1996 Bentley Turbo R Burgandy, Beige Interior Immaculate Condition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Bentley considering chopping new Bentayga into a crossover coupe

Like it or not, crossover coupes are gaining traction. BMW lead the march with the X6 and has since followed up with the X4, rival Mercedes has already showcased its new GLE Coupe, and Audi is expected to be following suit as well. So who's next? According to Top Gear, that'd be Bentley. The British luxury automaker is (like Jaguar and Maserati) preparing to launch its first SUV in the form of the upcoming new Bentayga. But it isn't likely to stop there. After speaking with Bentley CEO Wolfgang Durheimer, who pointed towards the growth in the luxury crossover segment at the expense of coupes, convertibles and sedans, Top Gear is convinced that the Flying B marque is weighing the possibility of a slant-backed coupe version. If BMW's experience is anything to go by, reconfiguring the roof and styling of the Bentayga to give it a more rakish profile would be a relatively low-cost, straightforward way to give Crewe another crossover model to offer. But by the same token, we wouldn't expect it to lose any doors in the process as that same Bavarian rival did with the Mini Paceman. With the Bentayga set to debut next year, it may not be until 2019 that the coupe version would arrive. That's if it's given the green light in the first place, with Bentley expected to decide "within the next year and a half," according to TG. What isn't clear at the moment, however, is whether the Bentayga crossover would stand in place of the smaller crossover Bentley was said to be considering, or the four-door coupe or sports car projects that were said to be on the table as well.

Bentley Bentayga Field Sports by Mulliner is the perfect SUV for rich hunters

Though it's primarily used for wagon versions of two-door cars now, the term " shooting brake" originally referred to a vehicle that was used for people to go out hunting and shooting. As such, the new Bentley Bentayga Field Sports by Mulliner is a literal shooting brake, as it's been customized for hunters. Bentley and Mulliner received assistance from ultra-custom gun manufacturer Purdey to help design this Bentayga to be useful for hunters. The results are centered around additional storage. In the cargo area, there's now a large sliding storage unit that contains several compartments that can house all variety of supplies from first-aid kits to additional rounds of ammunition. Of course since this is a Bentley, there is plenty of focus on luxury as well, hence the quilted leather interior, and the space for champagne flutes and your choice of high-class alcohol. In addition to the main storage, there's an additional locking case for a pair of guns. This case is also leather-covered, and it fits in a space between the rear seats. It seems that this special Bentley is currently just a one-off. But we suspect that if there's enough demand, Bentley might consider offering these options. If Bentley does go through with creating hunting variants for customers, we'd like to make a few suggestions to improve on the design. First off, Bentley has prominently featured a hunting dog in the promotional photos. Anyone with dogs knows that when they're outside, they're at risk for tracking in dirt and mud. That's not something you'd want in your leather-clad six-figure Bentley. So perhaps Bentley should consider some kind of cover, like what came with the Honda Element Dog Friendly Edition but fancier, or even custom rear seat storage for the dog. It could even feature a hose and drier for cleaning up your dog, similar to the Nissan Rogue Dogue. And, though the storage solution that Bentley, Mulliner and Purdey came up with is quite nice, they could go a step further, such as with Bentley's own Bentayga for falconry, or the Holland & Holland Range Rover. The former featured beautiful cork chests in the back for storage, and a custom wood inlay dash. The latter also came with a lovely wood cabinet for guns and liquor, but on top of that, buyers would get free refills on liquor. Those are seriously luxurious features, and would be perfect for a hunter's Bentayga. Feel free to use these ideas, Bentley.

Ferdinand Piech (1937-2019): The man who made VW global

Towering among his peers, a giant of the auto industry died Sunday night in Rosenheim/Upper Bavaria, Germany. Ferdinand Piech, a grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, who conceived the original Volkswagen in the 1930s, was the most polarizing automotive executive of our times. And one who brought automotive technology further than anyone else. Ferdinand Porsche had a son, Ferdinand (called "Ferry"), and a daughter, Louise, who married the Viennese lawyer Anton Piech. They gave birth to Ferdinand Piech, and his proximity to two Alfa Romeo sports cars — Porsche had done some work for the Italians — and the "Berlin-Rome-Berlin" race car, developed by Porsche himself, gave birth to Piech's interest in cars. After his teachers in Salzburg told his mother he was "too stupid" to attend school there, Piech, who was open about his dyslexia, was sent to a boarding school in Switzerland. He subsequently moved on to Porsche, where he fixed issues with the 904 race car and did major work on the 911. But his greatest project was the Le Mans-winning 917 race car, developed at breathtaking financial cost. It annihilated the competition, but the family had had enough: Amid growing tension among the four cousins working at Porsche and Piech's uncle Ferry, the family decided to pull every family member, except for Ferry, out of their management positions. Piech started his own consultancy business, where he designed the famous five-cylinder diesel for Mercedes-Benz, but quickly moved on to Audi, first as an engineer and then as CEO, where he set out to transform the dull brand into a technology leader. Piech killed the Wankel engine and hammered out a number of ambitious and sophisticated technologies. Among them: The five-cylinder gasoline engine; Quattro all-wheel drive and Audi's fantastic rally successes; and turbocharging, developed with Fritz Indra, whom Piech recruited from Alpina. The Audi 100/200/5000 became the world's fastest production sedan, thanks to their superior aerodynamics. Piech also launched zinc-coated bodies for longevity — and gave diesel technology a decisive boost with the advent of the fast and ultra-efficient TDI engines. Less known: Piech also decided to put larger gas tanks into cars. Customers loved it. Piech's first-generation Audi V8 was met with derision by competitors; it was too obviously based on the 200/5000.