TO BENTLEY - GBP40 million planned investment into Bentley headquarters in Crewe - New research and development centre to house 1,300 Bentley engineers - 300 new roles created (Crewe, 4 December 2014) Today, Bentley has announced the latest phase in the biggest site development in the company's history.

Porsche to develop new line of engines for next Panamera

When the second generation of the four-door Porsche Panamera launches, it will likely be riding a new platform, complete with an all-new family of V6 and V8 engines, according to a report coming out of the UK.
Autocar reports that the so-called MSB platform will likely underpin the Panamera, and it could be shared with Bentley, provided the Volkswagen-owned, British-built brand commits to the architecture. As for the engines, it's reported that they'll have a sportier character than the V6s and V8s being built for Volkswagen and Audi's vehicles.
"Porsche will have its own new V8 that will be common to the new MSB platform," Porsche's chief engineer, Wolfgang Hatz, said. "It's a family for the next 10 years of cars." Whether the V8 and V6 will be used outside of the Panamera line, though, remains unclear. There's also no mention of what place turbocharging would have with the new engines.