Bentley plans to add four-seat sports car, crossover to lineup

Bentley Motors is looking to add a four-seat sports car and a crossover vehicle to its lineup, using borrowed platforms from Volkswagen Group siblings Porsche and Audi, its top executive said. In an interview during the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Bentley CEO Wolfgang Duerheimer said the crossover would borrow from the Audi Q7 and Porsche Cayenne platforms. While the crossover may carry a V12 engine like the rest of the Bentley lineup, Duerheimer said, "not everyone needs to have a V12." Duerheimer, who oversaw Porsche's push into SUVs as the company's development chief, said he "knows what is possible" in bringing a luxury brand into new segments.

Help American Dreaming movie tell the story of the postwar era's car designers [w/video]

The makers of a new movie charting America's postwar car designers are seeking donations to make the project become reality. The film's makers are hoping to raise $100,000 to make American Dreaming, a documentary movie that aims to tell the story of the lives of the men and women who worked in automotive design between 1948 and 1973. The film will be produced by Detroit artist Robert Edwards, former Detroiter Greg Salustro, and cinematographer Jim Toscano, and will include interviews with the men and women who worked in automotive design studios at the time.

Toyota wins unintended-acceleration case

Toyota secured a legal victory on Friday against the landslide of unintended-acceleration claims that have dogged the company for more than a year. A jury in New York found in favor of Toyota, rejecting claims of a driver who said a floor mat was the cause of his 2005 crash in a Scion tC. The jury took 45 minutes to reach the verdict after a weeklong trial in federal court.