2008 Bentley Continental Gtc Mulliner Black on 2040-cars

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2022 Bentley Flying Spur Mulliner ramps the opulence up even higher

It wouldn’t be a Monterey Car Week if Bentley didnÂ’t show us something extravagant and extremely expensive. So here it is: The Flying Spur Mulliner. This Flying Spur is just another version of the model, but any powertrain can be paired with the Mulliner spec. That means you can get the V8, W12 or the recently introduced V6 hybrid model done up in the full Mulliner guise. And it is only a Mulliner guise, too, as this special Bentley is all about appearance and nothing else. WeÂ’ll start on the exterior. Bentley starts with a unique “Double Diamond” front and lower chrome grille. Flanking this, we have special Mulliner-branded side wing vents. The mirror caps are painted in Satin Silver, and you get jewel fuel and oil caps. Capping all this off are Mulliner-exclusive 22-inch wheels that feature a polished gray finish and self-leveling wheel caps. Things get downright decadent when you move inside the Flying Spur Mulliner. YouÂ’re instantly greeted with illuminated Mulliner sill plates and extra deep-pile Mulliner overmats. The dash and seats are treated to unique Mulliner embroidery and colored accent piping. YouÂ’ll also have the choice between eight custom three-color interior combinations. The example shown in photos here is called Ascot, which is a combination of Imperial Blue, Camel (the tan leather) and white piping. ItÂ’s rather fitting for a show by the ocean. If you want something with bolder three-color combos, Bentely suggests either Flare or Sirius. And since this is a Mulliner, the typically optional Mulliner Driving Specification comes standard. This includes diamond quilting for the leather seats and BentleyÂ’s fancy 3-D leather trim on the doors. You also get special diamond-milled design finishes done to the front and center console. Plus, the Breitling clock is front and center. Mulliner-specific touches extend to the digital instrument cluster in front of you, as it features special Mulliner graphics. And backseat passengers will enjoy a treat in the form of electrically-operated picnic tables. Those veneered tables deploy with just the press of a button and feature multiple levels, with one hiding a leather surface and a pen. Owners of the Flying Spur Mulliner will also get unique leather-bound keys in a special presentation box that matches the interior color combination of the car. Both pricing and availability of the Mulliner were not made immediately available, but expect it to be extra-expensive and available to order soon.

If VW defaults on loans it may sell Bentley or Lamborghini

If something goes catastrophically wrong with Volkswagen Group's recent $21 billion loan, brands like Bentley or Lamborghini could hit the auction block. According to two insiders to Reuters, the beleaguered German automaker agrees with its creditors to sell assets if the company somehow can't pay back the debt in a year. One of these anonymous people claimed the company hasn't yet deliberated over what to sell. However, the sources were willing to speculate that the power engineering portion of Man could be among the first to go. "Volkswagen may also consider divesting luxury car brands Bentley and Lamborghini or motor bike brand Ducati, although these units don't really move the needle," an insider said to Reuters. VW Group negotiated with the banks earlier this week to get the massive loan. The cash is necessary as a buffer in case the automaker doesn't have enough money on hand to repair vehicles or settle upcoming fines. VW would reportedly issue bonds in the spring to begin paying the debt. The company's bills will start racking up quickly in the new year. German authorities mandate a recall there in early 2016, and repair campaigns in the US for the 2.0- and 3.0-liter diesel engines are inevitable. There are also hundreds of class-action lawsuits to settle. The company needs to resolve its CO2 emissions scandal in Europe, too. In response to these financial threats, VW management created a cost-cutting plan to slash the research and development budget by $1.1 billion next year.

Bentley producing Grand Convertible in grandiose exclusivity

The Googology wiki that celebrates numbers has entries for 42, 151, SpongeBob's Number, and Three Hundred Billion Gazillion. The wiki has no entry for the number 19, which means it doesn't commemorate Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen," Paul Hardcastle's song "19," or the official production run of the Bentley Grand Convertible. That's right, the abundant and abundantly luxurious Mulsanne-based Grand Convertible will arrive on public roads in 2019. However, Bentley plans just 19 examples of the droptops, and none of them will come to America; only Europe, the Middle East, and Russia have deemed the Grand Convertible roadworthy. Retail price for the Grand Convertible, as if you could buy one in the store, is said to start at $3.5 million - roughly ten times more than the recently-facelifted Mulsanne Speed donor vehicle. ( YouTube gearhead Shmee150 captured the new production look in video taken this month at the Bentley showroom in Dubai.) Actual prices will surely run much higher since Bentley's Mulliner division will oversee the builds. That means custom two-tone colors, shape-shifting diamond quilting inside, Beluga leather, color-matched contrast stitching, and a Burr Walnut tonneau that's the largest veneer ever used on a Bentley. All of that comes before appending every fanciful option an owner consents to fund. Why the wee production run, when Bentley could certainly sell more than 19 specimens? Walter Owen Bentley founded his car company in August, 1919. Even though Walter's first Bentley 3-Litre didn't arrive until 1921, the 19 Grand Convertibles honor the centenary of the company's official founding. Bentley foreshadowed the minuscule production last year, though in a different guise: in March 2016, when Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer suggested the return of the Azure convertible, the boss said a potential Azure "would be built in [a batch of] 20 units and sold to absolute connoisseurs at a very high price." Give or take a digit, sounds like promises kept. Related Video: