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Another special edition of the Bentley Continental Flying Spur is coming about, and this one is set for the Chinese market. The company is working together with British design company Linley for the creation of a limited edition run of 10 units for China, which happens to be its biggest four-door market globally.

The cars will incorporate signature Linley elements, among these specially selected Linley veneers in Santos rosewood on the fascia, console, waistrail as well as the roof console, effectively covering the entire wood surfaces of the model where Bentley chestnut or walnut would normally be used.

The iconic Linley Helix motif, from the company’s Helix Furniture Collection, will be found on the waist-rails and picnic table of the Flying Spurs. The Helix pattern will feature four different types of veneer, which contrast with the Santos rosewood, to show the wave effect delivered by the marquetry. Also on, a rear console modified for a customer-commissioned Linley humidor.

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Stainless steel Linley treadplates will feature on the cars, as will a Linley for Bentley rhodium-plated plaque in the glove box. Modified fluting on the seats will have burnt oak contrast stitching, with additional burnt oak hide highlighting the storage areas and door pockets.

To remind its owner it’s not just a bog standard CFS, a Linley branded leather bag with a sumptuous cashmere blanket and other Linley items such as a leather luggage tag will be included in the boot of them limited edition cars. Yes, money won’t always buy you happiness, but it can certainly afford you a fair bit of luxury.

New generation Toyota Camry Hybrid launched in Japan!

The new Toyota Camry has been launched in Japan today. You don’t have to look too closely to realize this is yet another ‘look’ for the Camry, different from the one in the US market, but similar to the the one teased by Toyota Ukraine, yet not identical. This is the Toyota Camry Hybrid based on the Toyota Ukraine “Aurion” design.

Interestingly, Toyota has picked the Aurion design for the Japanese market, while for the last generation, the Japanese market shared a design with the US market. Also, the Camry is solely with a hybrid power train in Japan – no other inline-4 or V6 options available.

This is in line with what other Japanese sedan manufacturers have been doing in their domestic market, for example, Honda Japan discontinued the regular Civic before its lifespan expired and continued selling only the Civic Hybrid.

The new Camry Hybrid’s Toyota Hybrid System II uses the 2AR-FXE 2.5 liter Atkinson cycle four cylinder internal combustion engine, which can produce 160 PS and 213Nm of torque on its own. This is coupled with an electric motor that can produce 143 PS and 270Nm of torque. Combined output via the torque split device is 205 PS, which is a nice number for a D-segment sedan.

There are some interesting aerodynamic features that Toyota have added to the body of the Camry Hybrid, such as the “vortex generators” shown above integrated into the wing mirror mounts, designed to help with cruising aerodynamics.

Airflow improving “aero-corners” are strategically placed in front of the front wheels and behind the rear wheels. The new two-piece front grille design uses a smaller upper grille and a larger lower grille that improve cooling efficiency by enhancing aerodynamic flow via reduced resistance.

The Camry includes a new Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) feature that prevents the vehicle from rolling backward when starting up on a hill, a new Steering-assisted Vehicle Stability Control (S-VSC) system that adjusts power, the electric power steering and braking to retain driver control of the car, and brake lights that specially signal emergency braking to reduce the risk of a collision from the rear.

Anyway, we probably won’t see this launched here in Malaysia as the large 2.5 liter engine does not qualify for Malaysia’s hybrid tax exemptions. Look after the jump for an image gallery of the JDM Camry Hybrid.

Volvo XC90 – the nine-year-old doyenne gets updated

Yes, that grand dame of the SUV world, the Volvo XC90, may be nine years old, but it shows no sign of stopping – in fact, the vehicle has been given yet another set of exterior and interior refinements to keep it going until, well, the second-gen one eventually arrives.

On the outside, there’s a new daytime running light configuration using LEDs in the lower bumper, and a redesigned silver metallic bumper bar as well as silver roof rails are now standard on all variants. There’s also a new lower door moulding, with all XC90 specifications now fully colour-coordinated.

At the back, there are new tail lamps, with dual light guides, LED brake lights and silver turn indicator bulbs (offering an amber light). Also on the exterior treatment list is a new six-spoke 18-inch wheel, done in a silver matt finish.

Inside, the veritable fave gets a number of refinements to give the interior an even more luxurious feel – aside from revisions to the three-spoke steering wheel, there’s aluminium décor as standard and watch dial-inspired instrument design with white lighting, among others. The tailgate now comes with a new, colour-coordinated leather grab handle, and the load cover has also been redesigned.

Meanwhile, the Volvo On Call system can now be combined with Bluetooth mobile phone connection, and the system has been upgraded to be able to do music streaming from a preferred Bluetooth-enabled portable music player. New too is a mobile app that makes sure that the driver can stay in touch with the parked car via an iPhone or Android smartphone.

Along with the new dress-up comes two exclusive version forms, the Executive and R-Design. Going the Executive route bags one a number of exclusive options, such as soft leather seats with ventilation and massage, as well as a number of details with a more exclusive finish. Opting for the R-Design version gets the buyer a more driver-focused character. On top of the special chassis, the new R-design version also features redesigned upholstery, inlays, door panels and new Ixion 19-inch wheels.

Hyundai i30 – first images of Frankfurt debutant revealed

Hyundai has revealed the first photos of its new-generation i30, which is set to have its world premiere next week in Frankfurt. The shape was previewed in an official sketch last month.

The C-segment offering is designed and engineered at the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, and the company says that the new-gen i30 represents a further evolution of the unique Hyundai ‘fluidic sculpture’ form language.

The car features the Hyundai family face with its signature hexagonal-shaped front grille and the jewel-like design of the headlamps, together with distinctive daytime running lights. Elsewhere, a strong character line runs over the front and rear wheel arches all the way to the tail lamps, and a softer, lower character line rises up the car’s flank to create a play of light and shadow, a fundamental feature of fluidic sculpture.

No specific info or technical attributes on the new offering as yet, so it’s on to Frankfurt for all the necessary to emerge.