All posts in “Bentley”

Bentley inspired yacht interior

We’ve published our article on the multi-million dollar Rolls Royce Boattail a while ago, a one-off bespoke build by Rolls Royce Coachbuild department with a clear inspiration taken from yachting, in the end, we’ll be seeing three of these very bespoke, unique cars being built, if the two next ones will also be Boat Tail isn’t officially released yet, but they will be well over $20,000,000 each, so their owners will probably be superyacht owners too.

This brings us to Bentley, now we all know Bentley has their own in-house Mulliner service that allows clients to go beyond the already very impressive list of options offered by Bentley in terms of colors and hides, and let’s not forget the Bentley Bacalar W12, based on the Continental GT, but taking the concept to the next level with over 750 bespoke parts made just for the Bacalar, only 12 of these stunning convertibles will be built, and all of them are sold out a long time ago.

So where are we going with this you might ask … Bentley goes the other way round compared to Rolls Royce, instead of building a car inspired by yachting, they had the Bentley Design Services work together with a yacht builder in the Netherlands to create a bespoke interior for an 18-meters long Contest 59 CS sailing to match the stunning blue metallic Bentley Continental GT V8 Coupe owned by the same person.

It seems this will be a one-off project between Bentley Motors in the United Kingdom and Contest Yachts in the Netherlands, the trim for the 18-meter yacht was in fact made by craftsmen in Crewe to match the Hostpur red leather with Linen Beige interior found inside the owner’s Continental GT, so this Contest 59 CS yacht has the exact same leather on her interior.

Down to the very special diamond-in-diamond quilting pattern found on the seats of the Bentley Continental GT Coupe, a pattern unique to Bentley that is made from exactly 712 stitches per diamond and a skilled artisan using a custom-built machine to get the perfect finish on the interior of both this amazing Grand Tourer for the road and this premium class sailing yacht from Contest.

In fact, the owner went as far as requesting the hull of his 18-meters sailing yacht to match the body of his Bentley Continental GT Coupe finished in Light Sapphire, a dark blue metallic shade that looks absolutely gorgeous, the red from the leather inside is taken to the exterior on the large brake calipers behind the black diamond-cut wheels.

June 13, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley inspired yacht interior
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Bentley releases the Bentayga S

We already had the impressive Bentley Bentayga Speed from Crewe, a 625 hp W12 beast that tries to compete with the 650 hp Lamborghini Urus Super SUV, but on a more luxury playing field, where the Lamborghini is the more ‘sportscar’ version of an SUV, but now Bentley introduces another version in their fleet of Bentayga models.

Next to the Hybrid, the V8, and the Speed, Bentley now also offers the ‘S’, based around the 4.0-Liter V8 twin-turbo engine, the Bentayga S intends to move Bentley’s SUV onto the sportscar playing ground, a direct competitor for the likes of a Lamborghini Urus, an Audi RSQ8, or the Porsche Cayenne Turbo … but the Bentley Bentayga S only has the same power as the Cayenne Turbo, at 542 hp, the Audi RQS8 adds 49 hp on top of that, while the Urus crushes them all with 650 hp … if you want to get near the Urus power you’ll still have to go for the considerably more expensive Bentayga Speed with her 626 hp.

But unlike the Bentayga Speed, this new Bentayga S comes without chrome, Bentley calls it ‘Black brightware’, but that’s just saying the window trim, the headlight trim, mirror housing, and other parts that are usually a ‘bright’ chrome on a Bentley Bentayga are now finished in gloss black, for that ‘sports’ touch, they even go as far as using tinted glass on the lights …

For this Bentayga Sport, the engineers in Crewe came up with an enhanced Sport chassis mode, and the Dynamic Ride active anti-roll system is standard on the S, they even improved the sound from that big V8 at the front thanks to a more open exhaust system … a free-flowing sports exhaust on a luxury SUV from Bentley, imagine that.

As already mentioned, the Bentayga S comes with the Blackline Specifications as standard, but you can also recognize the Sport version from the bespoke 22-inch wheels and S badging found on the lower edge of the front doors, but also a large rear spoiler is fitted in Crewe while the sports exhaust comes with a pair of black oval tailpipes at either end.

To add that sports feel to the interior, Bentley opted to use leather and Alcantara split between the seats and parts of the interior, the Sport also comes with new seats and a unique stitching pattern, Special color accents on the instrument panel, center console, door pads, and seat bolsters further distinguish this model from the ‘regular’ V8 version, while S badges are fitted on the panel in front of the passenger,  new graphics in the driver’s instrument panel and illuminated treadplates.

May 26, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley releases the Bentayga S
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Bentley Flying Spur gets even better

We all know the new Bentley Flying Spur is an amazing luxury sedan from one of the world’s best-known car builders with a massive heritage behind its name, back in February 2021, the Flying Spur W12 was recognized in MotorWeek’s 2021 Drivers’ Choice Awards as the Best Dream Machine, that has to account for something in the automotive world, but that doesn’t mean Bentley isn’t constantly looking to improve on perfection.

For the 2022 model year, the Flying Spur has been developed even further, with more technology added and new paint for the exterior combined with additional finishes for the veneer inside this amazing car, a beautiful Cambrian Grey has been added to the already vast list of 62 exterior paint options. While the following were part of the options list, for the MY22 model these become standard: Traffic sign recognition, hands-free boot opening, extended safeguard features, top-view camera, welcome lighting, and automatic dimming mirrors, as well as the Air Ioniser.

Inside the extremely quiet cabin of the Bentley Flying Spur, the client can opt for a magnificent open-pore veneer, which gets an extremely thin coating that allows the customer to feel the texture of the wood used, carefully selected from either Crown Cut Walnut, Dark Burr Walnut and Koa veneers, because the satin coating is a mere 0.1 mm thick (compared to 0.5 mm for the normal, glossy coated veneers).

With the improved Flying Spur for 2022, Bentley clearly shows they can still improve on perfection …

May 11, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Flying Spur gets even better
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The Continental GT Speed Chassis Tech

We’ve published the story on the impressive Bentley Continental GT Speed a while ago, a little after that we even put the story on the Continental GT Speed Convertible online, and as far as we know there hasn’t been a customer car delivered at the time of writing, but Bentley is track testing their GT Speed ferociously it seems, and part of those tests are meant to be able to fine-tune the amazing chassis Bentley is using on the GT Speed version, they call it ‘The most advanced Bentley chassis yet’.

