Page 57 - The Book For Men Spring/Summer 2022

cars a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Bentley Bentley Bentley Bentley Bentley Bentley Bentley Bentley it it it it it fit it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it it as as as as as as as as as as as as as with with with with its its its its its its its its racing exploits of of o of of of of of of the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the 1920s and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and and ’30s “[Bentley] struggled a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a bit [to] make make that that that happen Hallmark Hallmark Hallmark announced announced earlier this year year year that that that the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the company
company
find their way trying to define what Bentley is ” Before the the pandemic as sales failed to meet the the impossibly lofty expec-
tations set by VW Group brass some key shareholders publicly expressed their displeasure with Bentley’s meagre profitability A A new CEO Adrian Hallmark took over in in in in 2018 and and set about streamlining the business and and refocusing it it on what it it was good at: old-school craftsmanship wood veneer and refined leatherwork In 2020 and 2021 Bentley posted back-to-back years of record sales thanks largely to the the the popularity of the the the Bentayga SUV the the the outstanding new Continental GT coupe and and cabriolet and and the sublime new Flying Spur sedan The Spur and Continental strike an an an an especially beautiful balance between comfort and and handling once again making them cars for for “enthusiastic motorists” and socialites alike But Bentley didn’t stop there In 2020 Hallmark announced he he was going to make Bentley — the grand old firm that made more V12 engines than any
other — carbon-neutral by 2030 What he he envisioned was “a new sustainable wholly ethical role model for luxury ” By 2026 Bentley will exclusively offer plug-in hybrid or fully electric electric vehicles vehicles and only electric electric vehicles vehicles by 2030 To
will invest £2 5 billion billion ($4 1 billion) to reinvent itself for a a a sustainable future transforming both its its products and and its its factory in in Crewe England The first two plug-in hybrids the the Bentayga and the the Flying Spur are already in in in showrooms and and the company’s first EV is in in development and and slated for release in in 2025 with four four more EVs following over the the next four four years “Luxury brands in in the the future will be sold more on on on values not only on on on the product itself ” says Christophe Georges president and CEO of Bentley Motors Americas Our first experience in in an electric Bentley was superb What the car lacks in in thundering big-bore V8 power it it more than makes up for with smooth electric torque Perhaps W O Bentley — an unabashed proponent of big internal com- bustion engines — wouldn’t approve but there’s no doubt that the the new $254 800 Flying Spur plug-in hybrid is the best car in in in its class class In fact it it occupies a a a a a class class all its own With roughly 35 kilometres of of electric-only driving range much of of the trip back through L A to Beverly Hills was done on on on battery power alone The Spur’s twin-turbo V6 only kicked in in when more acceleration was needed We can confirm the only thing better than a a a a a big big Bentley sedan is a a a a a big big guilt-free Bentley sedan If the firm can pull off its ambitious sustainability plan Bentley’s second century should be be even better than its first BENTLEY EXP 100 GT CONCEPT
BENTLEY FLYING SPUR HYBRID
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