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Bentley to call its upcoming crossover Bentayga?

Development of Bentley's forthcoming utility vehicle is almost complete, and the British automaker has painted a vivid picture of what to expect: otherworldly luxurious, a range of powertrains including a twelve-pot and a hybrid, and a price tag that is sure to eclipse any other SUV or crossover on the market. One of the biggest questions still remaining, however, is what Bentley will call the thing, but we might have our answer right here. According to Autovisie (the car section of Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf), Bentley has registered the name Bentayga – taken from a rock formation on Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, that Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco. The concept was originally showcased as the EXP 9 F. Though that handle was never expected to make it to production, the F supposedly stood for Falcon, leading to speculation that the final version would carry that name. But if the trademark application is anything to go by, we could be looking in the end at the Bentley Bentayga. Featured Gallery Bentley SUV: Spy Shots View 10 Photos News Source: AutovisieImage Credit: CarPix Bentley Crossover Luxury patent trademark bentley bentayga bentley exp 9 f bentley falcon

Every Bentley Continental GT No. 9 Edition has Le Mans history built into its interior

Bentley is amidst a year-long celebration of its 100th birthday, and part of the festivities is the reveal of the "ultimate collector's version" of the new Continental GT. The Number 9 Edition by Mulliner is a highly customized tribute to Sir Henry Ralph Stanley 'Tim' Birkin and his "Blower" Bentley and includes a Le Mans artifact that gives the car an unattainable rarity. As seen in the photos, this Continental GT wears its name on its nose. The large 9 in the grille is a nod to the No. 9 4.5-liter Blower Bentley that Birkin raced at the 1930 Le Mans 24 Hours. What Bentley claims to be the iconic Bentley racer of the pre-war era had a supercharger that upped power from 110 brake horsepower to 175. Now, in 2019, part of that racecar will be in each of the 100 No. 9 Edition cars. Those familiar with the new Continental GT remember it features a "rotating display" within its dashboard. It can flip between a smooth piece of trim to the infotainment screen to an assembly of three dials and/or gauges. On the No. 9 Edition, the center gauge on the rotating display has a visible piece of the wooden seat from the 1930 Le Mans car. It can be seen at the 1:30 mark in the video below. It is just one piece of the custom interior that also features turned aluminum trim, and a British Jaeger clock face inspired by the Blower's original dials. Customers have the choice between Cumbrian Green or Beluga leather, which Bentley says have increased gloss levels. The seat headrests and the door panels have been debossed with Bentley's "B" logo, and the door sill plates have plaques marking, "1 of 100." A final touch of elegance is the 18-karat gold plating on the vent pull knobs. The No. 9 Edition comes in two colors: Viridian Green or Beluga Black. The 21-inch 10-spoke wheels can be ordered with color match, and several specialty badges have been added to the car, including "1919 to 2019" centenary badges that are seen on every Bentley built in 2019. The No. 9 comes standard with the Continental GT's Black Line package and the carbon bodykit package. Bentley made no mention of price, but considering only 100 will be built, they're likely already accounted for. The No. 9 Edition will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show. Featured Gallery Bentley Continental GT No. 9 Edition by Mulliner News Source: Bentley Geneva Motor Show Bentley Coupe Luxury Performance limited edition Mulliner

What it's like to drive a brand-new, 92-year-old Bentley Blower

“Vivid” doesnÂ’t even begin to describe this; neither does “damn cold.” The throttle is pinned to the firewall, the needles behind the glass in the dashboardÂ’s 10 dials are twitching and dancing, the supercharger boost gauge is nailed to the lock stop, and the dark-green scuttle is shuddering with the ripples of the concrete banking. Think World War II airplane over the storm-tossed North Atlantic – I even slid a picture of my wife into my breast pocket this morning Â… IÂ’d be grinning, but the freezing blast over the leather-strapped bonnet gives me a rictus grimace. ThereÂ’s a lot to do in this 92-year-old supercharged Bentley as its fish-tail exhaust blares seal-honk indifference at a shoal of insignificant super cars fluttering in its wake; at 100 mph this is motoring at its zenith. They donÂ’t make ‘em like they used to and I used to think that was indubitably true of this car: Sir Henry ‘TimÂ’ BirkinÂ’s Blower Bentley. This was his favorite out of the five Blowers built at the Welwyn factory between 1929 and 1930. It was bankrolled by Dorothy Paget, the Whitney family heiress, and serial race-horse owner and gambler. How famous? This car, known as Number Two, was entered in the 1930 Le Mans 24-hour race. Birkin drove it like a bat out of hell in the initial stages of the race with the tacit approval of the Bentley factory, which had entered a team of "6 1/2 litre" naturally aspirated cars and was looking for its fourth-consecutive Le Mans victory and the marqueÂ’s fifth overall. They used Birkin and this lovely old machine as “the hare,” testing the potential and reliability of the astonishing Mercedes-Benz works supercharged, 7-liter SSK driven by Rudolf ‘RudiÂ’ Caracciola (ironically Paget also owned one of these rare and exotic beasts). The fast and courageous Birkin was sent out to poke a stick at the German ace – it was like poking a waspsÂ’ nest. Twice Birkin overtook Caracciola at over 120 mph at the end of the Mulsanne/Hunaudieres straight, with one wheel on the grass and the rear tire down to its canvas. By all accounts Caracciola was so startled simply because he couldnÂ’t believe that anyone would be actually overtaking him. Legend has it that in pursuing Birkin, Rudi Caracciola damaged the engine by over using the supercharger, which could be clutched in and out, but the truth is more nuanced. Birkin drove his car so hard he twice lost a tireÂ’s tread and had to pit early.