A Bentley is known for being luxurious and comfortable to drive, but their Continental GT Speed is also fast, very fast … and making a car that’s in the supercar league also a GT, Gran Turismo, isn’t as easy as it sounds, so Bentley had to develop a new chassis for this top of the line two-door luxury GT, in comes the Bentley Dynamic Ride and their three-chamber active air suspension with adaptive damping, add the 440mm carbon-ceramic brakes (an option that shaves 33 kg from the overall weight) and you end up with a very impressive car made in Crewe.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed comes with a four-wheel drive, but depending on the mode set by the driver the emphasis can shift more to the rear wheels, for added fun while driving. Both ‘Bentley’ and ‘Comfort’ driving modes come with a nicely balanced setting to the front and the rear wheel, but the ‘Sport’ mode sends more power to the rear wheels only, which happen to steer too on this model, the Bentley Continental GT Speed comes with all-wheel steering.

The All-Wheel Steering on the Bentley Continental GT Speed can move the rear wheels by up to 4 degrees, the steering combined with Bentley’s Dynamic Ride and the electronic limited-slip differential offers a level of agility never seen before on a Bentley road car, when you opt to turn off the ESC, the mechanical grip and inherent balance of the GT Speed becomes apparent, allowing a driver-focused experience previously only found in the famous Bentley race cars.

The eLDS, or Electronic Limited Slip Differential is a first for Bentley on their Continental GT Speed, can shift up to 36% of the 900 Nm of torque to the front wheels in either ‘Bentley’ or ‘Comfort’ mode, if the driver switches to ‘Sport’ mode this figure is limited to 28% to have more Torque on the rear wheels for a more dynamic driving experience.

It seems Bentley really wants to offer the owner of the new Continental GT Speed an innovative experience when it comes to earlier Bentley cars, more driver-focussed, while still offering the trendsetting level of comfort and luxury owners have come to expect from their Bentley.

May 7, 2021 / Comments Off on The Continental GT Speed Chassis Tech
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The Continental GT V8 Equinox Edition

Before you get your hopes up about adding this stunning white Bentley Continental GT V8 Equinox Edition to your garage, there is one catch with this latest Mulliner Collections Portfolio addition … it’s only available on the Japanese market, and there will only be 10 units ever made for those lucky customers in the Far East.

The special GT will feature a monochrome color theme combining black, silver, and white, the Equinox theme brings power and grace through simplicity, the 10 units of the Equinox Edition are destined for homes across Japan including the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Hiroshima, and Yokohama.

For the body of the Bentley Continental GT V8 Equinox Edition, the Japanee customer can choose from black Onyx or icy cool Glacier White, the aerodynamics of the base Continental GT will receive the Styling Specification for these Equinox Edition versions, created from bespoke, high gloss, black carbon-fiber, the Styling Specification option adds a front splitter, a rear diffuser, a boot lip spoiler, and side sills, showing amazing looking, metal Bentley wings.

To set the Equinox Edition even more apart from the base V8 model, Mulliner adds a pinstripe to the edge of the carbon fiber pieces, finished in ‘Moonbeam’, which is a rich silver shade, this pinstripe is painted by hand onto each of these 10 limited edition cars, it takes a specialist at Mulliner a total of five days to apply this little, but important detail, that looks even better with the 22” Mulliner Driving Specification wheels, which on this special edition are finished in a dark metallic Tungsten paint, only available on the Equinox Edition.

The interior in the Equinox Edition is finished in stunning Beluga black leather, but it is complemented with silver parts on the headrest and the edges of the seats while the stitching is done in silver too to work in perfect harmony with the dual finish veneers done in Piano Moonbeam over Grand Black.

Sadly this car will not be available in the United States nor in Europe, it is a Japan-only special edition after all.

April 16, 2021 / Comments Off on The Continental GT V8 Equinox Edition
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The Continental GT Speed Convertible

In late March 2021, Bentley unveiled the impressive Continental GT Speed edition, the top of the line version in terms of performance and driver-focused in the Bentley model range, but I’m more of an open-top kind of driver, so I was really happy to see Bentley now adds their Convertible model to the ‘Speed’ range too, with the new Continental GT Speed Convertible.

Usually, the open-top version of the Bentley Continental GT gets the GTC denomination, but for the Speed version they keep it at GT Speed Convertible, strange, but that’s marketing I guess, still, this new gran tourer now offers everything we’ve seen on the Speed coupe, but with the added bonus of having your hair in the wind, enjoying the sun with the impressive burble of the massive, 6.0-liter W12 TSI engine emitting from the large exhaust at the rear.

The Continental GT Speed Convertible still comes with 650 bhp and 900 nM (664 lb-ft) of torque to deliver an acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in only 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h) … with the top down, I guess a trip to the hairdresser will be required after testing that top speed.

Every Bentley convertible has been known for being as quiet as the coupe once the roof comes up, and on this Continental GT Speed Convertible that is no different, Bentley proudly states: “Roof improvements deliver a convertible as quiet inside as the previous generation coupe”, which isn’t bad, to be honest, and to make things even more interesting, you have to choice of seven different roof colors … including tweed. The Z-Fold roof only takes 19 seconds to change this car from a luxurious coupe to an open GT, fully automated naturally.

Naturally, the new GT Speed Convertible comes with enhanced chassis technology, including All-Wheel Steering, an electronic rear differential, and optional carbon-ceramic disks, but also with the special Speed sport sills, dark tint grilles, and Speed badging, while three different finished are possible on the bespoke 22-inch forged Speed wheels.

Chris Craft, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing at Bentley Motors, comments: “The new Speed is the most driver-focused Continental GT Convertible available and unique in its ability to offer extremely refined, all-season open-top Grand Touring with the added edge of astonishing performance and dynamism. Combined with exquisite, handcrafted interior details, the Continental GT Speed Convertible exemplifies all Bentley knows about creating the world’s most stylish and elegant cars for roof-down motoring.”

