Tag Archives: Bentley

News

Bentley Turns Light Into Luxury: The Futuristic Craft Behind Mulliner’s Animated Welcome Lamps

For more than a century, Bentley has defined luxury with wood so polished you can see the future in it, leather so supple it could pass for a tailored suit, and metalwork fit for a fine Swiss chronometer. But now, the Crewe craftsmen have added a surprising new medium to their palette: light.

And not just any light — curated, animated, digitally sculpted light.

Originally developed for the ultra-exclusive Mulliner Batur, Bentley’s first-ever use of Digital Light Processing (DLP) in a road car is now making its way into the brand’s broader coachbuilt offerings. The result? Customers can design their own animated welcome projection — a personal light show that appears on the ground as they open the door. Think of it as the automotive equivalent of a signature handshake, crafted from photons.

Light as Luxury Material

Bentley calls the concept “digital craftsmanship,” and for once, the marketing speak undersells it. What the brand is doing here is redefining how technology and traditional coachbuilding can intersect.

Every projection features a two-part animation:

  • An intro sequence triggered when the door first swings open
  • A continuous loop that plays afterward

Bentley’s designers aren’t just sketching pretty patterns — they’re pulling motifs from the cabin and exterior and giving them motion. Embroidered feathers can flutter to life. Initials can sweep across the pavement in a handwritten flourish. Even bespoke themes can be crafted for special commissions.

Case in point: a recent Mulliner collection inspired by the Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. The headrest embroidery and dashboard’s musical cues became the backbone of an animation featuring warm central light surrounded by swirling musical notes — a bit of nighttime theatre every time you step inside.

Microscopic Mirrors, Massive Impact

If this all sounds like projector tech, that’s because it is — extremely advanced projector tech.

Bentley’s system uses three colored light sources that pass through five lenses and two prisms before striking a tiny 8 mm² Digital Micromirror Device (DMD™). This silicon chip contains 415,800 mirrors, each only 16 microns wide — roughly one-fifth the width of a human hair.

These mirrors can tilt thousands of times per second. When they’re “on,” they reflect colored light out toward the ground. When “off,” they aim light into a heat sink so the image stays razor-sharp. Each mirror is a pixel, and together they form animations detailed enough to match the rest of the car’s handcrafted identity.

If luxury used to rely on rare materials, Bentley argues the next frontier is mastering how those materials behave in motion.

The Future: Where Craft Meets Code

Bentley’s designers are already exploring how far this idea can go. What happens when lighting, interior design, and UI all merge into one cohesive artistic language? What if the emotional resonance customers expect from woodgrain or leather stitching could also come from curated moments of digital animation?

This isn’t about more screens or brighter LEDs; it’s about using technology to amplify the emotional signature of a Bentley. A new kind of luxury — less about physical mass, more about sensory experience.

And while animated welcome lamps might seem like a small flourish, they hint at something bigger: a future where the line between coachbuilding and coding gets beautifully blurred.

Bentley built its reputation on craftsmanship you can feel. Now it’s working on craftsmanship you can see — even before you step inside.

Source: Bentley

NEW CARS

2027 Bentley Supersports: The Return of the Beast

A century after the very first Bentley “Super Sports” broke the 100-mph barrier, Bentley has resurrected its most fearsome badge — and delivered the most driver-focused Continental ever to wear it. The new 2027 Bentley Supersports is a rare moment of rebellion from Crewe: rear-wheel drive, two seats only, weighing under two tonnes, and powered by a roaring twin-turbo V-8 with no hybrid help whatsoever. This isn’t the genteel grand tourer you remember. This is Bentley gone feral.

The Most Focused Continental in History

At the heart of the new Supersports is a thoroughly reworked 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8, now strengthened, boosted, and sharpened to deliver 666 PS (657 hp) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) exclusively to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. Bentley claims a 0–62 mph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of around 192 mph, but the raw numbers are almost beside the point. What matters is engagement.

