As similar as the two industries are, there aren't as many automobile/motorcycle crossovers as you might otherwise think. A handful of carmakers (Honda, Suzuki, Peugeot, BMW, Triumph once upon a time...) also make motorcycles. Ford has their Harley-Davidson edition F-Series pick-up trucks. Some small sports cars use motorcycle engines, and there are some big motorcycles (really big) that use car engines. Fiat sponsors world champion Valentino Rossi's MotoGP Yamaha bike. And, once in a while, we see a custom chopper decked out to look like a particular automobile. We've eyeballed our share of Ferrari-inspired motorbikes, but this is something else entirely: a Bentley chopper.

Of course, there's nothing particularly Bentley about this chopper other than the trim, so don't go expecting a 6.75-liter V8 or a twin-turbo W12 sprung between two wheels. But the fit and finish look rather impressive. The greenish-grey paint finish is complemented by a soft tan leather saddle and capped with a "Flying B" emblem on the gas tank. Pretty sweet ride from the look of things, and even if it is a one-off, it's one more link between between motor vehicles with two wheels and those with four.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Bentleys may be as large and luxurious as yachts, but that doesn't mean the premium automaker's factory in Crewe is without leaks. Although Bentley is keen on metering out glimpses at a snail's pace, British auto mag CAR managed to get a hold of a batch of photos of the highly anticipated new "Grand Bentley".

Under development with the code-name Project Kimberley, the new Bentley is slated to replace the aging Arnage sedan at the top of the company's line-up and do battle with the Rolls-Royce Phantom. With technological input from its sister companies under the Volkswagen auto umbrella, the as-yet unnamed Grand Bentley promises to take a big step forward from the Arnage, which still carries its mechanicals and platform from the days when the automaker was under the same roof as Rolls -- not in direct competition. The spy shots reveal mesh grilles, LED lights, a retractable hood ornament (like the Phantom's) and a swooping roofline reminiscent of the classic 50's-era R-Type Continental. Looks pretty sweet, and we'll probably get an even better glimpse as the car's unveiling later this summer approaches with the pace of...well, a speeding Bentley.

[Source: CAR]

Few cars have been as long in the making as the upcoming "grand Bentley." The long-awaited replacement to the Arnage is tipped to debut sometime this summer – possibly at Pebble Beach in August – but the stoic British automaker is intent on teasing us with little video clips every step along the way. (About nine of them in all if you look at the dedicated website.) Unfortunately, if these first two clips are any indication, the teasers will hardly be showing us anything new, just some hoity-toity piano music and fountain pen-scribed statements about what the brand is meant to stand for accompanied by the same shot of the new model's front bonnet. Follow the jump to see for yourself.

[Source: Bentley]

Aspiring Thomas Crowns have been waiting for a brand new Bentley to replace the Arnage for too long. Grab your monocles and have a look, chaps – what you see above is an initial taste of "the height of British luxury motoring" and "the purest expression of the Bentley spirit." Simply called the New Grand Bentley, this is what will replace the long-serving Arnage (and its 50-year-old V8?) as Brahmin at the top of the Bentley caste.

What can we discern from this shadowy glimpse? Unless the Photoshopped lighting effects deceive us, the bonnet goes from being a trap hood to a clamshell affair; the fenders lose one of their detail lines; and if the perspective is accurate, we are loving the swept grille. For you purist Anglophiles, be proud: the car has been designed and engineered in Crewe, and will be built there to boot.

Anything more than that will have to wait for the car to debut this summer. In the meantime, you can also visit www.NewGrandBentley.com (which will probably be a glamorous tease served on a silver tray), scrutinize a high-res version of the photo above, and check out a 19-second video clip after the jump.



[Source: Bentley]

Have you got two-hundred grand to drop on a Bentley Continental? Well, then you're more fortunate than most of us, but before you head down to the local luxury dealership and place your order for the same car that everyone else in your tony gated community already owns, why not consider something with a little more character? May we suggest this 1954 Bentley R-Type fastback racer.

Crafted on special order in the post-war period, this Chassis #B77ZX has earned a bit of a following from its appearances in concours events, participation in historic races and inclusion in books on Bentley history. Different from the other 2,300+ R-types built, this example features a louvered hood, custom competition wheels, rally lamps and a set of white racing stripes leading over the British Racing Green bodywork from the color-keyed grille surround all the way to the elegantly sloping fastback tail. It's being offered for sale by The San Diego Collection with a buy-it-now price of $195,000, but reasonable offers and trades are also being considered. Check out the images in the gallery below for a closer look.



