Continental GT
In March this year, Bentley Motors announced its financial results for the year ending 31 December 2012, reporting a significantly increased operating profit of Euros 100.5m compared to Euros 8m in 2011.
Bentley boosted its total turnover by 29.9% to Euros 1.453 billion and its profit margin increased to 7%. Demonstrating the global reach of Bentley’s business, exports accounted for 87.3% of Bentley’s total turnover, equating to a total export value of Euros 1.269 billion. The company’s market share in the luxury segment rose by 4.9 percentage points to 20.1%.
Bentley Motors Middle East continued the successful performance of 2012 with a record first-half of 2013 and an increase of 28 per cent against the same period last year for deliveries to customers.
“The previous year was the best ever year for Bentley Motors in the Middle East and 2013 is set to beat that record.”
The Continental GT V8 and Continental GTC V8 have achieved increasing popularity in the Middle East since their launch in 2012 and accounted for a large portion of Continental GT sales. Combined with the Continental GT W12, GTC W12, GT Speed, and GT Speed Convertible, the GT sales accounted for 70 per cent of total sales in the first half of 2013 for the Middle East region.
The United Arab Emirates and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are the strongest performing countries in the region, contributing to over 50% of overall sales.
At the start of this year Bentley launched the New Continental GT Speed, the fastest production car to date, with the ability to go to speed of up to 329 km/h. The convertible version of this vehicle is now available and is the fastest four-seater convertible in the world!
The new GT Speed Convertible combines the sensory pleasures of roof-down luxury touring with the shattering performance of a 625 PS (616 bhp) twin-turbocharged 6.0 litre W12, while delivering a fifteen per cent improvement in fuel efficiency. The close-ratio eight-speed transmission, uprated and lowered suspension and retuned steering provide exhilarating acceleration and sharp, communicative handling without detriment to the renowned ride comfort of Bentley’s Continental convertible. Permanent all-wheel drive ensures optimum traction and power delivery whatever the road conditions.
Mulsanne
The Middle East remains one of the most important markets in the world for the flagship Bentley Mulsanne. The model also enjoyed a strong first half with sales increasing by 70 per cent compared with the same period last year. The Mulsanne is a pure example of the Grand Touring Bentley, combining coach-built elegance and hand crafted luxury with immense power and sportiness that together offer the world’s most exclusive driving experience. It is a luxury car that makes the joy of driving its central focus. In an era of mass production, it stands at the pinnacle of British luxury motoring.
With a 0-100 km/h sprint time of just 5.3 seconds and a top speed of 296 km/h the 505 bhp (512 PS/377 kw) Mulsanne, with its class-leading torque of 1020Nm, has always offered thunderous levels of performance for an ultra-luxury sedan.
The Mulsanne’s beautifully balanced proportions convey a unique sense of dynamism and movement. These are reinforced by muscular haunches and sharply sculpted, gracefully flowing lines, hinting at the phenomenal levels of power and torque that are in reserve at all times.
In common with all Bentley vehicles, customers of Mulsanne have the opportunity to create a truly bespoke car from a palette of over 100 paint colours, a class-leading choice of unbleached premium quality veneers and marquetry options and a selection of 25 leather hides. The beautiful cabin alone takes Bentley’s craftsmen and women over 170 hours to create.
Bentley has also launched this year, a stylish range of luggage to fit effortlessly into the flagship Mulsanne model. The luggage, hand-made by Schedoni of Italy, allows customers to tailor the specification of the set to match the hides within their own car. The design of this range is inspired directly from the key styling elements within the inner door panelling of the Mulsanne. The full set consists of two large cases, two foldable garment bags and two small cases.
Flying Spur
Bentley’s presence in the Middle East is set to be strengthened later this year with the introduction of the new Flying Spur. The new luxury sedan made its global debut at the Salon International de l’Auto in Geneva earlier this year. Benefiting from the highest levels of luxury, craftsmanship and performance, as well as the latest technologies, the new Flying Spur is set to make a big impact on the region’s luxury car market.
Bentley Middle East has dealerships in Bahrain, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, all of which have already taken orders for the New Flying-Spur. Its predecessor was a huge success for Bentley in the region. With its unrivalled blend of effortless driveability, exquisite luxury and craftsmanship, sculpted design and state-of-the-art technology it is sure to be very well received in the Middle East.
