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Buying
into A Bentley
Bentley Motors hosted an exclusive customer drive event at the
Yas Marina Forumal One Circuit in Abu Dhabi. Visvas Paul D Karra
was a guest along with other journalists at this event where the
new Continental GTC, GT, Flying Spur and the ultra luxurious
Mulsanne models were put through their paces.
Its one thing to drive the latest Bentley beauties on a Formula
One race track but if you get an opportunity to take a ride in
the oldest Bentley – the historic Bentley EXP2 – and that too on
a Formula One track, then its a dream come true. This exclusive
script was complete when we were flown over the Yas Island by
helicopter to get a bird’s eye view of the Formula One race
track and were later given a preview of the fastest sailing
yacht in this part of the world.
This treat of a complete track, sea and air experience at the
Bentley drive event is synonymous with the unique lifestyle that
the name Bentley evokes. As one of the world’s key exclusive
brands, it takes an appreciation of the finest things in life to
be able to fully understand the equal parts of strength and
subtlety that are contained within Bentley’s exceptional DNA. It
all started back in Europe of the 1920s, when a group of wealthy
car enthusiasts known as the Bentley Boys set the motoring world
alight with their achievements on one of the world’s most famous
racetracks, Le Mans. This select group of men, brought together
by their combined love of speed and passion for life, believed
in one thing alone: that a Bentley was much more than a means of
getting from A to B; It was for living life to the full.
Together, the Bentley Boys helped to position Bentley as much
more than just a car company: it was synonymous with a premium
lifestyle choice. Fast forward over 90 years, and this brand
ethos is brought right up to date and is very much apparent at
the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi. In the world of motorsport,
it is hard to beat a Formula 1 racetrack.
Here, Bentley united the founding principles of its gentlemen
racers of the ‘Twenties’ to offer Middle East customers and VIPs
a taste of luxury travel by road, sea and air. And ensuring that
the company’s roots are very much remembered, a surprise guest
from 1920, the Bentley EXP2 also made an appearance. The EXP2 is
the second car that Bentley Motors founder, WO Bentley ever
built. The EXP2 chassis was presented at the 1919 British
International Motor Show to high acclaim and one year later
developed into the Bentley 3-litre Experimental. The original,
EXP1 is no longer in existence, making EXP2 the oldest surviving
Bentley. Valued at around RO450,471, it is one of the most
expensive Bentleys in the world, not because of its luxurious
specifications and personalisations but because of its historic
value: the first British Sports Car.
We were able to take a passenger ride in the iconic EXP2 in an
experience of old versus new as it travelled along the Yas
Island Circuit. Chris Buxton, the host of this
once-in-a-lifetime experience, and regional director for Bentley
Motors Middle East, Africa and India, explained: “Our customers
do not purely buy a luxury car, they buy into the Bentley brand
and everything it stands for. Today’s experience, which is
uniquely Bentley, gives an opportunity to taste what we are
about, and learn about the lifestyle that comes with owning one
of our cars. It isn’t every day that you can step off a luxury
yacht or out of a helicopter and then blast round the track in a
car capable of over 300 kilometres per hour!”
Fresh from the Dubai Motor Show where it made its Middle East
debut, the new Continental GTC was the first opportunity to get
a real feel for this latest addition to the Bentley line up. In
a beautiful hue of Breeze the convertible was available for VIPs
and customers to drive on Yas Circuit. The GTC rockets from 0-60
in 4.5 seconds thanks to a hand-built 567hp powerplant. Boasting
516 lb-ft of torque, and a Quickshift transmission that improves
acceleration response times and cuts shift times to an
incredible 200 miliseconds. The GTC’s chassis, the stiffest of
any convertible in the world, provides a firm foundation for
suspension control, minimizing scuttle shake and contributing to
the GTC’s refined handling.
The GTC interior features luxurious wood and leather
craftsmanship, for which Bentley is renowned, alongside
class-leading technology, such as eight-inch touch-screen
infotainment system, and zip-code entry navigation, all
supported by a 30-gigabyte hard drive. To complete the full
Bentley experience we drove the stunning Continental Flying Spur
Speed. This sumptuous and spacious four-door Grand Tourer
possesses the heart and soul of the most breathtaking
high-performance coupé in the world, while at the same time
offering enhanced levels of personalisation, comfort and ride
quality. Inspired by Bentley’s legendary ‘Speed’ models that
first appeared in 1923, the 600 bhp Continental Flying Spur
Speed is the most powerful 4-door car ever produced by the
British manufacturer. Offering the pure driving experience and
uncompromising performance synonymous with all Bentleys bearing
the Speed legend, the Flying Spur Speed returns a range of
headline performance figures, including a 0-100 km/h sprint time
of 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 322 km/h.
With experts on hand to teach us how to get the most from the
cars on the Yas Island circuit the next decision was which
vehicle to try with the flagship Mulsanne and the GT also
available for driving. We got an exclusive opportunity to go for
a drive around the Yas Marina circuit in the ultra luxurious
Mulsanne, away from the din and roar of the GTs on the race
tracks. In one breath, we can say, Mulsanne is luxury
personified every inch. |