Being a convertible, this new Bentley requires additional commodities compared to the Continental GT Speed coupe, a neckwarmer is seamlessly integrated into the heated and vented Comfort Seats, optimizing efficiency and airflow around the electrically adjustable headrests. The styling highlight of the new neckwarmer is a chrome center vane that stretches the full width of the duct, echoing Bentley’s famous “bullseye” vents. Combined with a heated steering wheel and heated armrests, these sophisticated comfort features create a luxurious driving experience in all
environments.

Our extensive image gallery on the new Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible:

April 14, 2021 / Comments Off on The Continental GT Speed Convertible
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Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak Revealed with Massive Wing and Side-Exit Exhausts

This is the new Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, and for the first time the GT3 racecar will run on biofuel up the hill. The new Continental GT3 Pikes Peak is designed and built with the aim to compete for the Time Attack 1 record for the 2021 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb whereby the Bentley will compete on renewable fuel for the first time.

The redesigned Continental GT3 racer will power its way through the 12.42 mile course on biofuel-based gasoline. The company is still testing other fuels blends with possible Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions of up to 85% over standard gasoline.

The 4.0L turbo V8 from the Continental GT V8 is still being used on the GT3 Pikes Peak edition. The engine modifications will improve the horsepower despite the conditions of the mountain. Additional modifications include air cooling scoops and stopwatch mounted next to the steering wheel.

The vehicle will have to complete the 5000ft climb which will include 156 corners at an average speed of 78mph and cross the line in less than 9minutes and 36 seconds to break the record. The current record was set by the three-time Pikes Peak champion and former ‘King of the Mountain’ Rhys Millen, he is also the one who captured the two Pikes Peak records for Bentley. The record attained in 2018 was with the Bentley W12 SUV and the one in 2019 was achieved in a Continental GT.

Bentley Side Exit Exhausts
Side Exit Exhausts

The Continental GT3 has been modified in and out to make it the most powerful Continental GT and Bentley car ever as well as sustain the 9,300ft climb at the start line and course climb to 14,100 ft where the air is 1\3 dense than at sea level.

The exterior of the vehicle features the biggest rear wing ever fitted on a Bentley, rear diffuser surrounding the transaxle gearbox and two-plane splitter at the front with separate dive planes that balances the rear aerodynamic package.

The Pikes Peak project is managed together with the British Continental GT3 customer team Fastr. Technical teams from Bentley, Fastr and specialists from M-sport will be working together to draw out maximum performance from the Continental GT3 package which will be run by the same team in Colorado with assistance from K-PAX racing.

The vehicle will be undergoing major tests in coming weeks, it is currently based in the UK but will be shipped to the USA for altitude testing and evaluation. An update of the progress will be showcased in May ahead of the 99th running of the competition on 27th June.

April 13, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak Revealed with Massive Wing and Side-Exit Exhausts
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Bentley’s 2021 Pikes Peak racer unveiled

Bentley wants to add a third consecutive victory to their Pikes Peak performance, they already managed the Production SUV record and the Production Car record in 2018 and 2019, and now want to tackle the Time Attack 1 record with a very special, bespoke built race car driven by former ‘King of the Mountain’, Rhys Millen.

The new Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak has been specifically designed to compete for the Time Attack 1 record at this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb taking place on June 27 this year, the 12.42-mile course will be run on a biofuel based gasoline, a first for a competition Bentley, as a goal to offer sustainable fuels to Bentley’s customers around the world.

This specific car is a heavily modified Continental GT3 racer, run in conjunction with British Continental GT3 customer team Fastr, who have successfully campaigned their Bentley race car in time attack competitions in the UK. Teams from both Bentley and Fastr are working together with specialists from M-Sport in Cumbria to achieve the maximum possible performance from the Continental GT3 package, before taking the car to Colorado where it will be driven by Fastr with assistance from K-PAX Racing.

Taking the Time Attack 1 record will have this Continental GT3 Pikes Peak cover the climb in less than 9 minutes and 36 seconds while reaching an average speed of 78 mph over the 156 corners during a nearly 5,000 ft climb, but as the start is already at a 9,300 ft elevation, the finish at 14,100 ft high comes with a 1/3 less density for the air compared to sea level, which requires very specific settings for both the car’s aerodynamics and the engine tuning.

This 2021 Bentley Continental GT3 Pikes Peak boasts the largest rear wing ever seen on a Bentley, a massive rear diffuser helps even further while the front has a two-plane splitter fitted together with massive ‘dive planes’ on either side for optimum stability in those grueling 156 corners that have to be taken at the highest possible speed to reach that record-setting time at the finish.

At this time the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak is undergoing final testing and fine-tuning in the UK, but the car will soon be transported to the USA for high-altitude testing to make sure the car is as ready as possible for the ultimate test on June 27 at the 99th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.

April 13, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley’s 2021 Pikes Peak racer unveiled
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Bentley Starts Building Luxury Homes – Bentley Tower Announced in Miami

Bentley has announced plans to launch the first Bentley-branded luxury residential tower in the world. Bentley will partner up with Dezer Development to build and design a residential tower in Sunny Isles Beach, Miami.

The Bentley residence tower will focus on luxury living in a sustainable environment and will contain 200 luxury apartments built in topnotch design and quality. The tower will stand at 749 feet and contain over 60 stories high making it the tallest residential tower on any US beachfront. The tower development will adhere with the Florida Green Building Council (FGBC) certification and environmental regulations to protect the environment and minimise the effects of the development on local wildlife by using safe building materials and reducing coastal lighting that could endanger sea turtles.

The core of the building will feature patented car elevators, an in-unit garage for each residence, ocean and bayside views thanks to the cylindrical design and floor-to-ceiling windows, private balcony, pool, sauna and an outdoor shower. The tower will be engineered and built to reduce energy consumption as well as inspire luxury living.

Each apartment interior will contain sourced materials and amenities including a gym, spa, whiskey bar, restaurant and a private garden. The chairman and CEO of Bentley promises that the partnership with Dezer Development will only result in authenticity, sustainability and innovation both on the interior and exterior spaces as well as create an extraordinary living experience. The construction of the tower will begin in early 2023 and will be completed in 2026.

