2007 Bentley Continental Gt on 2040-cars

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Bentley Mulsanne Grand Convertible due in 2017, Speed 6 still in play

Automobile outlines the near-term future of the Bentley line-up, finding a few items of gold and perhaps one that brand purists will consider a goldbrick. Dealers are taking orders for the the Bentley Grand Convertible, a ragtop Mulsanne introduced at the LA Auto Show last year, and it is expected to reveal its production form sometime late next year on its way to showroom floors by early 2017. Brand CEO Wolfgang Durheimer said "Mulsanne will get further derivatives," plural. Perhaps that means that with a convertible on its way to reality, a coupe something like a modern Brooklands will follow. A long-wheelbase Mulsanne is in the works, too. The Grand Convertible will wear the Mulsanne's new face, scheduled for reveal at next year's Geneva Motor Show. Automobile says the front will be "squarer" and the grille "more upright," which we didn't think was possible, and boast "three brick-shaped air intakes," apparently to emphasize the upright squareness. Plus, new headlights. The third-generation Continental and Flying Spur ranges would come after that, laid atop the MSB platform and rolling out of Crewe over a two-year period starting in 2017. They should still be powered by 4.0-liter V8 and 6.0-liter W12 engines, but the bodywork around those motors will be "both evolutionary and daring." This, then, should be the leap that Bentley wanted to make with the second-generation Continental but couldn't. Whither the EXP 10 Speed 6? Durheimer said the customer response has been, "Don't ask us questions, just do it." The last news we had over the summer was that Bentley was deciding whether to expand the line-up next with a small SUV or the Speed 6. It's not clear which will come first, but Durheimer said, "I'm confident that with EXP10 Speed 6 we will find a good solution," and the business case for it goes to the board a year from now. Automobile suggests it will go on sale in 2020 with a 600-horsepower, twin-turbo V8. That smaller SUV is still on the table, though, an entry-level offering that would use the re-engineered bones of the Audi Q5. Featured Gallery Bentley Grand Convertible: LA 2014 View 16 Photos News Source: AutomobileImage Credit: Live images copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Bentley Convertible Coupe Crossover Future Vehicles Luxury Performance bentley mulsanne bentley flying spur bentley exp 10 speed 6 bentley grand convertible

2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 First Drive Review | Losing cylinders but not much else

There's no such thing as a cheap Bentley. Even though the new-for-2019 Bentayga V8 is $30,000 less expensive than its W12-powered sibling, the twin-turbo V8's $165,000 window sticker still puts it well into the upper echelon of pricey luxury vehicles. Bentley is loathe to compare the two versions of the Bentayga — what parent wants to pit siblings against one another? — but does frame the V8 edition as a somewhat sportier alternative to the full-bore, glitz and glamor W12. Let's examine that line of reasoning. Under the hood of the Bentayga V8 is a 4.0-liter turbocharged engine that shares most of its bits with the latest Porsche Panamera and Cayenne Turbo. The engine is specifically tuned for use in this new application, with a unique sound signature and a cooling package that Bentley says will keep it running comfortably even in the face of the largest desert sand dunes in the world. The V8's peak of 568 pound-feet of torque hits below 2,000 rpm and stays exactly there until 4,500, with a horsepower peak of 542 at 6,000. From behind the wheel, the Bentayga's V8 engine feels a bit higher strung than the effortless W12. Instead of instant torque, there's a strong rush of power that builds nicely until it nears its 7,000-rpm redline, the highest rev limit of any engine the brand has ever installed in a passenger vehicle. If such a peaky-sounding engine seems incongruous with the intent of a luxury SUV, just know that there's plenty of stonk available any time the driver decides to push a red-bottomed Louboutin into the plush carpet. It's just a little less than what'd be on call from the W12, but there's not enough of a discrepancy to really matter. The V8 is a bit less sprightly to 60 than the W12 — 4.4 seconds versus 4.1 — and, with its 180-mile-per-hour top speed, it's a meaningless 7 mph slower at the top end, too. So, that doesn't really support the idea of sportiness. Neither too does the V8 handle any differently than the W12. There's only about a hundred pounds separating the two vehicles, with the new V8 edition weighing in at 5,264 pounds. And since only half of that weight savings is centered over the front axle, there isn't any real change to the Bentayga's driving dynamics or steering feel. That's not to say the Bentley Bentayga V8 doesn't drive well, it just doesn't drive differently than its more powerful, more expensive sibling.

$10,000 champagne bottle cooler? Only in a Bentley

Bentleys are expensive. They wouldn't be Bentleys if they weren't. Even so, the ~$200k list price for a new Flying Spur is just the starting point. The company's Mulliner customization division offers a wide array of optional extras – all of them suitably pricey – and just introduced a new selection for the sedan. Highlighting the options list for the Continental's sedan counterpart is a champagne bottle cooler mounted between the rear seats behind the armrest. The on-board mini-fridge fits two standard-size champagne bottles – no magnums, we're afraid – canted forward, as well as a stopper and a pair of flutes with bases designed to evoke the shape of the wheels outside. It all fits in behind frosted glass trimmed in chrome, just in case it wasn't blingy enough for the hip-hop set, and takes Bentley's craftsmen 15 hours to make. No wonder the company charges $10,135 for each one installed, which comes within a Bentley buyer's pocket change of a new Nissan Versa. The manufacturer does not typically "disclose to the public prices for bespoke features," Bentley spokesperson Erin Bronner told Autoblog, "as these are private commissions" and pricing varies from region to region. But the options list, as you might have guessed, does not start and end with the wine cooler. It also includes specially painted veneer panels, quilted stitching, scent atomizers in Stirling silver, and a leather-trimmed storage compartment for jewelry. Related Video: BESPOKE MULLINER FEATURES MAKE DEBUT IN FLYING SPUR - New range of Mulliner bespoke features available in Flying Spur - Refrigerated bottle cooler, sterling silver atomisers and painted veneers now offered - Mulliner specialist coach-building division brings Bentley customers' visions to life - Bentley Flying Spur combines class-leading refinement with effortless performance (Crewe, 01 February 2016) Mulliner, Bentley's in-house coach-building division, is revealing its latest range of bespoke creations for the Flying Spur, enabling customers to personalise the four-door luxury sedan to an even higher level. For the first time, the Flying Spur can now be specified with a refrigerated bottle cooler between the rear seats, painted veneers, Mulliner quilted leather, sterling silver atomisers and hide-trimmed stowage boxes.