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The next-gen Bentley Continental GT takes a page from Porsche

The way things look to be shaping up, changes to the Bentley Continental GT's styling are going to be like changes to the Porsche 911: minor modifications to a firmly established formula. It seems Bentley customers like a certain style, and, as shown by the Bentayga SUV, Bentley is willing to twist that design into any shape. German influence from the parent company has apparently taken hold in Crewe. The new model takes a lot of influence from the EXP10 Speed 6 concept that debuted nearly two years ago. The profile looks the same, but the new car appears more muscular than the current model, with sharp lines that carry from the fender through the doors. All of the requisite curves are present, just tightened up a little. Despite the camouflage, we can tell that the Continental GT will retain its four round lights up front, similar to the EXP10 Speed 6. The LED ring can be seen through the covering on the coupe, while the convertible has even less camo. Out back, little has changed. The oval tail lights still match the exhaust tips, and the coupe's fastback roofline still ends at the rear bumper. The trunk lid now sits flush with the rest of the bodywork, but other than that, there will be no mistaking this for anything other than a Bentley Continental GT. Likewise, changes to the Continental GTC convertible have been minor. We don't yet know when the car will debut or what will rest under the hood, but expect turbocharged eight- and twelve-cylinder power once again. Don't rule out some form of electrification, given the new Bentley shares a platform with the Porsche Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Bentley Continental GT and GTC spy shots View 27 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Design/Style Spy Photos Bentley Coupe Luxury Performance

U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.

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.