The more Volkswagen snips away at its budget, the less cash there is to trickle down to its subsidiary brands for new and unique technologies. With fewer greenbacks to keep the fire going, Porsche, Audi, and Bentley are huddling closer, sharing technology to keep the tribe prosperous. Our spies recently caught wind of this when they saw the Bentley Flying Spur testing under the body of a Porsche Panamera. But now it's the Continental GT's turn, and this time it looks a lot more British.

By waiting patiently on the roads near the Nurburgring, our spies were rewarded with the appearance of both the Continental GT coupe and the GTC convertible. While the body panels may appear clean, the typical white and black camouflage we usually see on prototype test mules is noticeably absent. Both Bentleys are covered in fake black plastic which hides the actual curves underneath. The only areas free of camouflage are the doors and roofline. Still, the car that's materializing seems to be a promising one. It's lower roofline makes the Bentley appear longer and sportier, which is accurate given that it will share the MSB platform with the Porsche Panamera and a handful of upcoming Audis.

Bentley's large 6.0-liter W12 engine will remain and bring with it 600-plus thumping horses to the table, a few new engines and powertrain options will also find refuge under the large hood. One of these will likely be the 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 that makes 550 horsepower in the Porsche Panamera Turbo, although some speculation says that even the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 Porsche engine seen in the Panamera 4S could make it to the options list. In the Porsche, that engine makes a respectable 440 horsepower, but to sweeten the deal, Bentley could pair it with some electric motors for a hybrid Continental GT. If this Continental is as big a hit as the previous car, it could help Volkswagen, which needs some home run hitters in its arsenal to recoup lost funds.