What's the news?
Bentley is launching a special edition of its vast Bentayga SUV (possibly to try and reverse what have been reported as disappointing sales for the luxury behemoth?) based around the V8-engined version.
That V8 is the same 550hp twin-turbo 4.0-litre unit that you can also find in some Audis, Porsches, and very shortly in Bentley's own Continental GT coupe.
There are no major mechanical updates for the engine, but then with 770Nm of torque, a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds, and a top speed of 290km/h, it kinda hardly needed much of an upgrade.
No, this special Bentayga is all about aesthetics and interior equipment. Those start with seven-spoke Palladium Grey Paragon alloy wheels, supplied by Bentley's tuning and design experts at Mulliner. They even come with self-levelling centra badges, so that the Bentley 'B' is always the right way up.
The Design Series gets 'Blackline' spec as standard, so all the chrome has been blacked out for a more menacing look, while there's also a new front bumper with a more prominent spoiler, and twin black-finish exhaust pipes poking out of the back to, as Bentley puts it: "showcase the V8's distinctive burble." There's also a little Design Series badge at the bottom of the front door.
Inside, you get acres of black 'Beluga' leather trim, but you can choose from four colours to accent and highlight all the darkness - Pillar Box Red, Orange, Mulliner White, or Klein Blue.
There's a big swathe of whatever contrast colour you pick that swoops across the bottom of the dash and down the sides of the centre console like the most expensive go-faster stripe you've ever seen. The seats also get two-colour leatherwork, for the first time on a Bentayga.
The dash gets lashings and lashings of carbon fibre, finished in high-gloss with a diamond quilted pattern. The rest of the cabin is finished in piano black lacquer. You also get deep-pile floor carpets (wipe your shoes, please) and a Breitling dashboard clock with a mother-of-pearl face. The cabin (and your chequebook) is finished off by drilled alloy sport pedals and illuminated Bentley tread plates on the door sills.