2019 Bentley Bentayga on 2040-cars

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Top London design students imagine Bentley in 2050

Imagination is the birthplace of good design. Shapes, curves, and edges are formulated inside an artist's mind before spilling onto a sketchbook page and taking shape as an automobile. The Royal College of Art in London aims to nurture this within its mobility students. In a recent project, vehicle design students of the MA Intelligent Mobility program brainstormed how the future of Bentley Motors would transpire in physical form. The challenge asked, "What will British luxury mean in 2050?" In total, 24 designer hopefuls turned in designs to a judging panel of RCA teachers and members of the Bentley design team. These same teachers also helped the students throughout the process. Of the 24, only four designs were plucked and highlighted, seen in the concept sketches above. Eunji Choi's "Elegant Autonomy," which looks like a mesh between a luxury yacht and a grand piano, took a high-class approach to what driverless cars might look like. Jack Watson's "Stratospheric Grand Touring," the teardrop pod on legs, makes note that without the worry of travel difficulties, home could be literally anywhere. Irene Chiu's "Luxury Soundscapes," seen from the overhead and cockpit views, reimagines a car's cabin as a tranquil safe space. Kate NamGoong's "Material Humanity," which most resembles a current-age car while invoking historic Bentley design, offers a future where the way to stand out from the crowd will be to occasionally drive a combustion engine like "the old days." The rarity of such an engine will form a niche for craft exposed engines, much like is true of high-end watches. We think we like that one best *wink*. The intent for the Intelligent Mobility program is to lead the proclaimed third age of automotive design. It is meant to work toward a future of interconnected megacities, flying cars, driverless vehicles, and sustainable energy and materials. The biggest problem with the future? It'll have new innovations and worse problems even the human mind not be able to imagine. Related Video: Featured Gallery Future of Bentley, Royal College of Art View 16 Photos News Source: Royal College of Art Design/Style Green Bentley Autonomous Vehicles Luxury

Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition is Texas-style luxury

A premium Texas car dealership has coordinated the unusual pairing of a top-tier British automaker with a legendary American hat brand. Together, with the help of the bespoke builders from Mulliner, Bentley Dallas and Stetson have birthed the Bentayga Stetson Special Edition. The first example (there will be more) arrived at the dealership this week in White Sand and comes complete with a matching hat.  Although Bentley and Stetson might seem like an odd couple, their similar core values make for a loose connection: lasting quality, timeless design and unmatched craftsmanship. The special edition, which is sold exclusively through Bentley Dallas, is available in three different colors, all of which match an iconic Stetson design. Onyx is meant to pair with the Stetson black 100X El Presidente, Dark Cashmere is for the Stetson Boss of the Plains, and the White Sand paint on this example matches the Stetson Silverbelly. The wheels can be ordered on a normal Bentayga, so the only other exterior alteration is the addition of Stetson badges on the rear side panels. Step inside, and the SUV starts to feel a bit more Texas. Mulliner conceptualized a three-tone configuration with camel main hides, saddle secondary and burnt oak accents. The seats, door paneling, and floor mats feature diamond-quilted designs, and "boot stitching" was used throughout the vehicle as a nod to cowboy culture. Possibly the most beautiful material is the open-pore liquid amber veneer, which is cut from American Red Gum trees in the U.S. Punctuating the special edition, each front seat has "STETSON" embroidered beneath the head rests, and treadplate inserts read, "MULLINER STETSON."  The Stetson Special Edition does not receive any performance upgrades, so it sticks with the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 that makes 542 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque. This exact example is listed at $246,578, but each version would be different depending on customer preferences. Bentley Dallas is expecting two more vehicles in October and November. Featured Gallery Bentley Bentayga Stetson Special Edition View 25 Photos Design/Style Bentley SUV Luxury Off-Road Vehicles Performance bentley bentayga Mulliner

Bentley's next model gets Airline Seat Specification option

Bentley is preparing to add a fifth model to its line-up. The company isn't ready to reveal the car's identity — though we think we know what we're looking at — but it announced that the mysterious vehicle will be available with an option called Airline Seat Specification. If you travel in economy class, there is absolutely nothing glamorous about an airline seat: it's often thinly-padded, cramped, and not nearly as clean as we like to imagine. Bentley's new option takes inspiration from the front of the plane, however, where business class and first-class passengers fly. Buyers who order the Airline Seat Specification option will get a car whose individual rear seats are 22-way power-adjustable, feature what the firm calls an "auto climate sensing system," and benefit from an advanced postural adjustment technology that offers 177 individual pressure changes possible across six zones. Bentley proudly calls this the most advanced seat ever fitted to a car. The company is also embedding lighting elements into the door panels. Called Bentley Diamond Illumination, this system consists of 12 LEDs integrated into the front door panels and 22 LEDs integrated into the rear door panels. They're configured to shine through small holes in the upholstery. The result is shown in the image above, though other designs may be possible. Bentley pointed out that the model it's preparing to unveil will offer no less than 24 billion (yes, billion!) unique possible configurations of trim specification alone. As for the rest of the car, nothing is official yet but we're fairly sure that we're looking at a long-wheelbase version of the Bentayga. We'll have a better idea of what Bentley has in the pipeline when the model makes its debut online on May 10, 2022, at 12:30 p.m British time. Related video: