2019 Bentley Bentayga V-8 Driven: Fewer Cylinders but More Character

– The Bentley Bentayga W-12 has paved the road to opulent utilitarianism for soon-to-arrive mega-luxury SUVs from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ferrari, and Rolls-Royce. Yet the big B’s early move means that it has already started churning out derivative models, including a diesel, a plug-in hybrid, and our subject here, the 2019 Bentayga V-8, a gilded […]

2019 Bentley Bentayga V8 First Drive Review | Losing cylinders but not much else

There’s no such thing as a cheap Bentley. Even though the new-for-2019 Bentayga V8 is $ 30,000 less expensive than its W12-powered sibling, the twin-turbo V8’s $ 165,000 window sticker still puts it well into the upper echelon of pricey luxury vehicles. Bentley is loathe to compare the two versions of the Bentayga — what […]

2018 Ducati Panigale V4 Review | Four shrieking cylinders on the bleeding edge

VALENCIA, SPAIN – I’ve got 226 angry horsepower rumbling between my legs, my kickstand is up and I’m ready to tackle Circuit Ricardo Tormo aboard the all-new Ducati Panigale V4, the most highly anticipated sportbike of the year. But I’m also a tad distracted by the sound emanating from the underslung exhaust. It doesn’t sound […]

The Fed has a forgotten role — and it will be critical in getting the US economy ‘running on all cylinders’

REUTERS/John Gress Federal Reserve officials are paying increasing attention to the central bank’s community development activities, which focus on real world economic issues.  James Bullard, St. Louis Fed President, told us these issues are “very important to the macroeconomy.” The effort comes as the Fed marks a changing of the guard, with President Donald Trump appointing Jerome Powell as Fed chair.  […]

China’s economy is firing on all cylinders ahead of the National People’s Congress

Activity levels across China’s economy improved at the fastest pace in years in September, according to Purchasing Managers Indices (PMIs) released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics today. The nation’s manufacturing PMI jumped 0.7 points to 52.4, leaving it at the highest level since April 2012. That was also well above the 51.5 level that […]

2018 Aston Martin DB11 V8 First Drive | Longing for 4 more cylinders

Undeterred by implications of penance or irony, the Germans have emerged as stewards of the high-end British automotive industry. At the end of the 20th century, venerable brands such as Rolls-Royce and Bentley were producing stately, outmoded and haphazardly assembled vehicles in quantities more befitting a Paraguayan shipyard than a car company. Since their acquisition […]

Aston Martin DB11 V8 loses four cylinders but none of its grace

We love the Aston Martin DB11. Few vehicles combine speed, luxury, and comfort as well as that beautiful British coupe. That said, it’s not the most efficient or affordable GT in the world, but Aston Martin is planning to change that. Starting this year, the company will offer the DB11 a twin-turbocharged V8 sourced from […]

Fewer cylinders, more turbo | 2018 Honda Accord Powertrain Prototype First Drive

A highly camouflaged 2018 Honda Accord prototype is circling Honda’s high-speed oval at its Tochigi test center, a short Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, and doing its best to replicate the bullet train’s impact on spectators. There’s no warning. No “I think I hear it approaching.” No exhaust trumpet sneaking ahead announcing its pending arrival. Nothing. […]