Bentley CEO says Mulsanne Convertible isn't going to happen [w/poll]

Bentley and Rolls-Royce may be as direct as competitors get, but that doesn't mean they go head-to-head on every model. Bentley is arguably more focused on its Continental line, with the pricier Mulsanne branching off of it. Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, only recently expanded (relatively) down-market with the Wraith and the Ghost on which it's based. For Rolls, it's long been about the Phantom and its coupe and convertible variants. And Bentley doesn't pose much of a challenge in that stratospheric segment.

Crewe discontinued the old Arnage-based Brooklands coupe and Azure convertible in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and hasn't rolled out a successor for either in the few years since. The high-end British automaker revealed a conceptual convertible based on the Mulsanne at Pebble Beach Concours last year and was said to be moving ahead with production plans, but the latest intel suggests that Bentley has taken it off the development table.

This according to Car and Driver, which spoke with Bentley's new chief exec Wolfgang Schreiber at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Schreiber, there just isn't enough demand worldwide to justify the development costs – even if it is based on the existing flagship sedan. Apparently Bentley has evaluated that beyond the US and Europe, they couldn't sell enough of them in other markets to make it worthwhile. We'd imagine some Middle-Eastern sheikhs might like to get their hands on a few, but apparently the higher priority is getting the Falcon sport-ute out the door.

For what it's worth, this author can't help but wonder if Bentley might not find a better business case on its hands avoiding going head-to-head with the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and instead going after more of a niche the way Daimler's now-defunct Maybach brand did with the Landaulet and go with a full four-door convertible – at a suitable premium. It has, after all, been a long time since there's been a proper "parade car" on the market, and if anyone could make it work, certainly Bentley would rank high among them.

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Bentley CEO says Mulsanne Convertible isn't going to happen [w/poll]

Bentley and Rolls-Royce may be as direct as competitors get, but that doesn't mean they go head-to-head on every model. Bentley is arguably more focused on its Continental line, with the pricier Mulsanne branching off of it. Rolls-Royce, meanwhile, only recently expanded (relatively) down-market with the Wraith and the Ghost on which it's based. For Rolls, it's long been about the Phantom and its coupe and convertible variants. And Bentley doesn't pose much of a challenge in that stratospheric segment.

Crewe discontinued the old Arnage-based Brooklands coupe and Azure convertible in 2009 and 2011, respectively, and hasn't rolled out a successor for either in the few years since. The high-end British automaker revealed a conceptual convertible based on the Mulsanne at Pebble Beach Concours last year and was said to be moving ahead with production plans, but the latest intel suggests that Bentley has taken it off the development table.

This according to Car and Driver, which spoke with Bentley's new chief exec Wolfgang Schreiber at the Frankfurt Motor Show. According to Schreiber, there just isn't enough demand worldwide to justify the development costs – even if it is based on the existing flagship sedan. Apparently Bentley has evaluated that beyond the US and Europe, they couldn't sell enough of them in other markets to make it worthwhile. We'd imagine some Middle-Eastern sheikhs might like to get their hands on a few, but apparently the higher priority is getting the Falcon sport-ute out the door.

For what it's worth, this author can't help but wonder if Bentley might not find a better business case on its hands avoiding going head-to-head with the Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe and instead going after more of a niche the way Daimler's now-defunct Maybach brand did with the Landaulet and go with a full four-door convertible – at a suitable premium. It has, after all, been a long time since there's been a proper "parade car" on the market, and if anyone could make it work, certainly Bentley would rank high among them.

View the original article here

Watch the Slow Mo Guys blow up this Chevy Cavalier Convertible

The Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible is not what most people would call a "good" car. Even when new, its interior was composed almost exclusively of second-rate plastics, its engines were asthmatic and its transmissions made decisions with the quickness and alacrity of Congress. If nothing else, it was a disposable car.

It's that last quality that makes it the perfect subject for the Slow Mo Guys, a crew of destruction-minded dudes who decided to strap a not-insignificant amount of explosives to one such General Motors offering. The resulting explosion, inspired by a scene from a Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg movie, promptly rips the Chevrolet into pieces while spewing fake money into the air. We can think of no more suitable a fate for a Cavalier. Scroll down to watch the entire video from the Slow Mo Guys.

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Watch the Slow Mo Guys blow up this Chevy Cavalier Convertible

The Chevrolet Cavalier Convertible is not what most people would call a "good" car. Even when new, its interior was composed almost exclusively of second-rate plastics, its engines were asthmatic and its transmissions made decisions with the quickness and alacrity of Congress. If nothing else, it was a disposable car.

It's that last quality that makes it the perfect subject for the Slow Mo Guys, a crew of destruction-minded dudes who decided to strap a not-insignificant amount of explosives to one such General Motors offering. The resulting explosion, inspired by a scene from a Denzel Washington/Mark Wahlberg movie, promptly rips the Chevrolet into pieces while spewing fake money into the air. We can think of no more suitable a fate for a Cavalier. Scroll down to watch the entire video from the Slow Mo Guys.

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HP Adds to Convertible Notebook Line with HP Split x2, HP SlateBook x2

HP today announced the introduction of two new 'detachable PCs' - devices that HP considers to be both notebook and tablet. The Split x2 is basically a larger version of the first convertible notebook running Windows 8 that HP introduced last year, while the SlateBook x2 is another beast entirely. 

Unlike all of HP's other notebooks, this machine runs Android, not Windows, which lets HP bring users a machine that can do most of what they might need from a notebook, while offering better battery life, lighter weight - you get the idea.

HP Split x2

The Split x2 runs Windows 8 - the full, x86 version, not the limited one that runs on ARM CPUs. HP stuck an Ivy Bridge CPU inside, though they aren't saying quite which. It's got a 13.3-inch, 1366x768 display, multitouch capability, Beats Audio, a 2MP / 1080p webcam, etc.

In the keyboard dock section of the 'detachable PC' is a second battery as well as an optional second hard drive. The Split x2 also features a fingerprint-resistant, soft-touch coating on the rear.

HP expects the Split x2 to be available later this August, starting at $799.99.

HP SlateBook x2

The SlateBook x2 is a smaller, prettier version of the Split. The biggest difference by far is that, unlike the Split, the SlateBook runs Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 - though it's possible that since a new version of Android will be offered later this week at Google I/O, HP may update the SlateBook to 4.3 before it launches.

Inside of the SlateBook x2 is an NVIDIA Tegra 4 chipset, which means that it's blazing fast. HP made only limited changes to the Android OS that powers the SlateBook, so fans of the Nexus line of phones and tablets will feel right at home.

The tablet part of this Android-powered 'detachable PC' offers a Full HD, 1920x1080 10-inch display. Like the Split x2, it features two batteries (one in the tablet part, and one in the keyboard part), but no additional storage in the dock - though you may not need it with 64GB of memory.

It will also be available sometime this August, starting at $479.99.

HP is offering extended warranties with accidental damage protection for both devices. 

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2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible Unveiling Video

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