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Bentley wants to get into the coachbuilding business

There was a time when a customer would buy a chassis from an automaker like Bentley and then take it to a coachbuilder to have whatever bodywork they wanted put on it. The practice was particularly prevalent in Bentley's earlier days, but the industry has progressed in such a way - with tighter regulations and unibody construction - that such a practice is no longer feasible. But Bentley wants to get back into that business.
Speaking to UK trade publications recently, Bentley sales chief Kevin Rose indicated that the company is looking into setting up a special division within itself to meet the demands of extremely wealthy customers who want to commission their own coachbuilt custom creations. It's an emerging trend that's seen Ferrari Special Projects build one-offs like the F12 TRS and SP12 EC and McLaren Special Operations the outlandish X-1, and Bentley wants to get in on the action.
It wouldn't be the first even to rebody a contemporary Bentley in recent years. Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera offers the Flying Star (pictured above) that turns the Continental GT into a shooting brake, and Dany Bahar's new coachbuilding outfit Ares plans to do the same. By bringing it in-house, however, Bentley would be able to pick the chassis up off the assembly line at the right time and provide the necessary support and factory backing.

Bentley considering diesel engine for new SUV

Turns out, in case you didn't know, the rich are just like regular people. They too are concerned about the environment, even when tooling around town in their super-luxurious Bentleys. So the automaker is weighing the idea of offering a diesel engine in its SUV offering, which could help satisfy customers' demands for more fuel-efficient engines.
Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Schreiber told Autoblog in a roundtable interview at the Geneva Auto Show that the automaker is researching whether or not a diesel engine makes sense for the brand. Bentley, owned by the Volkswagen Group, could in theory use a diesel engine from anywhere in the Volkswagen Group family. We at Autoblog have hopes they'll revive the V10 TDI used in the VW Touareg until 2010, but ever-stricter emissions laws would likely make that problematic.
But rich people aren't so much like us that they'll be worried about petty things like pricing. Schreiber admitted the diesel engine could be a $15,000 option, which he said customers would probably find "acceptable." Given that the cheapest Bentley today starts at $177,000, typical customers probably won't be diddling around worrying about an extra 15 grand.

Inkas reveals armored Bentley Bentayga for risky VIPs

Inkas Armored Vehicle Manufacturing has unveiled what it is billing as the first commercially available armored Bentley Bentayga, a week after we saw the armored X5 Protection VR6 straight from BMW. It can be equipped with up to level B6 protection, so it can withstand shots from a 7.62 mm round fired from an assault rifle. The first example has already been purchased for approximately $500,000.  Inkas, which is based in Toronto, lists armoring services for a number of different vehicles including the Toyota Camry, Mercedes-Benz G-Class, or even Ford Transit vans. And now, it offers a service for Bentley's luxurious and performance-minded Bentayga SUV.  Inkas offers two routes for its customers. An interested consumer can bring a car in and have it outfitted exactly the way he or she wants. Or, the customer can tell Inkas what he or she is looking for, and Inkas will source and build the entire project, including finding the right vehicle. For the Bentayga, specifically, armor options start at $130,000, and fully sourced projects can range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, as previously noted.  Standard armor for each project includes a safety shell for passengers, multi-layer bullet-resistant glass, battery and ECU protection, reinforced door hinges, a reinforced suspension, and run-flat tires. Inkas says the B6 level of armor is meant to stop armor piercing rounds, but it could also protect from grenade blasts.  Inkas also offers the options to equip the Bentayga with a lightweight armor package, a PA system, heavy duty brakes, emergency lights, a fire supression system, and heavy duty wheels. We imagine most orders tick all the boxes.  Take a look inside the world's first bulletproof Bentley Bentayga made by INKAS® Armored Vehicle Manufacturing #bulletproof #bentley #bentayga #wolrdfirst #inkas #armored pic.twitter.com/rmrsXK7Nyv — INKAS Vehicles (@inkasvehicles) August 28, 2019