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Three Flying Spurs Walk Into a Time Machine…

Bentley’s in a nostalgic mood — and when Bentley gets sentimental, it doesn’t just throw a birthday party. It commissions Mulliner, its in-house tailor of automotive royalty, to create three modern tributes to the brand’s greatest four-door icons.

2025 marks a trio of milestones: 60 years of the T Series, 40 years of the Turbo R, and 20 years of the modern Flying Spur. And because Crewe doesn’t do half measures, each anniversary gets its own bespoke Flying Spur — the spiritual descendant of them all.

The 1965 T Series — Where Bentley Went Modern

The story starts at the 1965 Paris Motor Show. The Bentley T Series arrived with a radical idea for the era: a monocoque chassis. It was sleeker, stronger, and more sophisticated — and it showed the world that Bentley could blend aristocratic comfort with genuine innovation.

Its 6.2-litre V8 made a modest 199bhp, but back then, it wasn’t about numbers — it was about waft. A dash of throttle, a whisper of torque, and 0–62mph in just over 10 seconds. Decent progress, as the gentlemen of the time might say.

Mulliner’s modern homage is a Flying Spur Azure, dipped in elegant Shell Grey, riding on six-spoke alloys inspired by the original’s tri-spoke design. Inside, it’s all black and grey leather, oozing restraint. Under the bonnet? A twin-turbo V8 with 671bhp. So, yes — progress has been made.

The 1985 Turbo R — The Blower Returns

Fast-forward to the ‘80s, when power dressing and turbocharging were both all the rage. The Turbo R stormed onto the scene in 1985, essentially reintroducing the idea that a Bentley could move — properly. With a 298bhp 6.75-litre turbo V8, it could sprint to 62mph in 7.0 seconds, and with 50% stiffer suspension, it finally handled like it looked.

Bentley says the Turbo R had a nine-month waiting list — proof that plutocrats do, in fact, appreciate a good bit of oversteer.

To celebrate, Mulliner has crafted a Flying Spur Speed that channels that same swagger: Brooklands Green paint, Monaco Yellow interior accents, swept-spoke 22-inch wheels, and enough presence to make a stockbroker cry with envy. The ethos remains pure Bentley: immense, indulgent, and unapologetically bold.

The 2005 Continental Flying Spur — The New Era

Finally, we arrive in 2005 — when the newly Volkswagen-owned Bentley launched the Continental Flying Spur, a four-door version of the W12 Continental GT. It resurrected the Flying Spur name after nearly five decades and announced Bentley’s return to the big leagues.

With 549bhp and a top speed north of 200mph, it was the first true 200mph luxury saloon — a statement that refinement and ridiculous velocity could coexist.

Its modern tribute is again based on the Flying Spur Speed, finished in Cypress Green, with 10-spoke alloys, green leather, and dark burr walnut trim that screams old-money opulence.

Three Cars, One Lineage

Bentley says each of these models “played a key role in defining the Bentley four-door sedan, creating an unbroken evolutionary line leading to today’s Flying Spur.” And for once, that’s not marketing fluff.

From the technical breakthrough of the T Series to the muscle and menace of the Turbo R, and the modern might of the W12 Flying Spur, this trio maps out six decades of relentless refinement and occasional lunacy.

The result? A set of Flying Spurs that don’t just celebrate Bentley’s past — they prove the company still knows exactly what it’s about: power, poise, and presence, served with a side of handmade excess.

Source: Autocar

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The Return of the Carrera Spirit: Timo Bernhard and Porsche Reignite Mexico’s Legendary Road Race

There are road races, and then there’s La Carrera Panamericana — Mexico’s ribbon of madness that once devoured engines, broke egos, and crowned legends. The kind of race where cars flew over crests, drivers lit cigarettes mid-stage, and the tarmac itself seemed to hum with danger. And this year, 75 years after it first carved its name into motorsport folklore, Porsche sent one of its modern icons back to the scene of the crime.

His name? Timo Bernhard — endurance champion, Le Mans winner, Nürburgring tamer, and all-round Porsche deity. The man’s racing CV reads like an anthology of motorsport’s greatest hits. But in 2025, Bernhard wasn’t hunting lap records or podiums. He was chasing ghosts.

The Race That Made Porsche a Legend

Back in the early ’50s, La Carrera Panamericana wasn’t just a race. It was a 3,000-kilometre, seven-day torture test that sliced from the Guatemalan border to the Texas line. It was dusty, dangerous, and spectacularly stupid — exactly the sort of thing Porsche loved.

It was here that a young Hans Herrmann hurled a lightweight 550 Spyder across Mexico’s wilderness and etched Porsche’s name into the global racing psyche. Mechanics like Herbert Linge became folk heroes, keeping fragile engines alive with nothing but spanners, sweat and optimism. And somewhere between the chaos, Porsche became Porsche — the small, clever German outfit that could outsmart and outlast the big guns.

So when Bernhard rolled into Mexico this year, it wasn’t just another event. It was a pilgrimage.

Bernhard and the 911 GT3: Old Soul, New Machine

For this modern revival — part rally, part rolling museum — Bernhard climbed behind the wheel of a 911 GT3, joined by Mexican co-driver Patrice Spitalier. The car was unmistakably modern, but its spirit? Pure 1954.

“I know from Porsche’s history that La Carrera was a major race with exceptional drivers — heroes like Hans Herrmann and Herbert Linge,” Bernhard told us. “This time, I wasn’t chasing results. It was about celebrating Porsche’s legacy and sharing that passion with the fans.”

