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Bentley's hosting a dog party — especially if your dog is named Bentley

The following story illustrates why there'll always be an England: At the veddy British road circuit/estate called Goodwood two hours south of London, ultimate British car company Bentley will host … well, two dog-day afternoons celebrating dogs and their owners and featuring special treats for dogs named Â… well, Bentley.  The affair on May 20-21, described as “a grand celebration of all things dog,” is formally part of the annual "Goodwoof" festival. Owners of Bentleys (car or dog) will gain access to Bentley's VIP area, and a fleet of Bentayga luxury 4x4s will provide “extra bark and growl to a range of activities that will give dogs and their human friends a wonderful weekend – or a great Dane out.” Oof. So, all dogs are welcome, but itÂ’s more fun if you chauffeur your dog named Bentley to the party in a Bentley. Both driver and pet will be granted access to the Bentley Barking Paddock, a car park just for them with easy access to “The Kennels,” the West Sussex estateÂ’s central clubhouse. (Preferential parking alone may mean some dogs with other names will find themselves temporarily answering to "Bentley" that weekend.) The dogs will compete in some dog-ish contests. Humans will watch field and trail demonstrations and hear talks from dog experts and celebrity owners. Bentleys (the cars) will somehow play a role in herding competitions. Of course, thereÂ’ll be “plenty of treats for those on both two and four legs,” the organizers say. On the first day, a celebratory "parade of poodles," led by Goodwood's the Duke of Richmond, will take center stage on the estate grounds. Also planned is a display of doghouse architecture named, um, Barkitecture. And a photo booth will be set up in a Bentayaga for “pup-arazzi” souvenir pictures. Goodwoof benefits a British charity called Pets as Therapy.  ThereÂ’s more info for planning a trip here.  

Bentley designer calls Lincoln Continental concept a Flying Spur 'copy' [w/poll]

When you first laid eyes on the new Lincoln Continental concept, we'd wager you were likely impressed, because it's an impressive design. But if you also thought it looked familiar, you're in good company. According to Car Design News, design chief Luc Donckerwolke over at Bentley thinks the Lincoln concept bears more than a passing resemblance to another Continental: Bentley's own Flying Spur. "This behavior is not respectable. Building a copy like this is giving a bad name to the car design world," Donckerwolke told CDN, after posting some disparaging comments on Facebook and offering in jest to send over the tooling. "It is very disappointing, especially for an exclusive brand like Lincoln," added Sangyup Lee, his deputy for exterior design. The irony is further entrenched by the name, which Bentley only dropped from its Flying Spur in its latest iteration but still uses for the coupe and convertible models. Both automakers have a deeply routed history with the nameplate, but Lincoln's stretches back further, having first used the handle in 1939 before Bentley did in 1952. However it's not the nameplate that's the subject of controversy here, rather the design of the vehicle to which it's applied. So what do you think, did Lincoln borrow too heavily from its British counterpart? Related Video:

Weekly Recap: Geneva's splendor reflects growing demand for ultra-luxury cars

Geneva is one of the most glittering auto shows in the world, but the list of high-powered and bespoke luxury cars was decadent this year even by the rich standards of the Swiss exhibition. It's great for enthusiasts to revel in the flame-throwing Aston Martin Vulcan, the racing-inspired elegance of the Bentley EXP 10 Speed 6 concept and the insane performance of the Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 Superveloce, but there's a reason for all of this opulence: the luxury market is big business. And it's growing. IHS Automotive forecasts that so-called ultra-premium sales will nearly triple this decade from 123,000 to 353,000 units around the world. The estimate includes brands like Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls-Royce, but doesn't count BMW, Mercedes and Audi, which offer less expensive models in addition to their high-end flagships. Though IHS includes Porsche and its relatively large volume in the study, the ultra-premium segment is still set grow at about the same rate, even without the German automaker's figures. So what is propelling all of this growth in the most expensive segment of the auto industry? Put simply, there's more rich people. IHS Automotive principal analyst Tim Urquhart pointed to economic expansion in China, market recovery in the United States and a surge in the lucrative technology sector as contributing factors. This dovetails with a research report by UK-based Oxfam, an international relief organization, which found the world's richest one-percent owned 48 percent of global wealth in 2014, and it's expected to increase to more than 50 percent by 2016. View 17 Photos Carmakers are moving quickly to capitalize with new products, expanding their portfolios with low-volume speedsters like the 800-hp V12 Vulcan at Geneva, and plans to enter new segments, like Rolls-Royce's strategy to make an SUV. "Ultra-premium carmakers are looking to explore ways of growing their product offerings, and thus their bottom lines, in this most potentially profitable of segments," Urquhart wrote in a report on the Geneva show. In a nutshell, there are more choices for people with more money. It's a good time to have expensive taste. Other News & Notes 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata production launches It won't be long now. The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata arrives later this year, and it's officially in production. Mazda announced this week that the roadster began rolling off the assembly line at its Ujina factory in Hiroshima, Japan.