To that end, Bentley hasn’t just shuffled components — it has rewritten the Continental GT’s genetic code. This is the first rear-drive Continental GT in history (race cars aside), assisted by a newly tuned eLSD, wider rear track, and torque vectoring by brake. ESC modes now include everything from fully supportive to fully unhinged, with a “Dynamic” map allowing controllable, Bentley-polished slip angles.

Rear-wheel steering remains to keep the massive coupe agile, and the chassis receives entirely new calibrations for steering, suspension, and power delivery. The result? Bentley says the Supersports can corner 30 percent quicker than a GT Speed when fitted with the optional Pirelli Trofeo RS rubber, generating up to 1.3 g of lateral force.

More Downforce Than Any Bentley Road Car

If the Continental GT Speed is a velvet fist, the new Supersports is the brass knuckle. Nearly every exterior change serves function first: a new front bumper with the largest splitter ever fitted to a Bentley, stacked carbon-fiber dive planes, new side sills, “B-shaped” fender blades, a full carbon diffuser, and a fixed rear wing.

Combined, these aero additions produce 300 kg more downforce than a GT Speed, while maintaining balanced lift and shifting weight rearward at higher speeds. Carbon fiber trims more weight from the roof, mirrors, and engine cover, while the entire rear cabin — seats, insulation, trim — has been removed and replaced with a carbon-fiber tub. The result: the lightest Bentley in 85 years, dipping below the 2000-kg mark.

Standard brakes are immense 440-mm carbon-ceramic front discs with 10-piston calipers — the largest production car brakes on the planet.

A Cabin Built for Driving, Not Cruising

Open the door and you’ll immediately realize this isn’t a Continental that happens to be sportier — it’s a sports car with Bentley fit and finish. Two heavily bolstered sports seats sit lower in the chassis, wrapped in leather and Dinamica, with carbon-fiber shells peeking around their shoulders.

The rear seating area is gone, replaced by a sculpted carbon-fiber structure trimmed in leather. Carbon fiber veneers are standard, though buyers can spec brushed or engine-turned aluminum. A numbered badge on the center console reminds you — and your passenger — that only 500 examples will exist.

Project Mildred: Bentley’s Secret Skunkworks

Internally, the Supersports began life as Project Mildred, named for Mildred Mary Petre — a record-setting racer and pilot who drove a 4½ Litre Bentley for 24 hours at Montlhéry in 1929. The project started quietly in late 2024 as a back-channel experiment to see what a lightweight, rear-drive Continental could feel like.

One track mule later, the results were convincing enough for Bentley’s new CEO, Dr. Frank-Steffen Walliser, to green-light the full program. Walliser calls the Supersports “a return to Bentley making more extreme cars” — and given the timing, it becomes the first full vehicle developed under his leadership.

A Name With a Violent Pedigree

The Supersports lineage reads like Bentley’s greatest hits:

  • 1925 Super Sports: Short-wheelbase 3-Litre, the first Bentley to crack 100 mph; only 18 built.
  • 2009 Supersports: Return of the badge; 204 mph; first two-seat Continental.
  • 2017 Supersports: 710-hp W12 monster; then the most powerful Bentley ever.

The new model shifts focus from outright top speed to driver involvement — a philosophical reboot for Bentley performance.

Customization: From Nightfall to Daybreak

Mulliner will indulge the usual Bentley buyer fantasies:

  • 22 hide colors, 11 secondary hides, 9 accents
  • A unique tri-tone interior option
  • 24 standard paint colors plus bespoke Mulliner finishes
  • Exterior themes with striping, contrasting number graphics, and carbon-fiber accents

Launch cars come in two themes:

  • Nightfall, an Anthracite gloss with Camel striping and Beluga/Camel interior
  • Daybreak, Jetstream Matte with Arctica/Portofino accents and a Damson/Light Blue/Pillar Box Red cabin

Price and Availability

Bentley hasn’t announced pricing yet, but with only 500 units and a list of standard equipment that reads like a motorsport catalog — Akrapovič titanium exhaust, Manthey Racing forged 22s, carbon-ceramic brakes — expect a number well into the six-figure stratosphere. Order books open in March 2026, production starts in late 2026, and deliveries begin early 2027. Markets include the UK, Europe, U.S., Canada, Australia, the Gulf, and select Asian regions.

