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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.

Bentley unveils 202-mph Continental GT Speed Convertible

That purple haze all in your eyes is the 2013 Bentley GT Speed Convertible. The cynical view is, "Bah, take a GT Speed and cut the top off. There. Pass the salt, please...". But when you're Bentley, more than 90 years old, and charging these kinds of ducats, there's no reason to take the cynic's shortcut. So of course the GT Speed Convertible gets all of the Speed-family accoutrements: matrix radiator grille hiding a twin-turbocharged, 6.0-liter W12 with 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, eight-speed ZF transmission enabling 15 percent better fuel economy, beefier lowered suspension, larger rifled exhaust tips, inlet manifold finished in black crackle and a Mulliner Driving Specification cabin.
Among the many refinements added to the convertible, though, are neck warmers in the seats, the 21-inch wheels unique to this car, class-leading stiffness - admittedly, it's a very small class, but its torsional rigidity of 22,500 Nm/degree is only 500 Nm below that of the Lamborghini Gallardo coupe. The stiffening required to achieve that number will undoubtedly have something to do with the 485-pound weight gain over the GT Speed Coupe.
Still, when the GT Speed Convertible weighs 5,500 pounds, what's a few hundred between friends? More importantly, the weight doesn't scuttle performance: 0-60 comes in 4.1 seconds, a tenth shy of the coupe. The gap stretches as you approach The Ton, the GT Speed Convertible needing just 9.7 seconds to get there, the coupe just nine seconds. Trust us, though, everyone will be too busy blasting along to notice. Everyone will want to pack light, however, because the Speed Convertible loses 3.5 cubic feet of trunk space. It remains the fastest four-seat convertible in the world with a 202-mph top speed.

High-end Bentley Bentayga Apex adds weight-saving carbon goodies, plus nice pinstripes

  Bentley is going on a carbon binge, by introducing the Bentayga Apex Edition, developed by its in-house Mulliner bespoke division and advertised as the Ñ’most dynamic-looking and driving Bentayga ever.Ò’ What’s novel about this crossover, which will be limited globally to only 20 units, is its reliance down low on lighter-weight carbon: 22-inch carbon rims that save a significant six kilograms each in unsprung mass over the standard items. And slotted behind those wheels, a set of carbon silicon discs, which Bentley says can offer improved braking performance, survive temperatures of up to 1,000 degrees, and shave another 20 kilos of weight compared to iron rotors. By employing weight reduction materials, the luxury British brand claims the Apex models achieve improved steering agility — that a carbon wheel does not flex on the road — as well as better braking response and less tire wear. As far as fashion elements for the limited-edition Apex, well-heeled customers will be able to choose from six ‘curated themes by Mulliner,” including Extreme Silver with Beluga stripe and Signal Yellow pinstripes, Pale Brodgar with Anthracite stripe and Bacalar bronze pinstriping, and Alpine Green with matching stripe and orange pinstripe. WeÂ’re especially enticed by Theme 1, comprised of an exterior in Candy Red satin, with a livery of Anthracite and Arctic White stripe and pinstripes in Arctic White. Bentley describes the interior thusly: “Arctic White main hide and Hotspur secondary hide are complemented by Arctic White contrast stitching and seat piping. This contrast colour can also be found framing the satin carbon fibre fascia and waistrails.” Design aside, the Apex Edition is based on the Bentayga S, which houses a 550-horsepower twin-turbo V8 with a top speed of 180 mph, with rear axle steering and active anti-roll technology. Most drivers would probably be satisfied with the common S model, which retails at a starting price of about $220,000. No pricing or availability for the Apex editions have yet been announced.