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2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed is totally torque-tastic

Eight hundred and eleven pound-feet of torque. Really, that's all you need to know about the 2015 Bentley Mulsanne Speed. It's the same ultra-luxurious cruiser that we've enjoyed for a few years now, but the crew in Crewe has upgraded its engine to create absolutely astonishing performance.
The storied 6.75-liter twin-turbo V8 has been massaged for the Mulsanne Speed to produce an equally impressive 530 horsepower (25 more than the standard model), but it's that 811 lb-ft of twist available from an ultra-low 1,750 rpm that makes this thing so worthy of its faster nomenclature. Hitting 60 miles per hour will take just 4.8 seconds (keep in mind, this thing weighs almost three tons), and the sedan will top out at 190 mph.
It's awesome, this Mulsanne. And we can't wait to twist some pavement when it launches this winter. Scroll down for more info in Bentley's press blast.

Bentley EXP 9 F to be redesigned, renamed Falcon?

In concept form, the Bentley EXP 9 F had neither the styling nor the name to impress us when we first saw it earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and while we already knew some sort of design change was imminent, we're unsurprisingly now hearing that a name change is also in the cards. Automobile Magazine is reporting that the eventual production Bentley SUV will get a complete redesign from what we saw in the EXP 9 F, and it will wear a new name as well: Falcon.
The article says that Luc Donckerwolke, Bentley's newly appointed director of design, is giving the SUV a complete redesign from the concept vehicle, which goes against what we last heard of the vehicle in August that a "radical redesign" was not in the cards. Donckerwolke has been on the design team at various Volkswagen Group automakers since 1992, helping to pen such memorable designs as the Lamborghini Gallardo and Murciélago, but now he is tasked with giving Bentley an SUV worthy of its lineup. Last we heard, the model could go into production in 2015, but there is no indication whether the Falcon will get three-row seating or a plug-in hybrid version as has been previously rumored.

Bentley considering smaller coupe

Only halfway through the year, Bentley reports that it's on track to post record sales. Thanks in no small part to the introduction of its new V8 engine in the Continental family, sales are up nearly a quarter over last year. And they only stand to increase even more with the introduction of new models currently in the pipeline. The upcoming SUV will surely form a large part of that, but it won't be the end of the story for the storied marque.
Car and Driver reports that, after the SUV, Bentley plans to introduce a new coupe line below the Continental to square off against the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. Details are few and far between at this point, but considering how much Bentley manages to do with the relatively heft Continental GT, a lighter and more nimble sports car sounds promising.
In related news, rumors are gathering pace that Bentley is planning to introduce a new Mulsanne Speed at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, its Jurassic-era 6.75-liter V8 massaged from 505 horsepower - already the most that engine has produced in its half-century history - up to around 550.