Queen Elizabeth's limousine Bentley on display

Visitors to the Coronation Festival (11-14 July) will be able to enjoy the rare opportunity to see one of the most recognisable and elegant cars in the world, Her Majesty The Queen’s State Limousine.

This unique Bentley, presented to The Queen in 2002 to mark the 50^th anniversary of her accession to the throne, will be the centrepiece of a collection of Bentleys on display in Buckingham Palace Gardens throughout the celebrations.

“Whilst the State Limousine is known to millions of people across the world, the Coronation Festival will offer a superb opportunity for visitors to take their time to walk around the car and get closer than usually possible. Her Majesty and The Royal Household have kindly made the car available for the occasion,” comments Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations.

Bentley’s craftsmen, designers and engineers (in partnership with several leading British automotive specialists) started work on ‘Project Diamond’ in 2000 with the clear objective of creating a truly elegant car suitable for every type of Royal occasion. 

The State Limousine is designed to ensure as many well-wishers as possible have the opportunity to see The Queen and Bentley created a ‘panoramic glasshouse’ as well as making the vehicle far higher than any other car. Additionally, the rear seat position was determined using a model of the same height as The Queen and the doors are hinged at the rear and open through 90 degrees to enable Her Majesty to almost walk out of the car.

As well as presenting the State Limousine, Bentley’s craftsmen and designers will be offering live displays of some of the skills that provide every car that leaves the Crewe factory with a hand-built, bespoke feel. 

The ‘open air workshop’ will show guests the mix of hand-to-eye coordination, skill and attention to detail needed to create Bentley’s luxury car models. For example, the team will be demonstrating how to contrast stitch a steering wheel or apply a crossband design to a wood veneer.  

A final highlight from Bentley will be the presence of the company’s flagship model; the Mulsanne. Blending refinement and performance with luxury features and technology, the Mulsanne offers the greatest of grand touring experiences. The car takes nearly 400 hours to create (with 200 hours dedicated to crafting the luxurious interior) and nearly 120 exterior colours are available as standard as well as 24 leather colours. The steering wheel alone requires ten feet of thread and 620 stitches to complete.

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Bentley Continental GT3 race car makes its world debut

Bentley Continental GT3 race car.

Bentley’s new Continental GT3 race car is to spearhead the famous British marque’s presence at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, taking place from 12^th-14^th July in Sussex, England. With a busy schedule of development work ahead of it before marking Bentley’s return to the racetrack later this year, the new Continental GT3 makes its global debut in front of the crowds at Goodwood on Friday 12^thJuly. Demonstrating the performance potential that lies embedded in the DNA of every Continental GT, the GT3 is the most extreme form of the iconic Grand Tourer ever.

The GT3 will be joined at Goodwood by two road-going members of its Continental family. Four-time World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen will drive the breath-taking Continental GT Speed coupe up the famous Goodwood hill-climb over all three days of the Festival. With a top speed of 205 mph (330 km/h), the GT Speed is the fastest production Bentley ever. Its 6.0-litre, twin-turbo W12 engine delivers equally stunning acceleration: 0-60 mph in 4.0 secs (0-100 km/h in 4.2 secs).

Five-time Le Mans winner Derek Bell MBE once again dons the Bentley overalls for the event, this year piloting the fastest four-seat convertible in the world – the 202 mph (325 km/h) GT Speed Convertible. With a more dynamic chassis setup, increased power and torque and a host of subtle yet distinctive styling cues, the GT Speed Convertible is the pinnacle of the Continental range. Derek comments: “Coming back to Goodwood with Bentley is always a real honour, and this year I have the pleasure of driving a 616 bhp convertible up the infamous hill. 2013 is certain to be a great year for us at the Festival.”

Celebrating the 10^th anniversary of the famous Bentley 1-2 finish at Le Mans in 2003, the Speed 8 racers that will appear are the very same that crossed the finish line first and second ten years ago. They will be piloted up the hill in formation by the same pair of drivers – Guy Smith in Number 7, and David Brabham in Number 8. This evocative display commemorates the last British victory at Le Mans, where the cars covered 3,196 miles (5,146 km) over the course of the event, recording an average speed of 133 mph (214 km/h).

Away from the track action, the new Bentley show stand displays the full current range of Bentley vehicles, including the new Flying Spur. Powered by the iconic W12 engine, and with a cabin over 40% quieter than the previous model, the new Flying Spur is the perfect combination of spectacular performance and exemplary refinement.

The Continental GT3 will be unveiled on the media stage in the F1 paddock at 10:15 on Friday 12^th July, at which point more information about the car will be released.

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Bentley returning to race tracks with GT3

First Bentley racer for a decade almost track ready

Since the world debut of Bentley’s GT3 Concept Racer at the Paris Auto Salon in September 2012, a dedicated team of Bentley engineers has been developing the Continental GT3 in preparation for Bentley’s highly anticipated return to the track. Building on a rich racing heritage spanning ninety years, the new Continental GT3 is set to explore the extreme potential of Bentley’s iconic Grand Tourer and exploit the performance DNA contained within every Bentley.

With expert guidance and cooperation from Bentley’s GT3 technical partner, M-Sport Ltd1, the race-ready version of the Continental has been taking shape over the last six months. Leading the project is Brian Gush, Bentley’s Director of Motorsport, who took the company to victory at Le Mans in 2003. He comments: “Motorsport is an integral part of Bentley, and the performance and endurance qualities of all of our road cars reflect this racing heritage. Not one single part of the GT3 has escaped our attention, and the result is a car that can compete with the field in terms of factors such as power, weight and aerodynamics.”

