2015 Bentley Continental Gt V8 on 2040-cars

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2024 Bentley Bentayga EWB Mulliner is a private jet for the road

The high-riding Bentayga has stood proud as Bentley's range-topping model since the Mulsanne retired in 2020. The brand is cementing its first SUV's flagship positioning by launching an even more luxurious evolution of the extended-wheelbase version called EWB Mulliner. Developed, as its name implies, by the in-house Mulliner division, the long-wheelbase SUV rides on 22-inch wheels fitted with self-leveling center caps and wears a model-specific Double Diamond grille. Designers also added a chromed lower front grille, a Mulliner-branded badge on each fender, and two-tone door mirror caps. The list of options includes an appearance package called Mulliner Blackline Specification that replaces most of the bright trim pieces with gloss black parts and adds gloss black-finished 21-inch wheels for a more subtle look. We doubt anyone will yell "shotgun!" before taking a long trip in the Bentayga EWB Mulliner, as the best seats in the house are in the back. Offered with four or five seats, the SUV comes standard with the Bentley Airline Seat option that brings 22-way power-adjustable rear seats, an automatic climate-sensing system that detects whether the occupants are hot or cold and adjusts the heating or the ventilation accordingly, and postural adjustment technology that continuously changes the shape of the seat to ease pressure points. Two seating modes are available: Relax reclines the seat to nearly 40 degrees and deploys a footrest while Business moves it to its most upright position. Mulliner also added diamond-quilted leather upholstery, wood interior trim, wool floor mats and a three-dimensional diamond-milled finish on the center console, and it lets buyers choose one of eight three-color upholstery combinations created specifically for the flagship Bentayga. Alternatively, customers can work with the brand to design a one-of-a-kind interior. The finishing touch is an analog clock on the dashboard. If you have something to celebrate, Bentley can help: there's space for a bottle and two champagne flutes on the rear center console. Power comes from a 4.0-liter V8 that's twin-turbocharged to 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and it sends this living room on wheels from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 180 mph. The list of standard features includes rear-wheel steering, a 48-volt anti-roll control system and an air suspension system.

Bentley hits two milestones nearly a century apart at the same time

Bentley's Mulliner division completed two customer cars that couldn't be more different. It finished the first Bacalar, a futuristic-looking roadster related to the Continental GT, and it wrapped up the first Blower continuation car. Each limited to 12 examples, the Bacalar and the Blower are customer-configured special projects that are built largely by hand, so signing off the first examples is a major accomplishment. Bentley isn't able to reveal the identity of the person who purchased either. The first Blower is painted in Birkin Green as a tribute to one of original Blowers, which was built and raced by Sir Tim Birkin. Its wire wheels are also green, and its soft top is black. Mechanically, the first continuation Blower is identical to the 1929 car, meaning it's powered by a supercharged, 4.4-liter four-cylinder engine, but Bentley made a handful of small changes in the name of safety and convenience. First, it fitted electric fuel pumps and added a foam baffle to the fuel tank. Second, it added a dynator that it describes as "a reworked alternative to the original dynamo." Everything inside the four-cylinder is a re-creation of the original engine, down to the aluminum pistons. It develops 240 horsepower, which was amazing in 1929. Back in the 21st century, the first Bacalar is finished in Atom Silver with Moss Green and gloss black exterior accents. It rides on 22-inch wheels. Beluga leather upholstery dominates the cabin, and the owner commissioned a sprinkling of black and green to create a visual link between the exterior and the interior. Bentley delivered the car with a set of leather-upholstered luggage, and it placed the key in a box that's upholstered with the same leather. Power for the Bacalar comes from a twin-turbocharged, 6.0-liter W12 that delivers 650 horsepower and 667 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission connected to shift paddles. While this is an existing powertrain, Bentley nonetheless put the Bacalar through extensive durability tests in 2020. Both models are on their way to their new home. Keep your eyes peeled at the next cars and coffee event; who knows, one might make a surprise appearance. Bentley previously said the Bacalar would be sold in America under the Show and Display rule, so some of the production run will likely end up here. In the meantime, the men and women in Bentley's Mulliner workshop have already started building the next three examples in each series.

2014 Bentley Flying Spur brings new design to four-door Continental

After showing us a couple teasers recently, not to mention the leakage of official shots earlier today, Bentley has finally pulled the cover off the all-new 2014 Flying Spur, which will receive its global debut next month at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. The big, bespoke sedan not only promises plenty of luxury in its full redesign, but Bentley is also saying that the new Flying Spur will be the "fastest, most powerful four-door" model it has ever produced.
To make sure it comes through on that bold statement, the 2014 Flying Spur is powered by the same twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter W12 engine used in the Continental GT Speed. In the Flying Spur, this 12-cylinder engine produces 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, and it sends that power to the ground through a new eight-speed automatic transmission and a rear-biased (40/60) all-wheel-drive system. Launching the 5,451-pound sedan from 0-60 miles per hour will take just 4.3 seconds and 100 mph comes in less than 10 seconds; overall top speed is rated at 200 mph. Even with all that power and mass, Bentley is still expecting the next-generation Flying Spur to return better EPA fuel economy than the current model with projected (but not certified) estimates of 12 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway.
Befitting of its more powerful engine, the Flying Spur also gets a more athletic appearance with a more upright face, arched front and rear fenders and horizontal taillights that better distinguish it from the Continental GT. The new roofline also gives the car a sportier shape and the side windows add a more contemporary look, but this car is almost identical in size to the current model including the massive rear overhang, which helps accommodate 16.8 cubic feet of cargo.