The great name of Bentley used to evoke memories of the illustrious ‘Bentley Boys’ era and a motorsport heritage that goes back further than almost everyone in the business. A byword for quality and luxury that was the epitome of British gentry and the can do spirit of early motoring pioneers. These days the motorsport heritage may be less grandeur than the bygone era yet the brand remains at the forefront of luxury, style and grand design statements on the road for the well heeled.
Since the great British marque became a VW Group company, the bespoke limited runs of the automobiles may have somewhat made way for a numbers game but that doesn’t mean the cars are any less of an event than they once were. After 12 years the first all new VW era car, the Continental GT, may be a familiar sight on our roads but thanks to regular styling tweaks and many upgrades, the stately GT is still a spectacle of luxury and refinement. The design remains fresh and modern with nods to the company’s former grand tourers and famous landmark models, re-establishing the Bentley name to new money customers. It may have made a name for itself in its early days as a footballer’s go to car but these days it has shaken off that moniker and become one of the finest motors you can buy today, no mean feat after such a long production run for a car.
Whilst the company is going from strength to strength they have decided to enter into unfamiliar territory with their latest model, heading off road with the new Bentayga. The success of the Porsche Cayenne and the ever present Range Rover has proved there is definitely room for a new kind of luxury in this sector. Their first 4×4 concept was unveiled in 2012 after rumours of Bentley’s emergence into this sector however it came with mixed reviews about the design and aesthetics of the possible forthcoming direction for the company. The trademark large diamond grilling and rounded headlights didn’t seem to sit too well with the rounded appearance of many of the competitors and current large off-road models available. This coupled with the square form of the rear lights taken from the Flying Spur version of the Continental GT made for an uncomfortable concoction of styling cues.
The production ready Bentayga promises unrivalled levels of luxury and refinement, as you’d expect from a Bentley product, and has a power to match. With the W12 engine from the Continental producing over 600 hp the Bentayga has also been marketed as the most powerful and fastest luxury off-roader (a large amount of) money can buy. The styling is unmistakably Bentley design and the car’s large dimensions give a definite presence of the power that lies underneath. The large grille and rounded lights from the Continental have remained yet appear less offensive and uncomfortable than they did on the concept car. In fact the stance and profile of the car appear more raised Continental GT than enlarged borrowed body parts from the smaller model. A styling trick that suit the athletic possibilities of the car and befit the illustrious motorsport heritage the company are obviously keen to bring to the party. The rear has also been toned down from the original concept and although it may not be to everyone’s cup of tea it isn’t brash or as cobbled together as before, appearing refined and understated with simple stylish hints to the styling of the GT and Flying Spur to broaden the family design. Side grilles have been cleverly styled to appear like the letter ‘B’ for Bentayga and is an evolution of the famous flying ‘B’ that graces the bonnet of the finest cars to leave the Crewe factory. This clever styling cue can also be found in the brake light shape, a sign that no area of the design has been overlooked or accepted as anything less than exceptional.
Inside a Bentayga feels like sitting in any of the current Bentley range, there are endless amounts of polished wood, the deepest of deep pile carpets and the finest quilted diamond stitched leather that we’re told comes from no fewer than 4 whole cow hides. The comfortable interior and smooth ride quality would no doubt be uncompromised no matter how rough the terrain gets when you decide to test the Bentayga’s off-road capabilities. Not that the majority of owners would choose to dirty their Bentley’s immaculate paint job, unless it involved a trip to the polo field or gymkhana event.
Underneath it may borrow heavily from the VW Group’s Q7/Touareg/Cayenne platform but the sheer majesty of the bodywork alone is enough to make the big Bentley seem like a completely different machine, and it should at around twice the price of its sister cars.
Bentley have approached a gap in the market that obviously does exist and created a car that looks grand enough and bespoke in appearance to distance itself from other competitors. In the current market you can heavily specify a Range Rover or Porsche Cayenne or even an Audi Q7 to achieve similar levels of luxury and refinement but there is little to distinguish them from the more standard version of the cars. With the Bentayga there is no ‘cheaper’ option, no chance for pulling up next to a similar version at the lights that you know costs half as much as the one you’re driving. It brings Bentley’s reputation for only the very best and plushest of materials and equipment and marries it all to a new range of possibilities for clients that are looking to get one up on their fellow statesmen. The awkward appearance of the concept has thankfully been toned down and Bentley have produced a car that and noble gentry would welcome on their immaculately kept driveway or in their fastidiously kept heated garages. Its impressive looks appear as an evolution of the current Bentley range rather than a mish-mash of the extensive VW Audi Group parts bin fitted to a generic off-road car body. Bentley have decided to keep up not only their reputation for the upmost in luxury and refinement but teamed it with their illustrious motorsport heritage to produce one of the finest machines money can buy, even if most of us may need a mortgage to be able to afford one.
HYPE Automotive 