Luxury carmaker Bentley says that its sales surged last year on the back of strong performances in China and the United States, the world’s two biggest auto markets.

Total sales soared 37 percent to 7,003 vehicles last year, said Volkswagen‘s upmarket British-based division in a results statement.

Bentley, which is headquartered in Crewe, England, said sales rocketed by 69 percent in December alone to 1,059 cars, compared with the same month in 2010.

Two new Bentley Continental V8 models will be unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on 9th January 2012.

The new Continentals will come in GT coupe and GTC convertible versions with power from a turbocharged 4.0-liter eight-cylinder engine that puts out 500 hp.

With a new 8-speed automatic transmission directing the power to the road, the V8 Continental will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds and have a top speed of more than 180 mph.

Bentley has announced a partnership with London luxury leather brand Ettinger of London to produce a leather collection, coinciding with the launch of the new Bentley Continental GT Convertible.

The new Bentley Collection leather line is inspired by the new color Breeze which will be available with the Continental GTC for the first time.

Also added to the collection to coincide with the launch will be a new range of Bentley Eyewear pieces, crafted by Estede and designed to reflect the new, more muscular appearance of the Continental GTC.

Bentley will show its second generation of the iconic Continental GTC convertible at the Frankfurt motor show next month.

The Continental GTC is powered by the twin-turbo 6.0-litre W12 engine from the coupe, producing 423kW of power and 700Nm of torque.

Coming full circle and building on the design of the GT Coupe which launched last year, the new Continental GTC has been slightly sharpened and widened, with adjustments to the drivetrain, suspension and power output.

A Scottish tuner named Imperium has unveiled their latest one-off tuning package for the Bentley Continental GT.

Commissioned by a British entrepreneur, the vehicle has modified bumpers, revised side skirts, a boot lip spoiler and an aggressive carbon fiber rear diffuser.

Additionally, the car is equipped with forged alloy wheels which were specifically designed for the client.

Bentley could add an SUV to its lineup. The automaker is said to have discussed plans for a sports-utility vehicle with Volkswagen, its parent company.

Such a model would satisfy appetite for luxury models, reports Automotive News.

An analyst suggested that an SUV bearing the famous Bentley badge may be able to fetch in excess of €120,000, such is the demand among drivers.

Bentley could well be eyeing a gap in the Chinese market, where the popularity of the brand’s handmade €154,000 Continental GT and €250,000 Mulsanne helped it to post a 20 percent rise in sales during the first half of this year.