Can Tesla Model X Be The Quickest People Mover Ever?

Bentley is about to do it, Rolls-Royce is thinking about it, Mercedes has all but confirmed it with a Maybach, Porsche reinvented itself with one and Range Rover is ready to match any newcomers. Lamborghini has concepted it and Ferrari is experimenting on a smaller scale with the FF. All of a sudden the ultra luxury and performance SUV is no longer an oxymoron but a reality and the hottest new six figure segment. Not to be left out Tesla is on pace to join, after a few delays, as a more performance oriented rather than pure luxury entry. With a unique powertrain and falcon doors as its calling card. As the Model S P85D has shown there is potential for a special level of performance with the Model X that could be described as exotic, so let's virtually run the numbers on the Model X as with the P85D and Model 3 before. Given that the Model X figures to be more of a BMW 5GT type rather than a traditionally SUV design, it should not end up more than 500 pounds heavier than the S. The base Model S all wheel drive dual motor setup should give the X enough power to keep up with forced induction six cylinder competition, figure a 0-60 in a little under 6 seconds with  the1/4 mile in about 14.5 @ 95. It is the P85D setup that will make things truly interesting and place the Model X in the aforementioned realm. A combination of 691 horsepower, all wheel drive grip coupled with instantaneous torque should pull the X P85D ahead of any current hyper SUV to 60 in a sprint just a blade's edge short of 3.5 seconds. As things stand right now the Model X should keep its edge all the way through a barely over 12 second quarter mile at a little over 110 miles per hour. The latest X5M and subsequent future generation of the Cayenne Turbo and Mercedes GLE 63 AMG will get closer but still trail off the line and just begin to catch the Model X at the quarter mile. They will pull ahead then but it's rare to find enough room to push that far. Bentley's forthcoming Bentayga will fall short by over a second unless it too approaches the 700 horsepower plateau, but so far it looks like 650 horsepower will be its limit. Only a relatively light Lamborghini Urus* will stand a chance to match or edge the X in the mile a minute sprint but should proceed to put a gap at the quarter mile accounting a perfect launch. As seen recently that's not as easy as it seems at times and Lamborghini has been quiet on the Urus front lately. When it hits the streets the Tesla Model X P85D will very likely take the tittle of the quickest three row people mover around and even that of the quickest utility.

 *The powertrain choice for the Urus is intriguing as the Huracan's V10 seems a bit out of character for an SUV while the Aventador's V12 will have more than enough power but likewise out of character somewhat for an SUV and harder to fit upfront. A 4 liter twin turbo V8 makes the most sense but that engine would need to be turned up a little to over 650 horsepower to get closer to 3.5 seconds to 60 and a 11.5 second 1/4 mile pass at almost 125. That would be quite the crossover though with 675 or so horsepower.

Aston Martin Lagonda

As predicted earlier in testing, the new Aston Martin Lagonda sedan had the potential to be the best looking vehicle in the already gorgeous Aston Martin lineup. It looked ready to break up the stagnant Aston Martin design with something new and unique. Potential is a great thing but means nothing if it isn't translated into reality. In this case the Lagonda is not only as good as Aston Martin gets but is likely to take the tittle of most beautiful sedan in the world. The profile is sleek like other Astons but is punctuated by a strong C pillar that gives the sedan an elegant and powerful look. The presence is not unlike that of a Bentley Mulsanne or a Rolls-Royce Ghost but the Aston trades the formal look of both for one much sportier. Aston Martin has not released any other specifications about the new Lagonda but the rumors turned out to be true that exclusivity will be paramount, the Lagonda will only be available in the Middle East. Regardless, it's game, set, match, championship.

Cars & Coffee: Symbolic Edition

Here are some visuals from this weekend's Cars & Coffee event from Symbolic. Symbolic is a Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce dealership in La Jolla. Symbolic brought over a few examples from each of their brands and together with cars from private owners there was a good selection of cool cars to check out. The highlight of the show was definitely the Bugatti EB110 in its signature light blue paint. It's not very often that you get to see a Bugatti, even more so one that's not a Veyron. The event was also the first time that I saw a Rolls-Royce Wraith in real life and I was pleasantly surprised about its design after absolutely hating its roofline in all the photos I have seen. Likewise I liked the design of the brand new M3, the M specific design elements looked pretty good in black. You can tell that it has the M treatment but they are not overdone.