Powered by a race-configured version of Bentley’s highly efficient 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, the GT3 puts its power to the road via a six-speed sequential racing gearbox. Double wishbone suspension, four-way adjustable dampers and competition brakes make up the chassis system, while more than 1000 kg of weight has been saved over the Continental GT road car by removing the equipment and parts that make the road car such a luxurious and refined Grand Tourer such as double glazing, over fifty ECUs and extensive electrical systems. The exquisitely trimmed Continental GT doors have been replaced by race versions, weighing just 12% of the originals.

The iconic silhouette of the road car is retained as the main body shell is almost a direct carryover, while doors, boot lid and bonnet are now hand-crafted in carbon fibre. The bodyshell itself benefits from a comprehensive FIA-specification roll cage, more than doubling its stiffness. Meanwhile, the carbon fibre racing seat has been trimmed by the craftsmen and women of the Crewe factory, who have also meticulously stitched the racing steering wheel and door pulls, just as they would on a Continental GT road car.

The Continental GT3 will soon be ready to begin a test programme ahead of its race debut.

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1,000 mile round-trip in a classic Bentley

Bentley will compete in this year’s Mille Miglia with two unique 4 ½ litre Supercharged “Blowers”; a 1930 Le Mans race car belonging to perhaps the most famous and daring of the Bentley Boys and a company demonstrator that is still going strong even after nine decades on the road.

The No. 2 Team Car – raced at Le Mans by Captain Tim Birkin – was brought by Bentley Motors in 2000 and has been regularly campaigned across the world by the company ever since. Richard Charlesworth, Bentley’s Director of Royal and VIP Relations, who has helped prepare the car for its third Mille Miglia challenge at Bentley’s Crewe headquarters, explains:

–This is a fantastic car to drive and remains extremely rapid as well. We take great pride in making sure all the cars Bentley owns continue to regularly compete or run and are not museum exhibits, which is very much the Bentley way, and we are all looking forward to the unique Mille Miglia experience.

The car is perhaps best known for its epic duel with a 7 litre ‘Kompressor’ Mercedes (also supercharged) at Le Mans in 1930 with Birkin putting his off-side wheels on the grass as he completed a typically daring pass of his Mercedes opponent Rudolf Caracciola at 120mph. The Blower immediately threw one of its rear tyre treads, but somehow Birkin carried on to set the fastest lap. 

Sadly Birkin’s campaign ended after 82 laps but the immense pressure he applied to the Mercedes is wildly credited with assisting his fellow Bentley Boys Woolf Barnato and Glenn Kidston to win the race in their Bentley Speed Six.

The second Bentley Blower to take-on Mille Miglia was completed in 1930 and is fitted with a beautiful Vanden Plas Open, Sports Four Seater body. It was owned by Bentley Motors as a customer demonstrator car before passing into private ownership. An early review praised it as "a car with the strongest possible individuality and it is certain that it is immensely likeable no matter what angle one may regard it".

Repurchased by Bentley Motors in 1997, the car continues to turn heads at Bentley customer events across the world and is still faithfully fulfilling demonstration rides well into its ninth decade.

–There are currently over 100,000 miles on this elegant Blower Bentley but we’re certain it has completed many more than this, comments Charlesworth.

– However, everyone at Bentley is confident the car will run for many, many years to come and will complete the 1,000 mile round-trip to and from Brescia.

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Make your home look like a Bentley!

Bentley meets interior design.

Bentley announced a partnership with Club House Italia for the development of its new Bentley Home Collection. This exclusive collection of furniture and homeware will combine the finest quality craftsmanship with exquisite modern design and the luxury finishes which underlie Bentley's renowned global brand.

The state-of-the-art collection will combine traditional elements in contemporary contexts to enhance today's residential, commercial and executive office interiors.

Stefan Buescher, Director of Product and Marketing, Bentley Motors, said: For more than 90 years Bentley has produced the world’s finest hand-crafted car interiors – now we are making our approach to luxury available to people’s homes and offices.”

Club House Italia - which furnishes the finest homes, boardrooms, apartments, hotels, yachts and private jets - will reflect Bentley's elegant, prestigious and recognisable style in the creation of a range of furniture that combines the highest attention to detail with the finest aesthetic sensibility.

The essence of Club House Italia is expressing the style of desire, giving a shape to luxury through a contemporary art made up of talent, sensitivity and expertise. Combined with Bentley’s legendary style and exquisite craftsmanship, the partnership will offer rare examples of elegance and fine finishes, using the world’s most beautiful  materials to bring out unique elements of character and craftsmanship.

Alberto Vignatelli, the chairman and CEO of Club House Italia, commented: “The collaboration with Bentley will be the perfect union between home collection know-how, high style and fine attention to detail.

“It will guarantee the creation of a haute couture home collection made for a sophisticated and exclusive lifestyle which will appeal to discerning customers who value modern luxury and exquisite craftsmanship.”

The new Bentley Home collection will combine the traditional elan of the British driver's spirit with a new modern English twist, an approach so superbly articulated in the Bentley suite at the St Regis hotel, New York. There, the combination of traditional and modern reaches a new dimension in the use of leather, precious wood veneers, steel, wool, silk and glass throughout the suite, and the distinctive quality of each object mirrors that of a Bentley model's performance and luxury core elements.

Lindsay Weaver, director of licensing and branded goods, Bentley motors, commented:  “We’re delighted to be partnering with Club House Italia on this exciting new approach to luxury. Both brands have a strong belief in design and share an unrivalled attention to detail – our products will be exquisite.”

The recent Milan Furniture fair provided the backdrop for a special preview of a small selection of items leading to the full collection launch at the Maison et Object International show in Paris, January 2014.

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