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Bentley bringing two-seat sports car to Geneva?

Long subsided on the Continental and Mulsanne model lines, Bentley is on a mission to expand its production portfolio. And the latest reports from Great Britain suggest that it'll present a proposal for expanding it further next month with a conceptual two-seat sports car. The idea has been rumored for several months now, but Autocar claims that Bentley will showcase the two-seat GT at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. The new model is tipped to be positioned alongside (instead of substantially above or below) the existing Continental GT – much like Ferrari offers the California and 458 Italia (or new 488 GTB) at roughly the same price point – but will likely pack the British automaker's now-familiar, Audi-sourced 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Its presentation at the Swiss expo will give Crewe the chance to gauge public opinion before deciding whether to proceed with production plans. It wouldn't be the first time that Bentley had toyed with the idea of a more compact GT. It revealed the Java concept way back in 1994 that never, strictly speaking, made production, but could be said to have paved the way for the current Continental range, and showcased the Hunaudieres mid-engined supercar prototype in 1999 that presaged its winning entry into Le Mans. The as-yet unnamed two-seat GT would be just one of several new models being touted for the British automaker. It is set to launch the new Bentayga crossover in the near future, potentially to be followed by a slant-back crossover coupe variant, a smaller crossover is also said to be under consideration, and it is also rumored to be weighing a four-door coupe to slot in between the Flying Spur and Mulsanne, the latter of which has also been showcased as a two-door convertible version as well.

The Macallan and Bentley Motors single malt whisky costs more than a car

Whisky connoisseurs will want to start saving to get their hands on a single malt whisky from Bentley Motors and The Macallan. The bottle costs more than an average car and is part of a collaboration to celebrate the distillery’s 200th anniversary.  “Our collaboration with Bentley Motors and the knowledge exchange we have undertaken as a result has inspired us to see things very differently. In the spirits world, everything is upright, such as our stills and our bottles,” said Jaume Ferras, global creative director for The Macallan. The sideways format upends all that. The bottle is made from recycled materials used by The Macallan and Bentley Motors. The design consists of a copper frame, aluminum ribbon and low-carbon leather. It sits inside a leather-lined wooden case made of oak inlay and features BentleyÂ’s Crown Cut Walnut veneer.    “Taking inspiration from the automotive industry, we are showcasing our creative vision and concept development of The Macallan Horizon, which is among the most unique projects we have embarked on in our almost 200-year history,” said Ferras. Placing the entire work of art on its side was meant to invoke the "horizontal trajectory of the automotive world." According to Vinepair, the whisky was distilled in sherry-seasoned oak casks and smells of plums and dark cherries with traces of cinder toffee, crystallized ginger and charred pineapple. Before you head to the nearest retailer, you will want to make sure you have the funds for this bottle. It will cost you $51,274.

Felicity Ace sinks with thousands of VWs, Porsches, Lamborghinis

The stricken ship Felicity Ace sank overnight after a week of salvage efforts ultimately proved unsuccessful. The ship, which was carrying up to 4,000 VW Group cars, went to the bottom unexpectedly while a salvage team was attempting to tow it to shore, Bloomberg reports.  "Initial reports from the local salvage team state that the vessel had sunk at around 9AM local time having suffered a list to starboard," Mitsui O.S.K. Lines transportation company (MOL), which owns the Felicity Ace, said in a statement released early Tuesday.    "The last vessel position was around 220nm off the Azores," MOL said. "The salvage crafts will remain around the area to monitor the situation. Further information will be provided as it becomes available." The ship sank after being battered by waves and listing 45 degrees to starboard, the ship’s operator said. “The weather was pretty rough out there,” Pat Adamson, a spokesperson for MOL Ship Management (Singapore), a unit of Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., said by phone. “And then she sank, which was a surprise.” VW, Porsche, Audi, Bentley and Lamborghini-branded models were aboard the ship, which was headed to Rhode Island from GermanyÂ’s Emden port when the fire broke out on Feb. 16.  Rough seas and ongoing fires fueled by the lithium-ion batteries of EVs onboard delayed the ship's salvage and recovery operations for the better part of a week. While the likelihood of salvaging the smoke and potentially fire- and water-damaged vehicles from Felicity Ace's hold was slim to none, some had held out hope that their special-ordered vehicles might survive the mishap.  The Panama-flagged Felicity Ace was safely evacuated of its 22 crew members by the Portuguese navy after a fire started in its hold more than a week ago. The ship can carry up to 4,000 cars. European carmakers declined to discuss how many vehicles and what models were on board, but it appears to have been transporting approximately 2,500 cars, including roughly 1,100 Porsches and an undetermined number of Volkswagens.  The cars aboard were on order. Porsche customers in the United States were being contacted by their dealers, the company said. “We are already working to replace every car affected by this incident and the first new cars will be built soon,” Angus Fitton, vice president of PR at Porsche Cars North America, Inc., told The Associated Press in an email. The ship sank in water nearly 10,000 feet deep, the Portuguese Navy said.