Bentley Teases Its SUV

Ever since the Bentley EXP 9 F made its debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show to scathing critical reception there have been rumors that Bentley would do a redo at another auto show before going into production. Many major auto shows and two years later it appears that whatever changes Bentley has made will likely be kept under wraps until production and the final product will be revealed through a series of teasers. Even though it won't go on sale until 2016 Bentley has gone ahead and given us a glimpse of the front of its SUV, perhaps the most heavily criticized area of the concept. The teaser shows Continental GT like headlight arrangement with the bigger lamp being the one by the grille. The mini mesh slot between the grille and the headlights is eliminated as is the jet engine air intake. Usually it's a disappointment when concept car elements are removed for the production version but in this case everything looks much better. Of course, there are other areas of the concept that could be cleaned up but it's too early to tell how far Bentley is going with its changes. Bentley is promising the most powerful SUV of all time, which all but guarantees an updated version of the twin turbo W12. The current W12 lacks the latest engine technology but there is an updated 6.3 liter W12 version sans turbos in the latest A8 that's good for 500 naturally aspirated horsepower. It's unknown if the 6.3 W12 will gain turbos or the displacement will remain at 6.0, either way Bentley is probably shooting for 650 horsepower on tap.

Some Unkind Words Were Used to Describe the EXP 9F Front Details

Simplified and Butified

Updated Bentley Continental GT

Here are the first photos of what Bentley calls the New Continental GT. The New CGT gets a heavy infusion of Mulsanne styling in many key areas. The headlights gain LED functionality, rear fenders and decklid are sculpted a la the Mulsanne while a bigger grille and bumper finish out the exterior upgrades. Inside the GT receives significant upgrades as well with a new dash, bigger information display and reworked controls. The W12 twin-turbo engine is also updated with 15 additional horsepower, it now puts out 567 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The GT also recieves an improved and quicker shifting gearbox. The extra horsepower coupled with the improved gearbox and less weight (66 pounds) drops the 0-60 sprint by two-tenths of a second. The updated engine also gives the GT an extra MPG city and highway on the EPA test. Perhaps the biggest and most surpsiging piece of news about the updated Continental is the future availability of a 4 liter turbo V8. Expect the Audi derived V8 to produce at least 400 horsepower when it debutes in about a year. Bentley is promising C02 reductions of 40% with the V8 compared to the W12. If this turns out to be true, this would result in some very respectable fuel economy figures with a possiblity of up to 25 mpg highway. If you like to read the fine print for all of the details click here. If you are lazy, then don't click anywhere you already read enough. Instead look at some photos below.

Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley has finally unveiled its long awaited new model. The Mulsanne, named for the famous portion of the Le Mans track, will become the top of the line Bentley model. The pinnacle of Bentley design and engineering does not disappoint. The design is reminiscent of the Arnage, but is forward enough to begin a new chapter of Bentley tradition.

Bentley hasn't released interior photos nor specifications of the Mulsanne. However, the Mulsanne is larger than the Arnage and the V8 is said to only share turbochargers with the Arnage.

The New Grand Bentley

The New Grand Bentley will have its first public showing at the famed Pebble Beach Concours d'Élégance in less than a month, but this didn't stop the folks at Car and Driver from coming up with a rendering of how the flagship Bentley will look like. Bentley itself has launched an elaborate reveal campaign filled with numerous videos and several teaser shots. Grainy photos of the flagship have also been snuck out of the Bentley factory. And a heavily camouflaged Grand Bentley was recently seen undergoing testing. Yet, these renderings provide the best look at the upcoming Bentley to date. Bentley has decided to shape its next flagship based on an evolution of the current Arnage instead of using styling cues from its hugely popular Continental line. The Bentley in the renderings has a general shape that's consistent with the recent spy shots. The vehicle pictured has elegant lines and styling that make it worthy enough to carry the Bentley badge. It is expected that the Grand Bentley will feature a thoroughly revised version of its 6 and 3/4 liter V8 with around 600 horsepower. Also expect it to be larger in size than the current Arnage and possibly almost as big as the Rolls Royce Phantom. It now seems that the only secret remaining about the new Bentley is its official name.





Follow the link for more information on the new Bentley along with Car and Driver's picks of their favorite Bentleys.