Source: Bentley

News

Bentley Hits the Brakes on Its EV-Only Future, but the Next Flying Spur Still Looks Electrifying

Like many automakers reassessing their electric dreams, Bentley is taking a step back from the fast lane of full electrification. The storied British marque has quietly eased off the throttle on its “all-EV by 2030” plan, now pushing that goalpost to 2035.

That’s not to say the Crewe-based brand is abandoning its vision of a silent, zero-emission future—just that it’s acknowledging reality. Market demand, regulatory limbo, and the expectations of Bentley’s well-heeled clientele have prompted a more measured approach. Between now and then, expect a mix of internal-combustion, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid offerings to carry the torch.

A Flying Spur for Every Powertrain

At the heart of Bentley’s recalibrated strategy sits the next-generation Flying Spur, which is shaping up to be one of the most versatile sedans in the brand’s history. While official details remain as tightly guarded as a royal’s address, whispers from Crewe suggest that the big Bentley will arrive with three flavors: a traditional twin-turbo V8, a PHEV setup, and a fully electric variant sitting atop the range.

The internal-combustion model isn’t going quietly. Expect a heavily revised 4.0-liter V8 pushing somewhere between 600 and 700 horsepower and up to 664 lb-ft of torque. The plug-in hybrid, meanwhile, will pair that same V8 with a rear-mounted electric motor and a 25.9-kWh battery, delivering an eye-opening 771 horsepower and 738 lb-ft through an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

For those who prefer the whisper of electrons, the EV version will reportedly share its bones with the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric. Expect up to 1,000 horsepower, a 113-kWh battery pack, and around 370 miles of range—plus wireless charging capability for the ultimate valet flex.

Design: Bold, Bright, and a Bit Brutal

Bentley previewed its next design chapter earlier this year with the EXP 15 fastback concept, a striking vision that hinted at where the brand is headed. The next Flying Spur will likely channel much of that concept’s DNA—but with the production realism Bentley buyers expect.

Gone are the soft ovals of old. In their place: slim vertical LED headlamps framing a rectangular, backlit version of the brand’s iconic upright grille. The long bonnet, sloping roofline, and muscular haunches remain, while frameless windows add a sleek, modern flourish. Don’t look for flush door handles, though—regulators apparently didn’t share Bentley’s enthusiasm for them.

Out back, a halo-style OLED taillight strip stretches across a smooth panel, anchored by a minimalist diffuser and subtle lip spoiler. The overall impression is clean, assertive, and unmistakably Bentley.

Inside: Tradition Meets Tomorrow

Bentley interiors have always blended opulence with craft, and the next Flying Spur looks set to take that ethos into the digital age. Drawing inspiration from the EXP 15, the cabin is expected to feature a wing-shaped dashboard, backlit wood veneer, and dual OLED displays—all tied together by Bentley’s signature knurled metal controls.

More futuristic touches could include an 87-inch augmented-reality head-up display, an AI-driven voice assistant, and even a retractable digital headliner for immersive ambient effects. Rear passengers, naturally, won’t be left out: expect reclining massage seats, fold-out tables, and modular display pods that redefine first-class travel on four wheels.

The Competition: Rarefied Air

The Flying Spur has always danced in rare company, and the next-gen version won’t be any different. Its primary sparring partners remain the Rolls-Royce Ghost and Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, though Bentley’s hybrid and EV strategy could also tempt buyers away from newer tech-driven luxury sedans like Huawei’s Maextro S800 in China.

The Road Ahead

Bentley’s decision to slow its EV rollout might look like hesitation, but it feels more like calibration. The company isn’t rejecting the electric age—it’s ensuring its values of craftsmanship, performance, and presence aren’t lost in translation.

Expect the next Flying Spur to break cover in late 2026 or early 2027, wearing the weight of Bentley’s heritage and the promise of its future. Until then, the message from Crewe is clear: luxury isn’t about rushing—it’s about arriving perfectly.

Source: Bentley