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First production Bentley Bentayga rolls off the line

Three-and-a-half years after we got a view of the initial concept that led us here, the Bentley EXP 9 F, the first production Bentley Bentayga has left the production line in Crewe. The Anthracite-colored crossover is the culmination of four years of work and an 840-million-pound investment that added a new bodystory, new paint shop, new assembly line, and 1,500 jobs to the company's workforce. Customer deliveries begin next month, and with the order book approaching 6,000 units, sightings of the Bentagya everywhere will commence not long after that. The brand has the segment to itself until Rolls-Royce, Aston Martin, and Lamborghini can bring their efforts to market, and after having driven it and found it really rather good, Bentley should profit handsomely from its position. Next spring, the sharper, edgier, faster Bentley crossover that many were expecting should make an appearance and likely do just as well, if not better. For now, though, it's the Bentagya show. The press release below has more. Related Video: FIRST BENTLEY BENTAYGA ROLLS OFF THE PRODUCTION LINE- Sector-defining SUV designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe- Car marks significant UK manufacturing investment- First Bentayga to join Bentley's famous Heritage Collection(Crewe, 27 November 2015) The very first production Bentley Bentayga, the catalyst for one of the biggest investment programmes in the company's history, today left the assembly line at Bentley's iconic headquarters in Crewe, UK.Four years on from the initial concept stage, during which time over 1,500 UK jobs have been created, the car - part of an GBP840 million investment programme - will now enter full production, with deliveries to customers starting in January 2016.Wolfgang Durheimer, Chairman and Chief Executive of Bentley Motors, said: "Bentley Bentayga will be the benchmark against which all other SUVs are measured, defining a new segment – the luxury SUV."This car is a celebration of UK manufacturing at its very best, not only reinforcing our commitment to industry in this country, job creation and significant investment, but to our home in Crewe. This is an important moment in our history, where we reflect and celebrate, but also look ahead to delivering this extraordinary car to our customers."I would like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues from all parts of the business for their dedication and professionalism in delivering the Bentley Bentayga.

Meet the Bentley Inspirator, your A.I. Bentayga configurator

The future of the car configurator just sprouted a tender new shoot. The Bentley Inspirator app relieves Bentayga buyers of most of the heavy lifting when they're trying to sort out what kind of image they want their super-luxe SUV to project. Usable on any Apple iOS device, the app plays a video and then scans the viewer's face for emotional cues. The video changes based on the viewer's responses to on-screen images, so theoretically, two viewers shouldn't see the same video. The app achieves this by noting 34 "facial landmarks" based on an "emotion data repository" filled with "more than 12 million emotion data points" provided by 3.4 million faces from 75 million countries. At the end of the film, the app suggests a Bentayga configuration, from colors to veneers to wheels. Now fresh from the effort, the prospective customer can apply all of his or her energies to fine tuning the result. You can download it from Bentley's site or the app store, watch the video of how it works above, and check out the press release below. Related Video: BENTLEY INSPIRATOR: PERSONAL PREFERENCE BROUGHT TO LIFE - Inspirator app is the next generation of digital car configurator - Emotion-recognition technology interprets users' facial expressions and generates vehicle configuration - Bentley Inspirator application available to download now at www.bentleymotors.com/inspirator and in Apple App Store (Crewe, 21 October 2015) Personal style preferences can now be transformed into recommendation, with Bentley's latest innovation: the Inspirator. The application monitors the users' facial expressions and reactions and interprets them in order to configure the perfect Bentley for them. Utilising any iOS device's camera function, the application's facial and emotion recognition software measures and analyses the viewer's emotion based on nuanced facial expressions. 34 facial landmarks are identified at 15 frames per second, as the viewer reacts to stimulating film content. The accurate emotion metrics algorithms are built using the world's largest emotion data repository – 3.4 million faces have been analysed in 75 countries amounting to more than 12 billion emotion data points. The viewer's reactions dictate a unique film narrative; the film changes according to what the user responds to most positively, but also deciphers their preferences, creating a unique configuration revealed at the end of the film.

Bentley teases new Flying Spur sedan

Bentley has released another teaser video for its redesigned Flying Spur, and the next generation car is looking less like a grown up Continental GT and more like a junior Mulsanne. A viewing of the first teaser vid revealed a more upright grille, a three-spoke steering wheel, horizontal taillights and quarter panels with angles and curves certifiably lifted from the Mulsanne. After this second video, we can add lower door panels with a more aggressive shape, horizontal vents in the fenders and a rear end with the shape of proper haunches.
The English motorcar maker promises us we'll see more on February 20, when "performance and luxury unite." We'll be there in person when the "Camry for rich people" is revealed at the Geneva Motor Show next month. You'll find the videographic appetizer below.