The Middle East is home to a specially designed workshop, which holds the title if the world’s biggest Bentley workshop in Dubai, UAE.
Al Habtoor Motors, Bentley Motors’ long-standing importer for the UAE, has invested AED 300 million in the 3millon sq. ft. site, of which 189,000 sq. ft. is dedicated to Bentley. The state-of-the-art centre is air-conditioned from the moment customers step out of their vehicle and walk into the luxurious reception area.
The reception area is vast and comfortable with televisions, refreshments and Wi-Fi, allowing customers to wait for their vehicle in a relaxing environment. For those wanting to shop, the reception area displays merchandise from the extensive Bentley collection.
Located behind the reception area, the extensive workshop is a world-class facility offering the latest technology, equipment and systems to improve further the efficiency and quality of service, repairs and renovation. A one-stop-shop, the Bentley workshop is able to carry out PDI’s, servicing, repairs, body shop repairs, paintwork and restoration. The workshop has 190 vehicle bays and 250 customer and visitor car parking spaces, and will allow technicians to perform maintenance on up to 40 vehicles simultaneously.
For owners of heritage models, the Bentley workshop has the expertise, capacity and equipment to restore classic models. The body repair, restoration and heritage area of the business is now even better placed to look after customers from all over the UAE. Cherishing cars as enthusiastically as owners themselves, the skilled technicians and craftsmen will deliver the finest results.
Bentley Motors employs around 4,000 people in Crewe, UK which is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury vehicle manufacturers such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley exports over £1bn worth of goods per year.
Having just celebrated its 75th anniversary, Bentley’s Crewe Factory has many great achievements from its original construction to producing cars for over 60 years that sit at the pinnacle of luxury automotive manufacturing. Originally constructed to manufacture the Merlin engines which powered Spitfire and Hurricane fighters, the factory is now home to more than 4,000 Bentley employees who helped manufacture over 8,500 Bentley cars last year for discerning customers all over the world.
The manufacturer recently installed 20,000 solar panels with a capacity of 5MW, the UK’s largest roof-mounted solar panel installation, which will generate up to 40 per cent of Bentley’s energy requirements and reduce CO2 usage by 2000 tonnes per year.
The panels will also generate enough energy to power over 1,200 households in Crewe, proving the valuable contribution the factory has made to the local and wider community.
2013 has seen the launch of many new and exciting products, created with luxury and performance in mind in collaboration with partnership brands.
Bentley and Breitling have again combined British chic and Swiss horological excellence to create a limited edition, ultra-sporty Bentley Light Body Midnight Carbon chronograph. The limited edition watch conceals a light and sturdy titanium chassis featuring a highly resistant carbon-based coating beneath its all-black exterior.
The dashboard-style dial displays exclusive Breitling technical features highlighted by red-rimmed indications. The originality and strength of the design are accentuated by the hands and hour-markers, also clad in matt black and enhanced by a luminescent coating ensuring optimal readability in the dark. The midnight black rubber strap is distinguished by its central raised motif echoing that of the knurled bezel – a refined nod to the famous radiator grilles gracing the prow of a Bentley.
The watch is limited to only 1,000 pieces worldwide, the unrivalled performance of this elegant and reliable watch is powered by a self-winding chronograph movement chronometer.
The collaboration between Bentley and Art & Fragrance, owner of Lalique, creates the bespoke ‘Lalique for Bentley Crystal Edition’, an impressive crystal flacon with the legendary ‘Flying B’ Bentley mascot. The eau de parfum itself, composed by Mylène Alran, from the French perfume house Robertet, is a fitting elixir of fine woody notes and exquisite leather to complement the epicentres of excellence within Bentley’s craftsmanship.
The ‘Bentley for Men’ and the high-impact ‘Bentley for Men Intense’ fragrances are created by top French perfumer Nathalie Lorson, from the perfume house Firmenich. She has skilfully transformed the quintessence of the luxury automotive brand Bentley into a superb and unmistakeable fragrance experience. To do so, the finest perfume raw ingredients have been used, including those must-haves for Bentley’s debut fragrance, fine wood and leather notes.
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