With the demise of the Mulsanne earlier
this year, Bentley wants to further strengthen the position of the Flying Spur
as its new flagship sedan, so they have launched a new feature for it:
three-dimensional wood panels. Previewed by the 3D-machined wood seen in the
EXP 10 Speed 6 Concept at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show and inspired by the
diamond-quilted leather, Bentley’s three-dimensional wood panel is a first for
the automotive sector, and will be featured on the rear door cards of the
Flying Spur.
Each panel is created from a single block
of timber, with the automaker using the sustainable American Walnut and
American Cherry. The 3D surface is achieved by skilled operators who use a
multi-axis routing machine that has a tolerance of only 0.1 mm, less than the
thickness of a human hair. The panels are then hand finished and covered in
lacquer.
Based on the same platform as the
Continental GT and Porsche Panamera, the Bentley Flying Spur offers a 0-100 km/h in 3.8 seconds and has a top speed of 333 km/h. The
impressive performance is made possible by the 6.0-liter twin-turbo W12 engine
that develops 626 HP and 900 Nm of torque, sent
to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