April 9, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Starts Building Luxury Homes – Bentley Tower Announced in Miami
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The One-off Bentayga Hybrid

The options list on a Bentley Bentayga might be impressive for most people, but still, they offer the ultimate personal touch for your luxury SUV through the Mulliner Guide, where the sky is the limit when it comes to personalization options for their more demanding customers that have the bank account to cater to their every need.

At the Shanghai Motor Show Bentley will be showcasing their latest example of Mulliner’s handcraftsmanship, this Viridian painted Bentayga Hybrid isn’t just a show car, it has been customer ordered by a Chinese client through the Bentley Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide to create a true one-off, bespoke SUV.

The dark emerald hue from the Mulliner Extended paint range for the body is complemented with 22-inch machined, Mulliner driving specification wheels with Viridian color-coded spokes, Viridian is a stunning, dark emerald green, created specifically for the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept, it contains metal flakes of amber and gold to embody a sense of luxury.

While the stunning interior is finished in Cumbrian green leather with a piano-finished veneer in the same shade, an amazing-looking white cross-stitch pattern is hand-stitched on the green seats, door panels, and even in the piano Cumbrian Green veneer via a unique overlay.

Bentley Mulliner added a handcrafted design to the passenger fascia using a silver metal overlay to create a beautiful geometric diamond design of the EXP 100 GT concept car. Note that the hand-stitched pattern found inside this bespoke Bentley Bentayga took a total of 44 hours to complete.

For such a large and a rather heavy car as the Bentley Bentayga, the performance figures from the combination of an electric motor and a 3.0-liter V6 engine are impressive, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph takes 5.2 seconds thanks to the 443 bhp, with a top speed of 158 mph.

Enjoy some more images of this stunning one-off Bentley Bentayga Hybrid in our image gallery below:

March 31, 2021 / Comments Off on The One-off Bentayga Hybrid
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200,000 Bentley cars built

It took Bentley just over 101 years to build their 200,000th car, founded in 1919 in Crewe, these hand-built cars have been known for their luxury and performance … the 200,000th car to be completed was a Bentley Bentayga Hybrid.

To celebrate this milestone, Bentley posed the light blue metallic SUV next to its oldest sibling, an EXP 2, it’s also interesting to note that over 150,000 Bentley cars were built during the last 18 years, in fact, today Bentley builds 85 cars each day, back in 2000 they made that same number over an entire month.

To make this figure even more impressive, between 1919 and 2002 they built a mere 44,418 cars, 38,933 in Crewe … these include masterpieces like the Bentley Blower, the R-Type Continental, and as a testament to just how good a Bentley is, 84% of Bentley cars sold in the UK are still driving around today.

In 2003 a major boost in production came around with the introduction of the Bentley Continental GT, back in January of 2021, the 80,000th unit of these amazing Grand Tourer was built.

While the Bentley Bentayga was only introduced in 2015, it has already received its first facelift redesign, and as mentioned is now available as a hybrid model, to date a total of 25,000 units of this luxurious SUV have left the factory doors, while 40,000 units of the Flying Spur luxury sports saloon have been built too.

The next step in their evolution is to move to electric vehicles, they intend to be fully PHEV or BEV only by 2026 and achieve an entire model range of battery-powered cars only by 2030.

March 27, 2021 / Comments Off on 200,000 Bentley cars built
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The new Continental GT Speed

Bentley just released their most performance-focused luxury Grand Tourer ever in their 101-year history, inspired by the 3-Liter Speed models from the 1920s, the first generation Continental GT Speed from 2007 was already a very impressive interpretation of a two-door, four-seat luxury car, but today’s third-generation continues this bloodline as the most powerful expression of Continental GT values, exciting and dynamic, with unique Speed detailing to enhance the ownership experience and offering customers more control over the character of the car.

“The world’s most luxurious Grand Tourer is now truly more capable than ever before, with a new sportier edge which will appeal to performance-focused drivers. The Speed is the latest chapter in the Continental GT story, helping Bentley customers to create their own extraordinary journeys.” Dr. Matthias Rabe, Member of the Board for Engineering at Bentley Motors

The new Bentley Continental GT Speed comes with Electronic All-Wheel steering, meaning not only the front wheels turn, but also the rear wheels steer in a direction depending on speed, at low speed they turn in the opposite direction for a shorter turn radius, while at higher speeds the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front wheels for more stability, combined with the Active All-Wheel drive this offers an unparalleled driving character for such a large GT.

The Bentley Continental GT Speed offers different driving modes to be selected by the driver, while for the BENTLEY mode and the COMFORT mode, power is balanced between the front and the rear wheels, for the SPORT mode there is a more rear-biased torque–split offered.

This is also the first Bentley to come with an electronic rear differential (eLSD), which together with the traction control and active chassis offers better lateral capacity, more longitudinal stability, enhanced on-throttle adjustability, and boasts improved traction in less-than-ideal road conditions.

The impressive Bentley three-chamber active air suspension with adaptive damping and Dynamic Ride greatly contributes to the level of precision and confidence behind the steering wheel of this new Speed version, this 48V active anti-roll control system features powerful electric motors within each anti-roll bar to resist body roll. In their firmest setting, the motors can deliver 1300 Nm in 0.3 secs to counteract cornering forces and keep the body level.

Optionally you can have new Carbon Ceramic brakes on the Bentley Continental GT Speed, massive braking power comes from ten-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers, adding this option to your order will cut 33kg of weight, and help you to keep those stunning 22-inch wheels clean.

The new Continental GT Speed comes with the famous W12 TSI engine, 6.0-Liter delivers 650 bhp and an impressive 900 Nm of torque, a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h) is reached almost effortless, while acceleration figures come in at 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds (0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds).

Even the 8-speed transmission has been modified for the new Continental GT Speed, which offers twice as fast shifting in SPORT model on the Speed compared to the regular W12 powered Continental GT.

There is no denying a Bentley Continental GT looks decent enough as is, but for the Speed version, things got developed even further, with a darker treatment of both the front grille and the lower intakes. But also the side sills are bespoke to the Speed model, as are those stunning Speed scripts on the side.

Also bespoke for the GT Speed model are stunning 22-inch wheels finished in silver, optionally available in dark tint or glossy black, while the fuel and oil filler caps come in a ‘Jewel’ finish, and the doorsills show an illuminated Bentley script with the Speed addition.

