It was only a few years ago that we were discussing expanded line-ups and SUV’s among ultra-luxury automotive brands as a true possibility, but one that was still far off.  Well, that time is now and both of the previous statements hold true.  For now, let’s focus on Bentley.  Recently we spoke of Bentley confirming an expanded lineup that will surely include an SUV, and will surely not include a Mulsanne convertible.  Now we hear a 4-door coupe might very well act as Bentley’s new base model to take on the likes of the Porsche Panamera, BMW M6, and the Mercedes CLS63.  We wouldn’t expect the 4-door coupe to be any bigger than the 2-door Continental coupe, around 15.5 feet.  As far as pricing goes, for the baby Bentley to truly compete with the aforementioned hot rods, it should come in between $130k and $170k, though some estimates show a tag that is more expensive.  For its architecture we’d expect the car to be underpinned by the next-gen A8 platform or that of the Panamera.  These two options would leave a V6 and a V8 option for the expected 2018 reveal.  We’ll be sure to keep you updated but do us a favor and hop in our powerful, luxurious Bentley Continental GTC 80-11 Special Edition rental in the meantime.

– Evan W.

Full story at Autoblog