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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.

40+ cars that barely avoid the gas guzzler tax

The Gas Guzzler schedule, with mpg ratings and charges that haven't changed since 1991, lays out which fuel-swillers owe what to Uncle Sam.
I started thinking about the "Gas Guzzler Tax" - considerably less well known as The Energy Tax Act of 1978 - when I was driving Dodge's new Challenger SRT Hellcat last week. Unsurprisingly for a car that can burn 1.5 gallons of gas per minute at max tilt, theoretically able to empty a full tank of premium in about 13 minutes, the Hellcat will be subject to the Gas Guzzler Tax schedule when it goes on sale.

Bentley rolls out Shaheen edition Mulsanne in Dubai

Bentley doesn't do quite as many special editions for local markets as Rolls-Royce does, and when it does, they're usually based on the Continental range. But the new Shaheen edition which Bentley unveiled at the Dubai Motor Show is based on its flagship sedan, the Mulsanne.
Named for and inspired by the Shaheen eagle, the special Mulsanne is distinguished by two-tone Tungsten and Onyx paint, with Magnolia and Beluga leather and dark burr walnut trim inside. It comes already upgraded to the Mulliner Driving Specification, which includes 21-inch alloys, diamond-quilted leather and adjustable suspension and steering.
Of course there are special logos inside and out, and sheikhs ponying up the unspecified premium can also opt for iPad picnic tables, onboard wifi, glass sunroof and a bottle cooler for chilling the champagne that, somewhat ironically, is haram - forbidden under Sharia law that governs many of the countries where Bentley is selling this car.