For the interior of this Continental GT Speed, Bentley went with a special, two-tone combination of smooth leather and Alcantara on the seats, the door panels, and even on the steering wheel. Bentley offers you the option of 15 main colors and 11 secondary hides for the interior, not a fan of Alcantara? No problem, you can opt for a full leather-covered interior too, and the renowned Bentley ‘Diamond in Diamond’ quilting just looks amazing inside the GT Speed.

Why not pay your local Bentley dealership a visit to admire this amazing new GT Speed and possibly put in an order for one?

Our extensive image gallery on the new Bentley Continental GT Speed:

March 24, 2021 / Comments Off on The new Continental GT Speed
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Bentley Continental GT Speed

Designed, engineered, developed, and handcrafted in Bentley’s carbon-neutral luxury automotive factory, the new third-generation Continental GT Speed is the ultimate performance-focused interpretation of the world’s benchmark luxury Grand Tourer.

With highly advanced chassis technology, and styling cues specific to Continental GT Speed, the extraordinary journey continues at 16:00 GMT, 23rd March 2021

March 16, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Continental GT Speed
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Bespoke Bentaygas

In the past you could buy a chassis from one of the bigger names in the automotive world, and have a coachbuilder put a chassis on it, this service was available for the ultra-high-net-worth individuals back in the early 1900s when cars like Rolls Royce would come with one-off bodies for Royalty and rulers.

In those days you had names like Hooper, Park Ward, Vanden Plas, James Young, and Mulliner … which now makes sure you can order a bespoke Bentley Bentayga that suits your needs perfectly. H.J. Mulliner and Co. was a family business founded in 1897, they designed coachwork for C. S. Rolls’ personal two-seater Silver Ghost roadster, for instance, then after WWII Mulliner was one of only a handful of coachbuilders to return to traditional, bespoke coachwork, mostly using Rolls-Royce and Bentley chassis as their starting point.

From the 50s on Mulliner started using more modern materials like steel and ‘stressed-skin’ instead of the earlier wood-frame constructions, it was in fact Rolls Royce that took over Mulliner in 1959, merging it with Park Ward that was bought by RR in 1939 already … in 1961 Mulliner-Park Ward was created, in 2021 Mulliner no longer works with Rolls Royce, but it has become the ‘Personal Commissioning’ department that creates truly bespoke models on the entire Bentley range, but not in terms of custom bodywork, but more in terms of special interiors for the more discerning customer.

Just recently the Mulliner Personal Commissioning Guide added the Bentley Bentayga to their list of models, which now spans the entire Bentley model range, you can select from 27 different shades of leather or Alcantara, over 100 painted veneer options, an extended Mulliner paint palette for the body and custom wheel options to create your ultimate personalized luxury SUV.

The Personal Commissioning Guide offers a unique mix of traditional and contemporary options that will appeal to Bentley’s diverse and extraordinary clients. Depending on the customer’s personal preference, each car can take on a new aesthetic while ensuring style and performance are never compromised.

Just take a look at our previous article on ‘The Bentley Mulliner visualiser‘ for more details on how they can create a one-off Bentley just for you, by using color-matched paint taken from a sample the customer brings with him, and that’s not only for the exterior, that same paint can be applied on the veneer on the interior so it complements one of the 27 different hides and stitching options Mulliner offers.

A combination of up to three different shades can be selected for the interior, and if you really want to go wild, go for a tweed insert on the doors or ask for a bespoke color hide and stitching for the ultimate expression of personality, add to that any color for the piping, carpet binding or cross-stitching … just keep in mind this won’t come cheap, it takes one of Bentley’s craftsmen up to 44 hours to hand-stitch that impressive cross pattern.

Not a fan of smooth leather? No problem at all, as Mulliner offers the same level of craftsmanship when combining Alcantara on the seats, headrest, and door panels with smooth leather, you can even opt to have the steering wheel and gear lever finished in Alcantara, it takes the Bentley Bentayga from a luxury SUV into the more sporty SUV class.

Furthermore, those ‘puddle lights’ we find everywhere these days, when you open the door there is a light to illuminate the floor next to your car, mostly a logo or a design … Mulliner will create one just for you, showing your name, or a crest for your brand on the floor when you enter or exit your Bentayga. Still not good enough? No problem, even the doorsills can show your name or logo … or whatever you prefer, all in good taste naturally.

With Bentley’s revered craftsmanship, the new Bentayga makes a clear statement and reintroduces Cross Banding Inlays as an option for the fascia and waistrail inserts. The Cross Banding uses an Australian straight grain veneer with a boxwood inlay available on a number of veneer options, enhanced with a Bentley Mulliner overlay in either a silver or gold color.

With innovative and state-of-the-art technologies, Bentley Mulliner has utilized stone formed over 200 million years ago to create lightweight veneers just 0.1mm in thickness. Stone veneers feature a visible natural ‘open pore’ texture, a customer can select one of four different colors for their stone inlay: Autumn White, Copper, Galaxy, or Terra Red.

March 5, 2021 / Comments Off on Bespoke Bentaygas
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The Bentley Mulliner visualiser

I don’t know about you, but I have spent way too many hours online in configurators (or visualizers) for some of the world’s most exclusive car makers, I just love to play around with options on cars I will probably never be able to afford anyway, but it’s so much fun putting dreams together on a computer’s screen, this went so far as me actually designing and programming my very own Lamborghini virtual configurator because I felt the factory one didn’t go far enough.

Now it seems management at Bentley in Crewe, UK, had the same sentiment, they just released their Mulliner visualiser to have customers create their very own, bespoke car by using an application together with their retailer or with a designer from Bentley, without leaving the comfort of their house.

From within the Mulliner virtualiser, the customer can view their new car, both from the outside and on the inside, complete with their selected choice of paint and upholstery, it is even possible to color match the hides on the interior to the outside, and have the correct color code sent directly to Bentley Mulliner for the dye on the leather.

Naturally the choice of stitching options is almost endless, and now the client can even specify how the veneer inside his (or her) new Bentley will be finished, Mulliner offers the fascias and waist-rails painted to the same piano-finish standard as the exterior, in any one of the scores of colors on offer.

