Bentley's bigger Bentayga, IIHS ponders safer tests, a French concept with no brakes

[Hagerty]

Bentley's Bentayga Extended Wheelbase adds space and swank to second row Intake: Following a teaser released early last week, Bentley has pulled the silk off its biggest SUV yet-the new Bentayga Extended Wheelbase. True to the name, the Bentayga EWB adds 7.1 inches between the wheels, bringing that measurement to 125 inches.
https://www.hagerty.com/media/news/the-manifold/2022-05-10/

[Snailish]

Might get real interesting if investors are moving towards wanting tech stocks (particularly EV related) to actually be showing value in making money (i.e., by making a profit selling vehicles) vs. just being an investment darling with a hyped-up evaluation.

[Gary_Bechtold]

McLaren not going to Audi to me is good news. I still wonder what the future of McLaren might be.

[Air_and_Water]

"As Lexus has shown with its all-electric digital steering yoke the essential mechanical connections between car and driver could soon become redundant, but when it comes to such essential safety items and steering and braking, the question remains—should they?"

Should they be removed completely and their functions controlled by a computer? Anyone who has ever had to restart a car to get it to stop glitching knows the answer to that one. Redundant backup systems are there for a reason, and that reason is sound.

[Tinkerah]

I'm fine having more crumple space in the rear of my car to cushion the impact of screen scrollers running into me.

My brother's Tesla S pulls so much energy through the regen system that all his calipers routinely seize from lack of use, and he's not particularly gentle with it. Impressive as it is if it were up to me I'd still insist on a mechanical backup braking system of at least marginal effectiveness.

[Air_and_Water]

The software in the S should allow for occasional brake usage just for that situation. Chevy's Volt was designed with a fuel tank bladder to remove air from the system and the engine was run periodically to prevent clogged injectors and whatnot. The brakes should perform similar minimal functions to maintain them. There's little that's worse for a brake system than sitting idle for extended periods.

[Tinkerah]

Thanks Air_and_Water - I'll relay the tip.

[Figgy308]

That thing in there is not a ute. No way!