And what fans they are. Along the winding Mexican roads, people lined the route waving flags, cheering, and — because this is Mexico — throwing one hell of a fiesta. For Porsche, this was more than a drive. It was a love letter to its own DNA, a nod to the origins of names we still whisper reverently today: Carrera, Panamera.

From the Nürburgring to the Sierra Madre

Timo Bernhard isn’t just another ex-racer trotted out for photo ops. The man’s résumé borders on mythical:

  • Two FIA World Endurance Championships (2015 & 2017).
  • Victory at Le Mans in 2017 with the 919 Hybrid.
  • Five wins at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
  • And triumphs at Daytona, Sebring, and across the American Le Mans Series.

That’s the triple crown of endurance racing — the stuff of motorsport legend.

Porsche and Bernhard have been intertwined since 1999, when an 18-year-old kid joined the brand’s Junior Programme. Twenty-six years later, he’s not just part of the furniture; he is the furniture — polished mahogany, carved with history and fuelled by caffeine and tire smoke.

🇲🇽 Mexico: 100% Win Rate, Infinite Memories

Bernhard’s connection with Mexico didn’t start with La Carrera. In 2016 and 2017, he conquered the 6 Hours of Mexico City in the WEC, piloting the fearsome 919 Hybrid to back-to-back victories at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.

“I’ve got great memories of Mexico,” he grins. “I raced twice there — and I’ve got a 100 per cent win rate! The passion from the fans is unreal. After the race, they threw a party for us right there at the track. It was magical.”

Fast forward to 2025, and the magic’s still alive. Bernhard’s return to Mexico, behind the wheel of a GT3 and surrounded by cheering fans, feels like the closing of a circle — a bridge between the fearless pioneers of the past and the precision-built racers of today.

The Spirit Lives On

La Pana, as the locals lovingly call it, may no longer claim lives or shatter records, but its soul burns brighter than ever. What began as a wild idea in the 1950s has evolved into a celebration of everything that makes motorsport glorious — speed, courage, craftsmanship, and stories worth telling.

And Porsche? It’s been there from the start, its badge a constant through decades of dust, glory, and gasoline.

Timo Bernhard’s return wasn’t just a cameo. It was a reminder that Porsche’s story is still being written — one roaring, red-line moment at a time.

In Mexico, they say La Carrera never really ends. It just waits for the right driver to come along and wake it up again.

Source: Porsche

News

Tesla’s Insurance Dream Turns Into a Regulatory Nightmare in California

Tesla has spent years touting its insurance arm as a smarter, fairer, data-driven alternative to the traditional insurance industry — a system that would leverage the automaker’s tech prowess to deliver cheaper, more transparent coverage for its owners. But according to regulators in California, that dream is rapidly veering off course.

On October 3, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) announced that it’s taking enforcement action against Tesla Insurance Services, Inc., Tesla Insurance Company, and State National Insurance Company — the latter being the underwriter behind Tesla’s policies in the state. The accusations are serious: regulators allege repeated violations of state claims-handling laws, widespread delays, and behavior that’s caused “significant harm” to Tesla drivers.

A Promised Revolution Gone Wrong

When Tesla launched its insurance venture, Elon Musk called it “revolutionary.” The idea was simple — and very Tesla: use real-time vehicle data to set personalized rates and streamline the claims process. Tesla owners would pay less if they drove safely, and repairs would be handled more efficiently since Tesla itself would oversee everything from start to finish.

But regulators say that reality looks much different. The CDI’s report outlines a pattern of misconduct so persistent that Tesla and its partners could lose the right to operate insurance services in California altogether. The department accuses the companies of dragging their feet on legitimate claims, issuing unreasonable denials, and failing to conduct “thorough, fair, and objective investigations.” Even worse, Tesla allegedly didn’t inform customers of their right to have denials reviewed by the state — a basic protection under California law.

If proven, each of these offenses could cost Tesla and its partners up to $10,000 per willful violation — and there appear to be plenty of those.

Complaints Accelerating Fast

What started as a trickle of complaints has turned into a flood. In 2022, California recorded 21 justified complaints against State National Insurance, amounting to 40 regulatory violations. A year later, that number more than tripled — 63 complaints and 195 violations.

By 2024, when Tesla Insurance Services became directly involved in selling and managing policies, the figures ballooned again to 291 complaints and a staggering 835 violations. So far in 2025, the department says it has logged nearly 2,000 complaints — over 500 of which it deemed justified — alongside more than 2,000 regulatory violations.

Now, Tesla and its partners have just 15 days to respond before a possible administrative hearing. If the state prevails, Tesla could be banned from offering insurance in California — one of its most important markets — and fined heavily for its alleged misconduct.

A Risk Tesla Didn’t Account For

The irony here is hard to miss. Tesla entered the insurance space to make owning one of its vehicles simpler and more affordable. Instead, it’s now facing a regulatory crisis that threatens to undermine its entire business case for in-house coverage.

While Tesla’s cars continue to lead headlines for their performance, technology, and polarizing CEO, this latest development adds another wrinkle to the company’s image as a disruptor that sometimes moves faster than it can manage. If the CDI’s allegations hold up, Tesla’s vision of “reinventing insurance” may end not with a bang — but with a suspension notice.

Source: California Department of Insurance (CDI)