I know for a fact the list of paint colors on a Bentley is daunting to say the least, it contains 62 colors, and with the new Mulliner visualiser, things get even more complicated with the addition of 26 more shades, fifteen of those are solid or regular metallic, but Mulliner also offers 4 new satin finishes and no less than seven complex, pearlescent three-layer paints, all applied in a combination of hand spraying and robot technology for the best possible finish … the ‘stock’ pallet of Bentley colors is one of the largest in the industry.

Some of the additional paints from Mulliner:

First created in the 1960s, Oxford Blue is a stunning solid paint and one of the darkest blues in the Bentley palette. This mesmerizing Mulliner paint recalls the power and elegance of the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

Viridian

Viridian is the latest metallic paint to be introduced and is a modern take on the traditional British racing green. This mysterious dark emerald is inspired by the EXP 10 Speed 6 concept car shown at the Geneva International Motor Show in 2015. The deep green with light green and blue undertones creates depth and a sporting dimension, while flecks of amber and gold embody the character of luxury.

White Sand Porcelain – White Sand was the launch colour for the Continental Flying Spur. A silky, creamy colour, it is created by blending two hues to a warm finish.

Snow Quartz is a modern white three layer pearlescent paint, which creates a simple and fresh silhouette. The finely layered pearl effect creates a beautiful shimmering and lustrous whiteness, providing an infinite amount of opportunities to complement interior color combinations.

The glimmering surface of Extreme Silver has been given a striking new finish to create Extreme Silver Satin. This distinctive Mulliner Paint alters the character of this warm silver almost beyond recognition, replacing the metallic gleam with a subtle satiny sheen that brings the sharp Bentley design lines to the fore.

Storm Grey – Storm Grey has appeared on several Bentley models since its introduction in the 1990s. It blends hints of blue into a strong grey base to create a powerful and eye-catching finish.

And if that doesn’t fit your specific needs, no problem, Bentley’s personal commissioning division can color-match virtually any sample provided, using innovative color recognition software to analyze the composition of the sample provided and reproducing it to perfection.

Radium – A Mischievous sporty and youthful colour, with a superfine metallic effect, invoking the feeling of confidence.
February 23, 2021 / Comments Off on The Bentley Mulliner visualiser
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The first Bentley Bacalar W12 engine for a customer is ready

So what’s the most expensive, modern-day Bentley money can buy? That would have to be the $2,000,000 Bentley Bacalar, a two-seater, convertible luxury sports car that comes with the famous W12 engine and uses 5,000-year-old wood on the interior … but wait, sorry, you can’t buy it anymore, all 12 units were sold out by the time this car was unveiled in March 2020.

After a nine-month development period, the ‘Car Zero’ was taking through extensive road testing at speeds up to 200 mph (read our previous article on this), but that was still a production prototype … today the first W12 engine for a customer Bentley Bacalar has passed rigorous testing and will be fitted to the bespoke car soon, a return to coachbuilding for Bentley.

While the Bentley Bacalar takes the chassis from the Continental GT, not a single part of the bodywork will be used from that base, over 750 bespoke Bacalar parts will be created by Bentley, and while the engine is the famous W12 6.0-liter TSI unit we already know since 2003, it has been further enhanced for the Bacalar to offer the smoothest ride possible, but still provide a massive 650 hp and 900 Nm of torque.

Since 2003, the power output for this one-of-a-kind W12 engine has increased by 27%, torque went up by 38% while emissions were reduced by 38%, a major feat by the Bentley engineers, each of these W12 engines takes a team of 45 specialists a total of 6.5 hours to hand-build … only to be taken to a test-facility to be put through her paces for an hour to make sure the engine performs to Bentley specifications.

In fact, there are three separate tests each W12 engine has to endure before receiving her ‘pass’ … first up is a test for leaks when the engine reached the ‘short engine’ state when oil, fuel, and water can be added and a pressure of 0.2 to 5.0 bar can be forced onto the respective parts and they wait for any leaks.

The most advanced test is the second one, the ‘Cold Test’, where the newly assembled W12 is put onto a testbed and gets an electric motor fitted onto the crankshaft, the wire loom is connected and the engine is ‘turned’ for a period of 15 minutes while all the sensors gather data to make sure there aren’t any issues with internal parts.

‘Hot Testing’ is the final stage for this W12 Bentley engine, now the exhaust manifolds, turbochargers, and all ancillaries are mounted. The engine runs at 3,800 rpm for at least 21.5 minutes, a maximum load of 300 Nm is set … this allows the engine test technician to listen for any refinements while the engine is simulated in real-world usage. For every 100 W12 engine, one of them is taken for an 8-hour test, pulling to 6,000 rpm, and it must reach the required 900 Nm.

So after all the testing on Car Zero, the first W12 engine made for the Bentley Bacalar that will be delivered to a customer is ready to be installed now, it won’t be too long before we will finally see this car leaving the factory doors at Crewe … about a year after the model was introduced.

February 18, 2021 / Comments Off on The first Bentley Bacalar W12 engine for a customer is ready
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Bentley Flying Spur named ‘Best Dream Machine’ by Motorweek

The Flying Spur W12 has been recognized in MotorWeek’s 2021 Drivers’ Choice Awards as the Best Dream Machine. Since 1981, MotorWeek judges the best in the automotive industry, looking at the buyer’s point of view and considering industry trends while looking towards the most innovative cars in the industry.

Now, with more than 40,000 examples sold since its launch in 2005, the Flying Spur continues to set the bar as the most successful luxury sports sedan in the world. Sporting details including industry-first three-dimensional leather, cutting edge Bentley Rotating Display, and a retractable, illuminated “Flying B”, each detail continues to be carefully created.

The bold exterior design of the Flying Spur is based on a new and modern vision that is unmistakably Bentley, utilizing the latest technologies in aluminum extrusions and castings. Longtime Creator, Host and Senior Executive Producer of MotorWeek, John Davis, comments:

“The Bentley Flying Spur is a car that fully lives up to our lofty automotive dreams when it comes to luxury, and then far exceeds them when it comes to performance. It effortlessly races to 60 miles per hour in well under 4.0-seconds, which is truly not enough time to enjoy the meticulously hand-crafted embrace that is the Flying Spur’s cabin.”