[Source: eBay Motors]

Bentley CEO Franz-Josef Paefgen has repeatedly said in the past that the British luxury marque will introduce lower-CO2-emitting powertrains over the next several years, starting with the flex-fuel W12 in the Continental Supersports that arrives this fall. As part of the Volkswagen Group, Bentley is likely to follow some of the same paths as the rest of the group, including diesel. Hybrids are likely to be part of the picture as well, however.

Some new spy photos have turned up of a Continental GT running somewhere in southern Europe, and they might indicate that Bentley is already working on a hybrid Continental. Lots of unusual gear is visible through the back window, and the photographer claims the car was running very quietly, possibly suggesting a hybrid running in EV mode.

If the Bentley is a hybrid, it's probably using the same system developed by VW, Audi and Porsche that will be appearing in the Touareg, Q5, Cayenne and Panamera in the next couple of years. Thanks to Andrus for the tip!

[Source: FastestCar.com]

The auto show circuit may be on its annual summer break, but that's not going to stop Bentley. A recent report suggests the crew from Crewe is preparing to take the wraps off its next-generation Arnage at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in Monterey, California this coming August. And when it does, it'll be bigger and badder than ever.

There's no word yet regarding rumors that the Arnage's replacement could take on Bugatti's W16 or Audi's V12 TDI engines, but reports indicate that the new Arnage – aside from being, you know, new – will be bigger and further upscale from the current, aging behemoth. Apparently Bentley and their corporate overlords at Volkswagen are growing tired of watching their clientele go to arch-rival/former sister-company Rolls-Royce or (heaven forbid) Maybach, but they're still going to take their time: The next-gen Arnage isn't supposed to begin production until a year after the current model, now in its final iteration (pictured above), ceases production. At Pebble Beach we're tipped to see a pre-production prototype that promises to closely mirror the eventual production model, which is expected to take advantage of Audi's modular platform but incorporate a unique V8 engine (probably based on the current Jurassic-era 6.75-liter "perfectly adequate" V8) mated to a ZF eight-speed automatic and likely able to run on E85 ethanol to give the muscle-tank the air of environmental conscience.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf]

Good news for all Bentley Continental owners who plan to recycle their ultra-expensive and luxurious automobile after the GT outlives its usefulness: Bentley now guarantees that the Continental line is 85% recyclable and 95% recoverable. In recognition of this achievement, the automaker has been awarded an official certificate from the German Motor Transport Authority. According to Dr. Arno Homburg, head of Whole Vehicle Development at Bentley Motors:

"Our environment policy is based on sustainable principles and we take a holistic view of the whole process. At the design stage we consider the environmental impact of all components over the entire life of the car. This is despite the fact that over 70% of all Bentleys ever produced are still in existence – our cars tend to end up as collectors' items rather than scrap."

We'd tend to agree it's unlikely that many Bentleys will find their way to the scrap-heap, but the recycling certificate means that if the unthinkable ever happens, the various bits of metal, plastic, glass and the like can be reused in any number of industries. Who knows, your old, unwanted Bentley could come back to life as the world's finest toaster oven... or a laptop computer, or perhaps some luggage.

Watch out. A blacked-out Bentley Continental Supersports has been spotted pointing its grille at the Nürburgring. In an era when Cobalts and Clios are flogged around the 13-mile loop, it comes as a mild surprise that nobody has timed and tested the Bentley Continental on that particular tarmac. With its E85-capable W12 engine rated at 621 hp and a curb weight 300 lbs lighter than the standard GT, the Supersports could push the coupe's balance that much further to the sport side than the GT side. If Bentley does run it in anger, we look forward to finding out how Crewe's first green effort handles The Green Hell.

[Source: Motor Trend]

While other automakers cut back their development programs in hopes of streamlining overhead during this difficult economic climate, Bentley is taking the opposite approach. Rather than cut back on developing new vehicles, they're actually pushing to move things ahead on their calendar.

According to Automotive News, the logic is based on the projection that the economy is on the road to recovery, and Bentley wants to be there when its wealthy clientele has got more fluid cash on hand to splurge on new six-figure luxury cars. While the replacement for the range-topping Arnage is expected to carry on unchanged, the successor to the Continental range is being moved forward, as confirmed by Crewe's own sales and marketing chief Stuart McCullough.

So whereas the next Continental GT was previously slated for introduction in 2011, the new coupe is now being prepared for its debut next year. No official word on rescheduling the introductions of the Flying Spur and GTC models to go along with it, but we'd expect the sedan to move forward from 2012 to 2011, with the convertible to follow in 2012 instead of 2013 as previously reported.

[Source: Automotive News – subs. req'd]