Bentley has a new art car that celebrates diversity and inclusion. Part of the company’s Beyond100 strategy is to become the most diverse luxury automaker, and the launch of the “Belonging” Bentayga is another step in that effort.
Bentley commissioned British architectural artist Stephen Wiltshire to hand-paint the Alpine Green Bentayga. He painted 29 different landmarks and skylines, capturing New York, London, Paris, Rome, Milan, Venice, Tokyo, and Hong Kong alongside people from all over the world. Each side of the SUV represents a different continent.
The Bentley Excellence Center Bespoke Paint team developed the paint with a unique process. This project was the first time the company had hand-painted a vehicle in this way at its Crewe factory.
Wiltshire, a savant who can draw a landscape after seeing it just once, was diagnosed with autism at age three and was mute as a child. His family and doctors soon learned Wiltshire communicated through drawing. He said his art was “always about existing and connecting.”
The Bentayga is the automaker’s third art car celebrating diversity and inclusion. In 2021, after recognizing how critical diverse perspectives are, it revealed the Unflying Spur celebrating European Diversity month. A year earlier, Bentley introduced a rainbow-themed Continental GT Convertible. The company’s workforce comprises 52 nationalities, and it has a presence in 67 countries.
A year ago, Bentley announced updates for the 2023 Bentayga S hybrid. The automaker increased the size of the SUV’s battery back from 13.0 kilowatt hours to 18.0. The extra capacity increased the model’s pure-electric range by two to 27 miles.
The pack powers the same 100.0-kWh electric motor and turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 engine as last year. The setup produces a combined 456 horsepower, up from 443 hp in the previous offering.
The Bentayga quickly became the brand’s best-selling model after its launch in 2015, giving the luxury marquee a much-needed SUV. The Bentayga remained Bentley’s best-selling car in 2022, with the brand setting an overall sales record. It sold just over 15,000 vehicles, with 42 percent of them being the Bentayga SUV. The Continental GT and GT Convertible accounted for 30 percent of the brand’s sales.
The SUV’s strong sales helped the automaker earn a record profit. Last year, Bentley nearly doubled its operating profit compared to 2021, making 708 million pounds ($859 million at today’s exchange rate).