Bentley Americas CEO and President, Christophe Georges, comments:

“The Flying Spur has been part of Bentley since 2005 and since then has set the bar for the best of both worlds, combining limousine luxury and sports car performance, resulting in the ultimate Dream Machine. Our entire team is honored that MotorWeek has also recognized the Flying Spur as a leader in the industry.”

Effortless Luxury

Seamlessly integrating the very best in British craftsmanship with cutting-edge, innovative technology, the third-generation Flying Spur has become the new Bentley flagship.

The bold exterior design of the Flying Spur is based on a new and modern vision that is unmistakably Bentley. The latest generation Flying Spur has increased road presence from stronger, more muscular styling, which is evident in the full length of the car.

The interior of the Flying Spur showcases Bentley’s expertise in creating a modern cabin of unrivaled luxury and innovation. Stylish and unique, featuring supremely comfortable seats with Bentley’s ‘Wing’ theme across the lower console and fascia.

A sweeping horizontal veneer flows across the dashboard and into the doors, emphasizing the spacious width of the cabin. Crown Cut Walnut is offered as standard, which uses a straight cut process to provide a contemporary finish.

The Flying Spur incorporates a class-leading portfolio of intelligent and intuitive equipment tailored to the driver and passengers. An embedded SIM is provided, meaning My Bentley connected car features no longer require customers to provide their own data connection.

Other features include Apple CarPlay®, photorealistic landscapes through satellite maps, and advance warning of changing road or traffic conditions via the local hazard information service displayed on the vehicle’s infotainment system.

Through a range of optional equipment including Rear Seat Entertainment tablets, audio options up to the industry-leading Naim for Bentley system and even the luxury of an onboard two-bottle drinks cooler, the rear cabin of the Flying Spur is the ultimate place to work or relax while on the road.

All Flying Spurs are produced at Bentley’s home in Crewe – the world’s first carbon-neutral factory for luxury car production. Bentley’s unique application of cutting-edge and modern technology, seamlessly integrating the latest British craftsmanship with innovative features, pushes the existing boundaries of refinement and attention to detail to create the finest super-luxury sports sedan ever built.

From the Bentley Press Release (Reston, Va., 10 February 2021)

February 14, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley Flying Spur named ‘Best Dream Machine’ by Motorweek
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The MANSORY Bentley Flying Spur W12 conversion

Kourosh Mansory always had a soft spot for premium British cars, he turned his passion into a business when he started MANSORY in 1989 with special attention to Rolls-Royce, Bentley, and Aston Martin. Today MANSORY takes that same high-end attention to detail to makes like Porsche, Lotus, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari … MANSORY is at the top of the ‘individualization’ car market.

Many of us will regard a Bentley Flying Spur W12 as a top-of-the-line luxury car with performance in mind, while a Rolls-Royce is usually enjoyed from the rear seat with a ‘chauffeur’, a Bentley is mostly driven by the owner being regarded as the more sporty alternative to a Rolls … and if the standard car from Crewe just isn’t exclusive enough … just have MANSORY to create a bespoke one just for you.

MANSORY brings clear carbon fiber to the front, side, and rear of the Bentley Flying Spur, there is a distinctive lip that’s added to the front bumper, naturally, the air intakes on that bumper get some carbon fiber add-ons too while the grille surround is also replaced by MANSORY. A four-part set of side skirts are available, while not one, but two different rear diffuser options are listed, one with four massive, oval exhaust tips, while the second comes with split-oval tips.

MANSORY offers a replacement engine cover for the Bentley Flying Spur, with integrated air vents, and the option for a carbon fiber ‘bonnet bar’ as they call it. We wouldn’t be looking at a MANSORY car if the exterior rearview mirrors didn’t get a carbon fiber cover too, and just like a small, but tasteful front lip, there is a nice little rear wing available too … and as a finishing touch, you can replace the Bentley logo on the trunk lid with a MANSORY ‘M’ logo.

Some might call it blasphemy, but MANSORY can replace the Bentley exhaust system with twin sport mufflers, there’s even an X-Pipe on the options list, while a 20 to 30mm lowering suspension kit is also possible, to make those custom MANSORY forged wheels come out even better, all in a 22-inch size, 10×22 for the front with 275/35 22 tires, and 11.5×22 at the rear with massive 335/25 22 … personally I love the glossy black FS.23 wheel the best.

While the interior of a factory standard Bentley Flying Spur W12 is already at an extremely high level, MANSORY still adds some personal touches nonetheless, like a bespoke sports steering wheel combining leather and carbon fiber that matches the new shift paddles, and the new door sills, with lighted MANSORY logo naturally, and a new gearshift lever, with the ‘M’ proudly on the top.

But MANSORY also offers a bespoke interior conversion to their customers, using exclusive leather in combination with carbon fiber or wood, whichever the client prefers, MANSORY offers 3D-embossed leather, there is even a multi-piece conversion set for the instrument panel, co-driver board, middle console front 2-parts, middle console rear 2-parts, ashtray, cover front and rear, jalousie front and behind, cover for light system front, 4-parts door panels available with carbon and wood.

Finished in a deep black paint with dark carbon fiber touches, the MANSORY Flying Spur W12 gets a power increase to 710 hp (522 kW) while torque goes to 1,000 Nm … as a result, the top speed goes up to 340 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h takes only 3.6 seconds in this behemoth.

February 7, 2021 / Comments Off on The MANSORY Bentley Flying Spur W12 conversion
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Bentley just built the 80,000th Continental GT in Crewe

The Home of Bentley in Crewe, UK has produced the 80,000th individual, made-to-order example of the Continental GT – the world’s definitive luxury grand tourer. The 80,000th car – a right-hand drive Continental GT V8 in Orange Flame – was handcrafted earlier this week, in the world’s first carbon neutral factory for luxury car production.

In 1952, the Bentley R-Type Continental made its debut; a Mulliner-bodied coupe with a top speed of just less than 120 mph. It was the fastest four-seater car in the world and very quickly earned a reputation as the ultimate in high-speed luxury.

