Bentley Continental Gt Flying Spur Sedan 4-door on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bentley designers show off how custom the custom coachbuilt Bentley Mulliner Bacalar can be

One of the draws of the Bentley Mulliner Bacalar, besides its gorgeous two-seat roadster style, is that it's a unique custom coachbuilt car. The company touts the fact that not a single piece of the exterior is shared with another Bentley. It will always be particularly rare, too, since only 12 will be built. But the unique, custom nature of the car extends beyond that to giving customers nearly free rein with interior components and colors. To show this off, Bentley designers created six gorgeous example models that have us wishing the company would make a few more than 12 Bacalars. Speaking broadly, customers will get to choose unique exterior paint, but the interior is perhaps the most interesting, as choices will include bespoke fabrics, piping, stitching and dash materials. The first of these shown in the gallery is one of our favorites, named Clerkenwell. It features two shades of green leather, and some contrasting green tweed fabric on the seats and the dash, and it's matched with huge swaths of a light wood veneer that stretches from the dash to the doors. The Greenwich interior that follows is also eye-catching with its oxblood leather, gray tweed, and two kinds of 5,000-year-old Riverwood veneer, part of it left as open pore, and the other part given a gloss finish. The other trims in order of appearance are Fulton, Menlo, Brickell, and Randwick. These show additional variations on leather color, and some of them swap the wood veneer for carbon fiber, or the tweed for Alcantara. And of course, all six of these cars get their own corresponding paint colors. Let us know in the comments which ones you like the best, and here's hoping Bacalar buyers get really creative with their cars. Related Video:      

2023 Bentley Flying Spur Speed keeps the W12 alive with 626 horsepower

Bentley has expanded the Flying Spur range with a performance-oriented variant appropriately called Speed. The sedan stands out from other members of the Flying Spur lineup with a powerful W12 engine between its fenders, a firmer chassis setup, and a specific design. The company has traditionally reserved the "Speed" designation for its driver-focused models, and the Flying Spur lives up to this badge with a 6.0-liter W12 engine that's twin-turbocharged to develop 626 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. In comparison, the next model down is the Flying Spur S, which uses a 4.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 rated at 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. Bentley pegs the Speed's zero-to-60-mph time at 3.7 seconds, and the big sedan doesn't stop accelerating until its speedometer displays 207 mph. An eight-speed automatic transmission transfers the 12-cylinder's output to the four wheels via a rear-biased all-wheel-drive system, and reaching the Speed's top speed requires leaving the gearbox in sixth. Seventh and eighth are overdrive gears used to keep the engine's revolutions relatively low at higher speeds. Four-wheel steering, Torque Vectoring by Brake technology, and the 48-volt Bentley Dynamic Ride system help drivers make the most of the extra power. Massive brakes are found on the list of standard features as well. Visually, the Speed gains black exterior trim, "Speed" emblems on the lower part of the fenders, and model-specific 22-inch wheels. Buyers have several options to choose from, including the Styling Specification and Blackline Specification packages. Inside, the Speed features Dinamica Pure upholstery, a redesigned instrument cluster, sport pedals, 24-way power-adjustable front comfort seats, and 14-way power-adjustable rear seats. Both rows of seats are heated, ventilated, and equipped with a massage function; Bentley argues that performance and comfort aren't mutually exclusive. Piano Black trim comes standard but other types of wood (like Crown Cut Walnut) are no-cost options. Pricing information for the 2023 Bentley Flying Spur Speed hasn't been released yet.   

Bentley EXP 100 GT is an electric vision of luxury in 2035

Bentley has just pulled the wraps off its latest concept car, and it's predictably opulent and indulgent. It's called the Bentley EXP 100 GT, which is a nod to the company's 100th anniversary this year, and it's a look at where Bentley wants to be in the year 2035. It's fully electric, has full autonomous capability, and is draped in high-end materials and outrageous design. The design really is striking. Its carbon fiber and aluminum body is enormous at 19 feet long, yet it's just a two-door coupe. The front overhang is nearly nonexistent, but the tail stretches way behind the back wheels. Signature round headlights blend into a fully illuminated grille. Even the hood ornament and center trim piece on the hood light up. The doors open in a scissor fashion just like a Lamborghini. At the back, the car features OLED taillights. The wheels even have active aerodynamic panels, and apparently the Pirelli tires can, at least conceptually, change their pattern and contact patch for various driving conditions. Under the sizable yet slinky skin is a fully electric powertrain. It features four motors, one for each wheel, to provide full torque vectoring. They deliver a lot of torque, too, at 1,106 pound-feet. Bentley says the EXP 100 GT should hit 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds and have a top speed of 186 mph. The battery pack can provide up to 435 miles of range, and can be charged to 80% capacity in 15 minutes. The car can be driven fully autonomously or manually. The EXP 100 GT naturally has an over-the-top interior to match the exterior and powertrain. It can be configured to seat two to four people. It's trimmed with 5,000-year-old wood salvaged from peat bogs, and copper has been infused with it. Fabric trim features fiber optics woven in for illuminated patterns. The leather is not from animals, but rather created from byproducts of wine making. Crystal is featured heavily, too, and it is used for getting information about the onboard AI. The AI system works to keep you comfortable, and to do so, it monitors your mood with biometrics, even detecting your blood pressure. It can alter the amount of light in the cabin, the temperature and other settings. A unique feature of the car is the ability to simulate lighting conditions from past drives if the current weather is dreary. The car even has a unique scent that can be applied to the cabin that's a mix of sandalwood and moss. Will we see a Bentley like this reach production in 2035? Time will tell.