Convertible Mulliner Package Black -on- Cream ~~ 21k Miles on 2040-cars

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2023 Bentley Bentayga Extended Wheelbase revealed as new flagship

Bentley has been without a true flagship model since it ended production of the Mulsanne in 2020. It pledged to fill the gap, and it kept its promise by developing a longer version of the Bentayga called Extended Wheelbase (EWB) that offers passengers a limousine-like cabin. Stretching the Bentayga, which is Bentley's best-selling model, was more difficult than it might sound; the Volkswagen-owned British firm notes that it spent a nine-figure sum on the new model. It notably redesigned the side panels, the underbody, the rear doors and the roof. The investment should pay off, because the EWB will account for about 45% of Bentayga sales when it enters production later in 2022. About 7 inches were added to the Bentayga's wheelbase, and the rear-seat passengers are the sole beneficiaries of the extra sheet metal. In its standard configuration, the EWB offers a 4+1 seating configuration with outer rear seats that are heated, ventilated, 16-way power-adjustable and capable of giving you one of five massages. Buyers who want the ultimate in comfort can order the Airline Seat Specification, which Bentley calls "the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car" — that's a bold statement. This option brings individual rear seats with a backrests that can recline to a 40-degree angle and a Postural Adjustment function that changes the shape of the seat to ease pressure points. Interestingly, the system is capable of providing 177 adjustments every three hours and making a three-dimensional twist. Selecting the Airline Seat Specification also brings a system called Seat Auto Climate that relies on sensors to maintain a pre-set seat temperature; passengers have six levels to choose from. The contact temperature and the surface humidity are both measured on the cushion and in the backrest, and the seat's heating and ventilated elements are activated as-needed to ensure the occupant is comfortable. Alternatively, buyers can order one of two additional configurations called Four Seat Comfort and Five Seat, respectively. While the regular-wheelbase Bentayga is available with three rows of seats, the EWB is two-row only because it caters to buyers who primarily want space. The list of options is astonishingly long; Bentley notes that 24 billion trim combinations are possible.

Bentley's next Mulliner-developed model will celebrate the W12 engine

Bentley demonstrated what Mulliner, its in-house coachbuilding division, is capable of when it unveiled the limited-edition Bacalar in 2020. The convertible was well received, so the British firm is reportedly planning a follow-up model to celebrate (and send off) the W12 engine. Citing an anonymous inside source, British magazine Autocar wrote that Mulliner's next car will arrive as a coupe based on the Continental GT. That doesn't mean it will look like the Continental GT; the Bacalar is an evolution of the convertible Continental yet it wears a different design. Instead, the model will allegedly borrow styling cues from the EXP 100 GT concept (pictured) that Bentley introduced in 2019. While the EXP 100 GT was electric, Mulliner's next car will receive the same 6.0-liter, twin-turbocharged W12 that powers the Bacalar. The mighty engine will be tuned to send about 650 horsepower and 667 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, and it will pelt the coupe from 0-60 mph in well under four seconds and on to a top speed of over 200 mph. Several improvements, like a firmer suspension system and huge carbon ceramic brakes, will let drivers make the most of the W12's power. Hand-built, the coupe will carry a base price of at least $2 million before buyers begin personalizing it; nearly every visual part of the car, including the upholstery and the paint, will be customizable. That figure will make it the most expensive car Bentley has ever released. The report adds that production will be limited to 25 units, and we wouldn't be surprised if the full batch is spoken for before the model is unveiled — even if, like the Bacalar, it's only granted "show and display" status in America. If the rumor is accurate, we'll learn more about the car in 2022 and deliveries will begin the following year. This project could move fast; it took Bentley nine months to make the Bacalar a reality. Few-off projects serve several purposes: they generate profit and they help luxury carmakers elevate and solidify their image. This coupe will also represent Bentley's way of sending off the venerable W12 engine and give the world of a preview of the firm's next design language. Related Video:

2016 Bentley Bentayga First Drive [w/video]

There was once a barrier that separated our Arcadian, four-dimensional space from an uncanny cosmos where a $229,100 SUV makes irrefutable business sense. That wall is gone, and the Bentley Bentayga broke it. We're accustomed to powerful SUVs. The Mercedes-Benz G65 AMG makes the Earth weep on account of its 621 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque. The Bentayga is shy of those figures, with 21 fewer horses and 74 fewer pound-feet. We're also accustomed to quick SUVs; the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S hits 60 miles per hour in just 3.8 seconds. The Bentayga runs that race 0.2 seconds slower. And of course, we are accustomed to luxurious SUVs that fear no obstacle or load. The Range Rover Autobiography can swim its leathers and veneers through 35.4 inches of water, surmount nearly 12 inches when toiling off-road, and tow 7,716 pounds. The Bentayga can 'only' manage 19.6 inches of water, 'only' gets to 9.64 inches on its tippy toes, and is 'only' rated to tow 7,714 pounds. None of these facts are listed to harp on the Bentayga. It isn't Bentley's way to make rank by being the best in every category. Instead, the Crewe brand brings all the boys to the yard by merely being excellent across the board. The Continental GT isn't superlative at any one thing, but no other vehicle that can carry four people is as fast and as capable and as dynamic, and only Phantom-level Rolls-Royces can touch it for luxury. The Bentayga is not the Continental GT of SUVs, it is "the Bentley of SUVs." But here's an important clarification: The Bentayga is not the Continental GT of SUVs, it is "the Bentley of SUVs." The automaker describes the mission as, "driving, luxury, performance." The interior advances the current design language with a two-piece instrument panel – an upper portion that slides through the center console in a "U" shape, and a lower portion that connects the console to the center tunnel. Bentley poses this as a riff on its flying wing badge, but it actually comes from interior designer Darren Day's wish to fit an IP with a steeper rake. The size of an instrument panel is limited by the width of the door openings because the dashboard doesn't go in until after the body is welded together. Day wanted passengers to be able to rest their legs on the buttresses tying the IP to the center tunnel, but his one-piece design was too large to fit through the doors.