In 2003, the Continental GT was launched – the first car of the modern Bentley era. Inspired by the R-Type, the first Continental GT established an entirely new market segment – the modern luxury Grand Tourer. Ever since, it has been the unchallenged benchmark for the sector that it founded, with an average of nearly 5,000 examples a year being delivered to customers around the world.

Today, eighteen years later, Bentley’s skilled craftspeople – many of whom will have worked on the very first example of the Continental GT (still owned by Bentley) – have handcrafted the 80,000th car. Over this period the style, technology and engineering beneath the car has evolved significantly, seeing an increase of up to 27 per cent in peak power, whilst models within the range have also achieved a reduction over the original Continental GT of 48 per cent in CO2 emissions.

Bentley’s Chairman and Chief Executive, Adrian Hallmark, comments:

“At its launch in 2003, Bentley redefined the modern grand tourer with the revolutionary Continental GT. Now in 2021, the GT continues to be the ultimate luxury grand tourer, encompassing the latest technology, performance and style. This success is a testament to the skills of our designers, engineers and craftspeople here in Crewe.”

“I had the pleasure of launching the original GT in 2003 in my first stint at Bentley, and being here for the launch of the latest generation – and the iterations that have followed – has been a source of great pride for me personally. It will continue to be the iconic backbone of the Bentley business for years to come, even as we transition to the world’s leading provider of sustainable luxury mobility.”

The platform beneath the car was upgraded to a Bentley design for the third generation, allowing a totally new stance, proportions and levels of dynamic ability that raised the bar again. Wrapped in a totally new bodywork design, with sharper lines and more flowing surfaces, the Continental GT remains a stylish and thoroughly contemporary grand tourer.

A statement of true luxury, the third generation Continental GT represents the pinnacle of Bentley’s two-door design and engineering achievements. Effortlessly elegant and more sculpted and sharply defined, the body and materials combine to create truly breath-taking cars.

With a choice of powertrains, one of the most extensive colour palettes in the world and with almost limitless interior options, unique configurations can run into billions of variations. Indeed, there are currently a total of 17 billion ways in which a customer can specify a Continental GT. Beyond that, through the services of Bentley Mulliner – Bentley’s in-house bespoke division – the only limitation is the imagination of the customer. Owning a Continental GT guarantees both individuality and exclusivity, despite being part of a family now 80,000 strong.

The 80,000th vehicle is an eye catching Continental GT V8 in Orange Flame, finished with the optional Blackline Specification and Styling Specification, both adding to the car’s presence and hinting at the GT’s performance credentials.

A Family Gathering to Celebrate
To mark the production milestone, Bentley drew on its heritage fleet to show the evolution and achievements of the Continental GT since 2003.

Marking the car through its generations were:

  • The very first production Continental GT, VIN 0001, still a taxed-and-tested car on Bentley’s fleet
  • A Continental Supersports coupe, considered by many to be the pinnacle of the first generation GT family
  • A second generation Continental GT V8 S coupe, finished in Jetstream
  • From the current press fleet, a Dragon Red Continental GT Convertible

The Continental GT has also supported Bentley’s long tradition of racing and record breaking that started in the 1920s when the Bentley Boys set the pace at European circuits. In 1922, John Duff drove his Bentley 3 Litre single handed for 24 hours, at an average speed of almost 87 mph at Brooklands to secure 39 Class D records. And in 1928, another 3 Litre driven by Dudley Froy became the first car to achieve more than 115 mph over a distance of 100 miles at the same venue.

To mark recent achievements, the line-up was joined by some of the most exciting performance-focused Continental GTs:

  • The first Ice Speed Record GT, driven by four-times World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen, which smashed the world ice speed record in 2007, reaching an average speed of 199.86 mph (321.65 km/h) on frozen sea off the coast of Finland.
  • The first-generation Continental GT3 racecar, that returned Bentley to winning ways on the racetrack in 2014 and secured victories on tracks all around the world
  • The 2019 Pikes Peak GT, which still holds the Production Class record at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. Driven by three-time champion Rhys Millen, the car took 8.4 seconds off the previous record along the 12.42-mile course, climbing 5,000 ft through 156 bends in just 10 minutes, 18.4 seconds.
  • The 2020 Ice Race GT, which took part in the GP Ice Race at Zell Am See in February last year on the same weekend that the final member of the line-up – the latest-generation Continental GT3 – won the Bathurst 12 Hour in Australia.

After 18 years and three generations, the Continental GT is still the quintessential grand tourer – phenomenally powerful, beautifully designed and exquisitely crafted.

January 30, 2021 / Comments Off on Bentley just built the 80,000th Continental GT in Crewe
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2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Joins Facelift Range with Electrification

Bentley has launched the new Bentayga Hybrid, joining the recent range of facelift models.

The new Bentayga Hybrid offers electric luxury and technology that positions it as the most advanced Bentayga to date.

The interior and exterior designs have all been updated to match the current design language. Customers of the Bentayga can block out noise from outside through the refined and acoustically-isolated tranquility of the cabin without engine interference. The interior can be further enhanced with the application of dark tint diamond brushed aluminium trim for the first time in a Bentley.

The Hybrid’s electrified powertrain consists of 12 main components. LED provides a visual indicator showing the state of charge of the battery which can be charged at a rate of 7.2kW/h. The battery can be charged to 100 in approximately 2 hours and consists of 168 individual cells with an expected life of 8 years.

Stored energy is converted into smooth and better performance through the 94kW E motor which can produce up to 350 Nm of torque. When combined with the 3.0 liter twin turbocharged V6 engine, the total output is 449hp and 700nm of torque. It achieves a pure electric range of 36 miles and a combined range of 546 miles.

The Bentayga has different drive modes and a customized button which allows control over the three E Modes – EV drive, Hybrid mode and Hold mode. EV drive mode is engaged immediately when the car is switched on and maximizes the electric driving experience as well as denoting the boundary between pure electric and hybrid power. This mode is ideal for city driving and short journeys. Hybrid Mode maximizes vehicle efficiency and is suitable for longer journeys. Hold Mode balances engine and electric power to hold high battery charge for later use. This is the default mode when in sport to supply consistent boost and recuperation.

The price and the performance figures have not been confirmed yet.

January 5, 2021 / Comments Off on 2021 Bentley Bentayga Hybrid Joins Facelift Range with Electrification
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