A Panamera coupe? That's the word according to a recent report in the UK magazine AutoExpress. They claim it's in the works for 2012 despite other rumors that Porsche's new overlords at Volkswagen intend to make the Panamera a one lifecycle pony.
Should the new Porsche coupe make it to production, it could overtake the 911 as Porsche's premier coupe. Certainly not in terms of performance, but at least in terms of price.
Not that it would be any slouch in the engine department as it would likely use all the same powerplants as the Panamera sedan. With a 500-horsepower V8 topping the range, the Panamera coupe would match up well with say, a Bentley Continental GT. Sounds good to us, but Volkswagen might have some reservations about creating competition for its already existing products. Expect to see something by the end of next year if Porsche decides to go through with it.
You may have seen some of these before. Rich guys like to show off you know. Regardless, these ultimate garages still stir the soul in a way only serious car enthusiasts can truly appreciate. There's a 25 page string on Luxury4play.com if you want to see more.
Bentley unveiled its new monster-size sedan earlier this summer at the Pebble Beach concours, presumably because it meant that the company could pretend it was already a classic. Or possibly because the crowd at Pebble Beach is probably a bit more likely to be capable of purchasing this beast.
Whatever the case, we're still having as much trouble warming to the front of the car after seeing it up close and personal here on the show floor.
While we work on that, make the jump to read a rundown of the just-released details on the 2011 Mulsanne and a photo gallery.
A report out of Europe today suggests the Porsche Panamera platform architecture will be shared among other brands within VW Group. This would apparently happen, even if the Panamera expires in 2017 as predicted earlier this week.
An unnamed source close to the company suggests that Audi, Bentley and Bugatti are the most likely candidates. Lamborghini has already been ruled out, even though the Panamera platform looks tempting as a basis for an Estoque production car.
Bentley could use this platform to build the next Continental GT, though the dimensional differences between the Panamera and the current Continental might make it unsuitable. For Bugatti, it could be a front-engined, two- or four-door complement to the Veyron. Or, if Audi decided to use it, it could be a five-door, GT-type hatchback companion to the R8. However, the Panamera's steel structure would probably rule it out for Audi, which likes to build in aluminum, the source concludes.
If you were rubbing shoulders with VW Group's Ferdinand Piech, how would you advise him on using the Porsche Panamera platform architecture?
This long list of events is your chance to throw away your inhibitions and lay down some rubber. Some of the track days make you bring your own vehicle, while others provide you with a machine to pilot. Either way, find the right event and brush up on your driving skills by booking some track time at the links below.
Known only as the Bentley Grand up to this point, the 2011 Bentley Mulsanne finally made its public debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance yesterday.
A replacement for the current Arnage, the Mulsanne is all-new vehicle that was designed and engineered solely at Bentley's facility in Crewe. Only a handful of parts were carried over from the current car, so although Bentley swears it had a shoestring budget for the car it's still very much a ground up redesign.
As contributor Andrew Frankel points out, you don't expect anything scary from a Bentley. Over-the-top luxury for sure, but not frightening speed. The 2010 Bentley Continental Supersports throws that idea out the window. It's 621-horsepower W12 engine turns the monstrous coupe into a machine capable of hitting 60 mph in 3.7-seconds, and it does it all while burning ethanol if that's the kind of thing you're into.
Now that more than a few people care about Bentley, mostly due to the phenomenal success of the Continental GT, the company has been hard at work on a new flagship sedan to replace the ancient Arnage.
Known only as the "Grand Bentley" up until this point, the new four-door will attempt to pull back some market share from the over-the-top Rolls-Royce Phantom. To assure plenty of attention, Bentley has gone with a pair of monster, gatling-gun type headlights that give it a very distinctive look up front.
Early spy photos posted by CAR magazine appeared to show a prototype in a Bentley plant and these latest shots confirm its identity. With its official world debut only weeks away, it won't be long until we get to see the final product.
Inside Line tests hundreds of vehicles a year, but not every vehicle gets a full write-up. The numbers still tell a story, though, so we present "IL Track Tested." It's a quick rundown of all the data we collected at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.
Is there a reason for the Bentley Continental GTC Speed to exist? Not really, at least not outside the Bentley accounting department.
A big coupe by any standard, the convertible version of the Continental GT is even more sedate in both appearance and purpose. Adding what Bentley calls the "Speed" treatment tries to re-inject a little enthusiasm back into the mixture. It adds more power, bigger wheels and tires, carbon-ceramic brakes and a retuned suspension. All useful stuff, but does it really make this giant convertible perform like a sports car? Will its owners even care?
They should for a price that surpasses a quarter of a million dollars. See what our test-drivers had to say after putting it through its paces in our latest installment of IL Track Tested.
Although summer is the season of lemonade stands and classic neighborhood garage sales, you usually don't have the opportunity to buy old Bentley parts - at least where I grew up.
Bentley is changing this with its sales fair from September 26-27 at a warehouse in Cheshire, England, where the British marque will clear out its inventory of Rolls-Royce and Bentley parts. Supposedly the automaker has held over 55,000 part lines for all Bentley models from 1955 to the present, as well as parts from Rolls-Royce cars built in Crewe from 1955-2002 - adding up for a total of 7 million parts.
Bentley released a new teaser shot of its upcoming flagship earlier this week. As usual, the manufacturer-supplied shot didn't reveal much. The silhouette of the rear window pillar was about all you could see, although it did look promising.
For a better look at Bentley's new six-figure super sedan, look no further than CAR magazine's website. It ran pictures of the new Bentley that were taken inside what looks to be a company test facility of some kind. The big sedan isn't completely uncovered, but the big headlights and fully trimmed interior give a pretty good idea what it will look like. There are plenty of additional details as well, this is CAR magazine after all and the subject is a Bentley. It's no doubt a cozy relationship.
With no official name yet, it's simply called the grand Bentley for now. A replacement for the now ancient Arnage, the new Bentley sedan will make its world debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance next month. No other details have been released, but the teaser shot does show that a promising new shape is on the way. We'll see in August.
Bentley has released this teaser image of its new flagship due this summer. A replacement for the ancient Arnage, this vehicle will slot above the Continental series in Bentley's lineup.
That's about all those crafty Brits were willing to say at this point, so we'll have to wait another month or so to get full details.
If you have never driven on a race track, you should. If your skills are weak, track time will make them better. And if you think you're an undiscovered Tony Stewart, well then, get out there and prove it. The list that follows after the jump gives some ideas where you might try your luck both on the road and in the dirt.
