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Bentley will phase out all non-electrified powertrains by 2026

Bentley will accelerate its electrification offensive during the first half of the 2020s, Autoblog can reveal. It will release an array of plug-in hybrid and electric cars, and it plans to phase out all non-electrified powertrains. "Next year, we will launch two plug-in hybrid models. In the end, it's the best of both worlds. It means the customer can decide when to use the internal combustion engine, and when to go electric. It also reduces fuel consumption massively," affirmed company boss Adrian Hallmark during a virtual roundtable discussion. He stopped short of revealing whether the plug-ins will be based on existing models, or if they'll be new additions to the range. As of writing, the Bentayga is the only Bentley available with a plug. My crystal ball tells me the Continental and the Flying Spur (which are marketed as separate models) are prime candidates for electrification. Bentley's first electric car is scheduled to make its debut by 2025. Details are also scarce, but Hallmark revealed the model will be built on a new platform, and it will benefit from the latest battery technology. Going electric won't be an excuse to radically overhaul the company's design language, however. Chris Cooke, Bentley's board member for sales and marketing, noted the zero-local-emissions car will look "much more modern and more interesting," but it will remain immediately recognizable as a member of the Bentley portfolio. He warned not to expect a revolution. Take the limited-edition, 650-horsepower Bacalar (pictured below), for example. It looks like a Bentley, it doesn't represent a stupefying break with tradition, but it's not a Xerox copy of the Continental, either. Bentley Mulliner Bacalar - 1 View 22 Photos After 2025, the floodgates open. Hallmark pledged to create a family of electric cars, and that every model in the Bentley range will be either a plug-in hybrid or fully electric. He realistically refused to say the internal combustion engine's days are numbered, however, and he added his team disagrees with the bans floated in some markets. "Whenever the deadline is for banning combustion engine sales, we're advocating an overlap so that hybrids are allowed to be sold for longer, until everybody can afford, charge, and live with the range of an electric car. I think we're now getting through; we trust the right decisions will be made," he said candidly.

How'd we miss this incredible 24-hour enduro in prewar cars?

Even in today's 24 Hours of Le Mans, not all of the racecars finish the event. Factors like like mechanical failures, crashes and poor weather that can be the doom of any race team. Now, imagine going to a track today and competing around the clock in vehicles built before World War II. That was exactly what the Benjafield's 24 did at the Portimao Circuit in Portugal in October. Somehow, we missed this spectacular event, and so did most of you, judging by the lack of media coverage it received. The event was named after Dudley Benjafield, one of the famous Bentley Boy racers and a winner of the French race in 1927. According to Goodwood Road and Racing, 21 prewar cars entered, and astonishingly, 20 finished. Teams of three or four drivers did two-hour shifts, and more than just old Bentley racers competed. Robbert Alblas, who also made the awesome video above, told Autoblog via email, "The organization is not a allowed to call it a race because of insurance reasons." Therefore, there were no official rankings of where the competitors actually finished. That's a pity, but it doesn't take away from how awesome an undertaking this was. While you can see cars from this period briefly racing at events like the Monterey Motorsports Reunion, witnessing them go for 24 hours is almost an impossibility today. Check out Alblas' fantastic short film of the Benjafield's 24, above, and get a taste of the on-track action. News Source: Goodwood Road and Racing, Robbert Alblas via YouTube Motorsports Bentley Racing Vehicles Classics Videos portugal portimao

Bentley's new rear seat entertainment system aims to make the rich life even easier

Bentley has a new rear seat entertainment system that aims to make watching content on the rear seat screens much easier. It’s simply named Bentley Rear Entertainment, and itÂ’s going to be available on both the Bentayga and Flying Spur. What makes it noteworthy is the systemÂ’s ability to cast via your mobile device. You can simply select the BentleyÂ’s screens via your streaming app of choice on your phone (so long as the phone is connected to the in-car WiFi), and itÂ’ll splash up onto the HD screens. Thankfully, itÂ’s configured to work with both iOS and Android devices. Think of it as a glorified Chromecast situation. ItÂ’s convenient and super easy to make work. ThereÂ’s only one weird wrinkle to speak of. While you can “cast” content from any streaming service like Amazon Prime, Hulu, Disney+ and Apple TV+, Netflix comes pre-installed on the system. This means that while you can use your phone, you could also just use the entertainment system's built-in Netflix app. One last thing you can do with your phone, though, is mirror it on the screen. This literally just displays exactly whatÂ’s on your phone up on the screen in front of you, in case there were photos or videos you were interested in sharing with the backseat. Aside from the phone connectivity, Bentley equips the 10.1-inch screens with HDMI ports. That means you can bring a gaming console or even third-party streaming sticks like an Amazon Firestick. As for audio, Bentley provides you with special Bluetooth headphones for the car. You can also pair your own headphones, plug into the auxiliary jack, or simply have the audio play over BentleyÂ’s superb Naim audio system. The dual screens themselves are also new technology and feature 1080p resolution with touch controls. Bentley doesnÂ’t detail pricing for the system, but itÂ’s a no-brainer for any Bentley buyer who is being driven around, or is driving others around. WhatÂ’s another few thousand dollars at Bentayga and Flying Spur prices anyway? Related video: