Russian Transforms Mercedes S500 Into Bentley Mulsanne Wannabe

Here's one way to ruin a perfectly good Mercedes S-Class.

Based on the previous-gen (W221) Mercedes-Benz S500, this is a Bentley replica from St Petersburg, Russia, that motor.ru describes as being loosely based on the Mulsanne. We previously questioned the sanity of anyone that was seriously considering spending $50,000 on a Mustang-based Continental GT, and the same goes for this S-Class based Bentley replica. The price listed on Russian used car website auto.ru is a cool 1.7 million Rubles, which Google tells me is the equivalent of just under $29,000 at today’s rates.

With redesigned front and rear ends, the Bentley body kit also includes a new hood and trunk with headlights borrowed from a real Bentley. Logos for the British marque adorn the full-size Merc and can be found in the untouched interior, notably on the steering wheel, while the Winged B hood ornament proudly sits at the front of the car. Power comes from the 2008 Mercedes S500’s 5.5-liter V8, sending 388 horsepower to all four wheels. With 86,500 kilometers on the clock, there’s plenty of life left in this Bentley Benz, which the seller has maintained in “excellent condition” and claims will be good for “skiing tourists and wedding events.”

If you’re into replicas, while the white Bentley isn’t the worst we’ve ever seen, you might want to consider this $13,000 Ferrari F40 or these Bugatti Veyron rip-offs instead. If not, fly to Russia and see if you can strike a deal.

Russian Government Gives Out BMW Crossovers To Olympic Medal Winners

Following the conclusion of the 2018 Winter Olympics, the Russian government rewards its team.

During a ceremony held last Wednesday, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev presented each gold medalist with a BMW X5 xDrive30d, the silver medalists were given an X4 xDrive 30d, and the bronze winners took home the less powerful X4 xDrive 20d. Russian Olympians brought home a haul of 17 medals, 2 gold, 6 silvers, and 9 bronze medals from the 2018 games, however, they were forced to compete as Olympic Athletes from Russia instead of an actual Russian Olympic team.

This was after the International Olympic Committee officially banned the Russian Olympic Federation following a state-sponsored doping program. In total, 47 of the special white BMWs were handed out, largely due to the gold-medal winning men’s hockey team and silver-medal winning figure skating squad, who were also recipients of lavish praise from Russia’s President, Vladimir Putin, in addition to their new crossovers. The cars were presented by the Russian Olympic Foundation and were supplied by BMW Russia from its facility in Kaliningrad. "We are proud that the Russian Olympians Foundation has again chosen the BMW brand as a partner of the ceremony.

“Winter sports traditionally reflect the philosophy and values of the BMW Group, and over the years the concern has sponsored sports disciplines such as biathlon, cross-country skiing, bobsleigh and luge,” said BMW Group General Director Stefan Toichert. The Russian government has gifted BMWs to medal winning athletes in the past. Controversy ensued following the 2016 summer games in Rio when one of the cars showed up for sale online just days after they were presented.