Autocar 4/4/2018

THE NEW ROLLS-ROYCE Phantom is the pinnacle of motoring today, as you’ll discover in our world exclusive road test, which starts on page 32. It is the ultimate testament to the quite extraordinary creations the automotive industry is capable of in pursuit of a singular purpose, and quite simply the car at its very best. Even if it’s not to your taste, or a car that will never enter your sphere, it demands both your respect as a feat of engineering and your applause for the quality of execution. Perhaps most poignantly, it’s also likely to be the last car of its kind. By the time the next Phantom comes along at the end of the next decade, much of what makes it so great now will be radically evolved or, in many…

Bentley’s next Flying Spur will be reinvented as a much more distinctive luxury saloon in 2019 and will be the last Bentley to be launched before the company completely reinvents its cars for the era of electrification. The four-door Flying Spur will be Bentley’s answer to the likes of the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S600. It will begin a shift in style away from the Continental GT (although the two cars will continue to be closely related under the skin) and bring the curtain down on Bentley’s current era of design before an all-new look for the firm is introduced, most likely on Bentley’s first electric model. Design work on the Flying Spur – and, indeed, the entire Continental family of models – has long been completed. The Continental GT coupé unveiled…

That the Flying Spur will be Bentley’s final model before the Crewe company reinvents itself for a new era of electrification is timely. Next year will be Bentley’s centenary and a suitable occasion to raise the luxury game in a new epoch, one led by its first electric model. Bentley says that since its launch in 1919, it has been in “relentless pursuit of both luxury and performance”. Not only can an electric powered car meet those goals in modern times, but a near-silent, yet potent, system of electric motors is even likely to exceed any former benchmarks for refinement. Little wonder that not only Bentley but also Rolls-Royce and Aston Martin are striving to lead the way on electrification in the super luxury car segment.…

The launch of the Bentayga Plug-In at the recent Geneva motor show kick-started a transitional era for Bentley as it begins the switch to electrification, which will give the company’s model range a very different look in 10 years than it does today. Further sales growth is still understood to be a target at Bentley. It has previously stated that 15,000 units per year is a goal. The 11,089 units achieved last year was a record for the company. Continental GT – 2018 Bentley’s most important model has been refined and reinvented. It arrives in UK showrooms from May, in W12 engine configuration initially. Flying Spur – 2019 A more individual look is promised for the four-door to further differentiate it from the Continental GT, with which it shares a platform. Bentayga Plug-In – 2018 Bentley’s…

Bentley has yet to decide exactly how to evolve its flagship Mulsanne model in future, Autocar understands. Despite originally going on sale in 2010, the Mulsanne’s production run is not due to finish until the early 2020s, but by then the luxury market will be inhabited by a greater number of electric models and new challengers, among them Aston Martin’s reborn Lagonda brand, which is promising to shake up the segment and attract a younger audience. Autocar understands the Mulsanne’s future is up for debate, specifically as to whether there will be a like-for-like replacement for a car that has always been in the shadow of the Rolls-Royce Phantom. It is understood that Bentley will always have a flagship model, however. One option could be to go down the Lagonda route and reinvent…

MERCEDES’ C-CLASS will not be offered as a pure electric car. The company will instead launch a similar-sized zero emissions car in its EQ range. C-Class chief engineer Christian Frueh confirmed an electric C-Class will not happen and said the electric saloon will have a different design to the C-Class. An EQ compact saloon will join the confirmed line-up of the EQ A hatch and EQ C SUV. Mercedes officials told Autocar last year that it is also planning a similar strategy for a large electric EQ saloon instead of a zero emissions S-Class. Mercedes has revealed plans to launch 10 new electric models by 2025. The car maker will focus on offering hybrid variants of its C-Class. The latest revised model features both diesel and petrol plug-in hybrids, plus a mild-hybrid variant that uses…