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Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition is Texas-style luxury

A premium Texas car dealership has coordinated the unusual pairing of a top-tier British automaker with a legendary American hat brand. Together, with the help of the bespoke builders from Mulliner, Bentley Dallas and Stetson have birthed the Bentayga Stetson Special Edition. The first example (there will be more) arrived at the dealership this week in White Sand and comes complete with a matching hat.  Although Bentley and Stetson might seem like an odd couple, their similar core values make for a loose connection: lasting quality, timeless design and unmatched craftsmanship. The special edition, which is sold exclusively through Bentley Dallas, is available in three different colors, all of which match an iconic Stetson design. Onyx is meant to pair with the Stetson black 100X El Presidente, Dark Cashmere is for the Stetson Boss of the Plains, and the White Sand paint on this example matches the Stetson Silverbelly. The wheels can be ordered on a normal Bentayga, so the only other exterior alteration is the addition of Stetson badges on the rear side panels. Step inside, and the SUV starts to feel a bit more Texas. Mulliner conceptualized a three-tone configuration with camel main hides, saddle secondary and burnt oak accents. The seats, door paneling, and floor mats feature diamond-quilted designs, and "boot stitching" was used throughout the vehicle as a nod to cowboy culture. Possibly the most beautiful material is the open-pore liquid amber veneer, which is cut from American Red Gum trees in the U.S. Punctuating the special edition, each front seat has "STETSON" embroidered beneath the head rests, and treadplate inserts read, "MULLINER STETSON."  The Stetson Special Edition does not receive any performance upgrades, so it sticks with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that makes 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. This exact example is listed at $246,578, but each version would be different depending on customer preferences. Bentley Dallas is expecting two more vehicles in October and November. Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition View 25 Photos Design/Style Bentley SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance bentley bentayga Mulliner

VW, Mobileye to bring new automated tech to series production

Volkswagen will bring new automated driving technologies to series production as it deepens its partnership with Mobileye in automotive driving technologies, Europe's biggest carmaker said on Wednesday. Israeli automotive tech company Mobileye will provide driving assistance software based on its SuperVision and Chauffeur platforms to VW's luxury brands such as Audi, Bentley, Lamborghini and Porsche. The technologies, which later will be integrated by VW's software unit Cariad, include assistance systems for highway and urban driving, such as automated overtaking on multilane highways, automatic stopping at red lights and stop signs, and support in intersections and roundabouts. "New automated driving functions will significantly boost convenience and safety," VW Chief Executive Oliver Blume said. Mobileye is also set to supply further automated driving software to Volkswagen's commercial vehicles unit. In future, the German carmaker aims to rely on its own complete in-house software system. (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, writing by Andrey Sychev, Editing by Miranda Murray and Madeline Chambers)

Bentley recalls nearly 2,000 examples of the Bentayga over fire risk

Bentley is voluntarily recalling 1,892 examples of the Bentayga in America to replace a fuel line that could leak and cause a fire. The affected SUVs were manufactured between July 26, 2018, and January 15, 2020. Documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explain the SUVs included in the recall are fitted with a quick fuel line connector that can leak if it's exposed to extremely high temperatures in the engine bay. Fuel and heat don't go together well, unless they meet in a cylinder, so the leak could start a fire. Bentley noted motorists might smell fuel in the engine bay if the connector leaks, but Autoblog learned from a company spokesperson that it's not aware of accidents, injuries, or even damage related to the problem. The spokesperson stressed the recall only applies to the Bentayga V8; it doesn't include the W12 model or the plug-in hybrid. Only about 0.2% of the SUVs being recalled have this defect, according to the firm. Bentley explained it noticed the problem in 2018, when a customer complained the SUV smelled like gasoline. Technicians identified the cause of the problem as material softening due to elevated temperatures in the engine bay, and engineers began working on a fix and testing it in real-world conditions. The redesigned part notably faces away from the hot side of the engine, according to a recall bulletin published by the NHTSA. Owners of affected cars will be notified in the coming weeks, and they'll need to bring their Bentayga to the nearest dealer to have the fuel line and its quick connector replaced. It's a job that takes approximately one hour. The average Bentley customer owns eight cars, so at least Bentayga owners won't be stuck using Uber. Featured Gallery 2019 Bentley Bentayga V8: First Drive View 34 Photos Recalls Bentley SUV Luxury